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Ergogenic Aids
Published in Michael H. Stone, Timothy J. Suchomel, W. Guy Hornsby, John P. Wagle, Aaron J. Cunanan, Strength and Conditioning in Sports, 2023
Michael H. Stone, Timothy J. Suchomel, W. Guy Hornsby, John P. Wagle, Aaron J. Cunanan
Most ergogenic aids can be thought of as an augmentation aimed at boosting a particular aspect of training or competitive performance. However, it is often the case that an ergogenic aid is creating an unfair advantage for the athletes that use them or is exposing the athlete to side effects that are a threat to the athlete’s health or well-being. The various governing bodies overseeing each sport and its levels work tirelessly to carefully police ergogenic aids to uphold the integrity of competition and preserve the health status of the athletes. Therefore, the authors will forgo any discussion of banned substances (e.g., anabolic steroids) or processes (e.g., blood doping), as these would not be useful for practitioners aligned with the ethical standards universally agreed upon in sport. Because sport science, as we have defined it in previous chapters, includes both the improvement of sport performance and its equipment, we will move forward with a rather inclusive discussion. However, only a brief discussion of psychological ergogenic aids will be provided, as it falls outside the authors’ collective scopes of practice. Readers interested in the various psychological ergogenic aids and their efficacy are directed towards the work of Baltzell (8).
Description of Research Variables for Ergogenic Aids Studies
Published in Luke Bucci, Nutrients as Ergogenic Aids for Sports and Exercise, 2020
Some obvious deficiencies in ergogenic aid research are apparent. First, the consideration of dose should be reiterated. For most nutrients, pharmacological data on normal subjects are available which can be used to choose an optimal dose and schedule to produce a desired response (e.g., peak serum concentration). Second, mixtures of several nutrients that affect one or related metabolic pathways have seldom been tested. The possibilities of synergistic combinations remain unexplored. Third, experimental designs to mimic popular exercises, such as weightlifting and “dance” aerobics to lower body fat levels are seldom encountered. When researchers more closely examine the exercises performed by many athletes and nonathletes, more popular credibility will be given to such research. Fourth, increasing collaboration between academic researchers and commercial interests may lead to benefits for each. Fifth, nutritional education in elementary, middle, and high schools is not stressed sufficiently. Ignorance of even basic nutritional knowledge leads to rampant proliferation of needless and useless products. Sixth, the legal framework regulating advertising claims and categorization of nutrients and drugs is becoming increasingly outdated, less applicable, and unenforceable.
Beta-alanine supplementation IN SPORT, EXERCISE AND HEALTH
Published in Jay R Hoffman, Dietary Supplementation in Sport and Exercise, 2019
Beta-alanine is widely considered an effective ergogenic aid and is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as one of five sports supplements that have sufficient evidence to support its use (97). Indeed, an expanding literature base attesting to its ergogenic potential in a variety of high-intensity sports underpins its worldwide popularity as an ergogenic aid (88). This dietary supplement is a precursor, and the rate limiting step, in the synthesis of carnosine (70), a histidine-containing dipeptide found in large quantities in the skeletal muscle of humans (1, 28). Carnosine is also found in the kidneys (111) and the brain (91). The physiological role of carnosine has been suggested to be pleiotropic and includes antioxidant activity (26, 28, 29, 33), antiglycation effects (73), enhanced calcium sensitivity (57, 58) and hydrogen ion (H+) buffering (1, 12).
Spirulina platensis Provides a Small Advantage in Vertical Jump and Sprint Performance But Does Not Improve Elite Rugby Players’ Body Composition
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2021
Mehdi Chaouachi, Sandrine Gautier, Yoann Carnot, Nicolas Bideau, Pierrick Guillemot, Yann Moison, Tom Collin, Sophie Vincent, Carole Groussard
To summarize, the effects of Spirulina on body composition and performance using a battery of tests are modest in elite rugby players. The limited beneficial effects only concern vertical jump and sprint performance. We cannot consider Spirulina as a nutritional ergogenic aid in this population. Our study does not confirm the assertions mentioned by the various commercial sites, in particular, those specialized for elite athletes. With speculation, it is possible that the results could be different with a longer duration (>7 weeks) and a higher dose (>5.7 g/d). Indeed, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the Spirulina dose-response relationship in athletes taking into account their training load. Since the optimal dose for such a population with high training loads remains unclear, the dose used in this study might have influenced the results. Further studies are required to verify Spirulina consumption effects among athletes of different sports, ages, sexes, and athletic levels with longer durations and higher dosages, taking into account the relationship between the training load and the selected supplementation dose.
Dietary supplement use in younger and older men exercising at gyms in Cape Town
Published in South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2021
Marjanne Senekal, Shelly Meltzer, Anri Horne, Nicole CG Abrey, Lauren Papenfus, Stefan van der Merwe, Norman J Temple
The results show that MAIO supplements were commonly used by younger and older men, specifically multi-vitamins, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Both age groups reported that general health was the main reason for use of these supplements, although approximately a fifth of the younger men also indicated sport/exercise performance as their reason. The one noteworthy difference between the two age groups was that older men were more than twice as likely to use omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are promoted for reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and cognitive decline.27,28 The only ergogenic aid for which use was significantly higher in the older group was glucosamine. This supplement was included in the ergogenic aid group as it has been suggested as a treatment for cartilage damage in athletes.29 The very low use of glucosamine by younger men and the fact that older men seemed to use it for protection of joints may indicate that glucosamine is not generally perceived to have ergogenic properties, but is rather used as a supplement for ageing individuals for joint protection.
Effects of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) Supplementation on Aerobic Exercise Performance and Indices of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Untrained Men
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2020
Paul S. Hwang, Steven B. Machek, Thomas D. Cardaci, Dylan T. Wilburn, Caelin S. Kim, Emiliya S. Suezaki, Darryn S. Willoughby
PQQ cannot be synthesized by the human body, so it must be obtained through a diet of nutrient-rich, plant-based foods or exogenous supplementation (12,13). To this respect, the supplemental use of PQQ has been examined based on its properties as an antioxidant as well as its role impacting mitochondrial function and biogenesis (12,15,18,20,21). However, most of the research has solely explored the effects of PQQ upon redox modulation and mitochondrial biogenesis within rodents (15,16). Therefore, there is a paucity of research investigating the effectiveness of PQQ within humans (22). There is strong evidence supporting that aerobic exercise can upregulate PGC-1α expression and instigate adaptations to improve mitochondrial function and oxidative capacity (3,4,9,10). Therefore, it is plausible that supplemental PQQ in conjunction with aerobic exercise training in humans could provide a differential additive effect toward being an ergogenic aid, but the literature is non-existent.