Performing Enhancing Substances

EXSC 541: Chapter 11

Ergogenic Aid

Any substance, mechanical aid, or training method that improves sport performance

Dietary Supplements

• A product (other than tobacco) intended to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake

• Must be intended for ingestion

• Cannot be advertised for the use as a conventional food or as the sole item within a meal or diet

• Contain one or more of the following: vitamin, mineral, herb or other botanical, amino acid

Drug vs. dietary supplement

The distinction is linked to FDA approval for safety and effectiveness

• Drugs require approval

• Dietary supplements do not

Anabolic Steroids

The synthetic (man-made) derivatives of the male sex hormone, testosterone

• Elevations in testosterone concentrations stimulate protein synthesis, resulting in improvements in muscle size, body mass, and strength

Anabolic Steroids: Dosing

• Athletes typically use anabolic steroids in a “stacking” regimen, where they administer several different drugs simultaneously

• Potency of one anabolic agent may be enhanced when it is consumed simultaneously with another anabolic agent

• Most users use the drugs for several weeks or months and alternate these cycles with periods of discontinued use

• Oftern athletes administer the drugs in a pyramid (step-up) pattern in which dosages are steadily increased over several weeks. Towards the end of the cycle, the athlete “steps down” to reduce the likelihood of negative side effects

Anabolic Steroids: Who

Olympic athletes, professional athletes, collegiate athletes, and high school athletes have been reported to use steroids

• Many uses are not involved in steroids; they use them to improve appearance.

Anabolic Steroids: Muscle Mass and Strength

Increases in muscle protein synthesis likely responsible for increases in lean body mass

• Changes occur in both recreationally trained and competitive athletes

Anabolic Steroids: Athletic Performance

Increased muscle mass, strength, and athletic performance, but these changes depend on the status of the individual

Anabolic Steroids: Psychological Effects

Changes on aggression, arousal, and irritability

Anabolic Steroids: Adverse Effects

Medical problems related to these may be somewhat overstates

• Many of the side effects linked to abuse are reversable upon cessation

Testosterone Precursors (Prohormones)

Although performance changes may not occur with prohormone use, athletes may be at higher risk for experiencing adverse side effects similar to those associated with anabolic steroid use

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

When injected into men, it can increase testicular testosterone production

Endogenous testosterone production is suppressed at the end of a steroid cycle. If it u\is used by athletes, it is likely used by those who are finishing a cycle of anabolic steroids and are looking to activate their own endogenous testosterone production

HCG Adverse Effects

There is very little research on the side effects of these injections

The side effects that are common to injection are pain, swelling, and tenderness around the injection site.

Insulin

Facilitates the uptake of glucose and amino acids into the cells

Insulin: Efficacy

Post workout carbohydrate ingestion suppresses muscle protein breakdown via the anticatabolic effects of insulin

Theoretically, if protein breakdown is suppresses over several weeks, to months, gains in lean muscle mass could be realized

Insulin: Adverse Effects

(When injected)

• Immediate death

• Coma

• Possible development of insulin dependent diabetes in a previously healthy athlete

Human Growth Hormone

• Stimulates bone and skeletal muscle growth

• Helps maintain blood glucose levels

• Stimulates the release of fatty acids from fat cells

Human Growth Hormone: Efficacy

• Little research has been done with athletes

• Research with healthy elderly persons, as well as children and adults with these deficiencies, shows improvements in lean body tissue with decreases in body fat

Human Growth Hormone: Adverse Effects

• Excess after puberty cause acromegaly- a widening of the bones, arthritis, organ enlargement, and metabolic abnormalities

• Abuse of it can also lead to diabetes in prone individuals; cardiovascular dysfunction; muscle, joint, and bone pain; hypertension; abnormal growth of organs; and accelerated osteoarthrosis

Erythropoietin

Injections are associated with elevations in both hematocrit and hemoglobin

• Health risk include increased risk of blood clotting, elevations in systolic BP, a compromised thermoregulatory system, and dehydration during aerobic endurance events

Beta Adrenergic Agonists

Can increase lean mass and decrease stored fat

Beta Blockers

Reduce anxiety and tremors during performance

Essential Amino Acids

Can augment muscle protein synthesis in healthy human subjects

Leucine

A branched chain amino acid that is a key regulator in stimulating muscle protein synthesis. It directly activates the Akt/mTOR pathway in skeletal muscle, which is a key pathway in skeletal muscle protein synthesis

Arginine

• Elevation in nitric oxide levels

• Increase in muscle blood flow

• Improvement in exercise performance

• Little scientific evidence supporting benefit

Beta hydroxy beta methylbutyrate (HMB)

Has both anabolic and lipolytic effects, but research is limited

• Recent studies do not support this supplementation in resistance-trained athletes

• Most effective when an adequate training stimulus is provided

  • Untrained individuals- does not require high-volume training

  • Trained individuals- a high intensity and high volume resistance training program is likely needed for benefits to be realized

Nutritional Muscle buffers

• Beta-alanine

• Sodium bicarbonate

• Sodium Citrate

L-carnitine

An ergogenic aid for increasing lipid oxidation have not shows clear efficacy

• May enhance recovery from exercise

Creatine

The ability to rapidly rephosphorylate ADP is dependent on the enzyme creatine kinase and the availability of creatine phosphate within the muscle

Creatine Supplementation

Increases the creatine content of muscles by approximately 20%, but there is a saturation limit

• Studies consistently show significant ergogenic benefits

• Has been shown to increase maximal strength, power, and lean body mass in both trained and untrained populations.

• Safe and relatively inexpensive

Creatine: Body mass changes

Prolonged supplementation has been generally associated with increases in body weight, especially increases in fat free mass

Creatine: Adverse Effects

Controlled studies have been unable to document any significant side effects

• Concerns include gastrointestinal disturbances and strain on the kidneys

• There is no reason to believe that it enhances the risk for dehydration and cramping side effects

Caffeine: Efficacy

• Increase time to exhaustion

• Effects on sprint or power performance is unclear

Caffeine: Adverse Effects

• Anxiety

• Gastrointestinal disturbances

• Restlessness

• Insomnia

• Tremors

• Heart arrythmias

• Increased risk for heat illness

• Addiction

Preworkout Energy Drinks: Efficacy

• Effective for increasing resistance training volume performance

• Other types of anaerobic exercise not as responsive to consumption

Preworkout Energy Drinks: Adverse Effects

Due to the presence of caffeine, the same potential adverse effects that exist for caffeine also exists

Ephedrine: Efficacy

• Effective only when it is taken in combination with caffeine

• Improves aerobic endurance performance

Ephedrine: Adverse Effects

• Many adverse Effects including death

• Banned by most sport governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee

Citrus Aurantium

• Is though to contribute to appetite suppression, increased metabolic rate, and lipolysis

• When combined with caffeine and other herbal products, significant improvements in time to fatigue reported

• On NCAA list of banned performance-enhancing drugs