Sports nutrition: ergogenic aids

what are the categories of ergogenic aids

• performance enhancing technique: shoes, belts, psychological aids

• performance enhancing substances: physiological, blood doping, pharmacological, nutrition

how to evaluate an ergogenic supplement

• is it legal, ethical, pure, safe, effective

Pure (evaluating)

• how do we know what’s in the supplements label I actually in the product

• related to lack of contamination and accurate labeling

Effective (evaluating)

• does the theory make sense (biological plausibility)

• is there scientific evidence supporting the ergogenic value (humans, animals, replicated studies)

safe (evaluating)

• consider ingredients and dose

• herbal supplements lack a lot of safety

characteristic of adults who are most likely to take supplements

• white, older, female

• higher ses and education, exercise, health

• lower BMI

• never or former smoker

• moderate alcohol consumption

Why do people take supplements

1. improve overall health

2. maintain health

3. bone (more for woman than male)

4. add to nutrient intake

safe and effective aids

• creatine

• caffeine

about creatine

• effective in short term, high intensity sports for improving lean body mass and performance in weightlifters

• No effect on endurance performance or causing cramping, dehydration, strains.pulls

• pair with 50-100g CHO to increase uptake of muscle glycogen stores

Caffeine mechanism

• decrease perception of effort, heightens sense of awareness increase pain threshold

• exchange endurance performance but greater in those that are caffeine naive

• one hour before exercise

caffeine dosage

• benefits shown varying intakes

• dose of 2-3 mg/kg

• 200-400 mg per day is safe

• FDA reguation for soft drinks: .02% caffeine = 72 mg per 12 oz

adverse effects of caffeine

• increase HR, BP, GI distress, insomnia

• more common in caffeine naive people

sodium bicarbonate

• bicarb loading .3g/kg 60-90 mins prior to exercise

• effective way to buffer acidity during high intensity exercise

• high GI distress

Beta Alanine

• nonessential amino acid

• buffer muscle pH

• may enchant high intensity exercise

bett juice/nitrate

• potentially effective for improving endurance exercise capacity