Ergogenic Aids Flashcards
define ergogenic aid
a substance, object or method to improve or enhance performance
what are the 3 ergogenic aid categories
pharmacological aids, physiological aids, nutritional aids
define a pharmacological aid
are taken to increase levels of hormones or neural transmitters naturally produced by the body. Most are illegal
define anabolic steroids
a group of illegal synthetic hormones resembling testosterone to promote proteinsynthesis for muscle growth, recovery and repair
what kind of events are anabolic steroids associated with
maximal/ explosive events
what are 3 performance benefits of anabolic steroids
- increased muscle mass and strength
- increased speed of recovery
- increased intensity and duration of training
list 3 risks of anabolic steroids
- irritability, aggression and mood swings
- liver damage
- acne and hormonal disturbances
define erythropoietin
natural hormone responsible for producing red blood cells.
define RhEPO (recombinant erythropoietin)
a synthetic copy of EPO which has the same role and increases red blood cell production
what kind of events is EPO used for
endurance events
what is EPO’s WADA status
illegal
list 3 performance benefits of EPO
- increased red blood cell and haemoglobin count
- increased O2 transport and aerobic capacity
- increased intensity and duration of performance before fatigue
list 4 risks of EPO
- increased blood viscosity
- decreased cardiac output
- increased risk of heart failure and blood clotting
- decreased natural production of EPO
define human growth hormone
synthetic product copying natural growth hormone to increase protein synthesis for muscle growth, recovery and repair
which events is HGH used for
maximal and explosive events
what is the WADA status of HGH
illegal
list 5 performance benefits of HGH
- increased muscle mass and strength
- increased fat metabolism and decreased fat mass
- increased blood glucose levels
- increased speed of recovery
- increased intensity and duration of training
list 3 risks of HGH
- abnormal bone and muscle development
- enlargements of the vital organ, potentially leading to multi-organ failure
- increased risk of certain cancers and diabetes
define physiological aids
a group or ergogenic aids used to increase the rate of adaption by the body to increase performance
define blood doping
an illegal method of increasing red blood cell content by infusing blood prior to competition
what is the WADA status of blood doping
illegal
what kind of events is blood doping used for
endurance events
list 3 performance benefits of blood doping
- increased red blood cell and haemoglobin count
- increased O2 transport and aerobic capacity
- increased intensity and duration of performance before fatigue
list 4 risks of blood doping
- increased blood viscosity
- decreased cardiac output
- increased risk of heart failure and blood clotting
- risk of transfusion reactions and infections such as hepatitis and HIV
define intermittent hypoxic training
interval training work intervals performed under hypoxic conditions
what are some examples of IHT equipment
masks, rooms, sleeping tents
define hypoxic
low partial pressure of O2
what events are associated with intermittent hypoxic training
endurance events/ acclimatisation before events
what is the WADA status of intermittent hypoxic training
legal
describe a method of IHT
4-8 weeks of high intensity work intervals of 1-3 mins during 15-40 mins of hypoxic conditions with relief intervals of 1-40 mins.
list 4 performance benefits of IHT
- acclimatisation for events at altitude
- increased red blood cell, haemoglobin and O2 carrying capacity
- increased intensity and duration before fatigue
- increased mitochondria and buffering capacity, delaying OBLA
list risks of IHT
- any benefit is quickly lost when IHT stops
- hard to reach normal work rates
- decrease immune function and increase risk of infection
- dehydration
define cooling aids
a range of products such as ice vests, packs and baths, used to reduce core temperature, treat injury and speed up recovery
what is the effect of using cooling aids pre-event
cooling aids such as ice vests and cold towel wrap:
- reduce core body temperature to reduce cardiovascular drift.
- reduce overheating
- reduce sweating
- reduce dehydration
what kind of climates can ice vests and cold towel wraps be used in
hot climates
which cooling aids are used to treat injuries
ice packs and sprays
how do cooling aids help treat injuries
- nerve endings are numbed to reduce pain
- arterioles vasoconstrict to reduce blood flow and minimize swelling
which cooling aids are used post- event
ice baths
why are ice baths used post- event
speed up recovery and reduce DOMS
what happens to the body during and after an ice bath
during: vessels constrict, removing waste products and lactic acid from muscle tissue
after: blood vessels vasodilate flushing muscle tissue with oxygen rich blood which heals and repairs damaged cells
what is the WADA status of cooling aids
legal
list 5 benefits of cooling aids
- reduce core body temperature
- decreased sweating, dehydration and early fatigue
- decreased injury pain and swelling
- increased speed of recovery and repair
- decreased DOMS
list risks of cooling aids
- ice burns & pain
- hide or complicate injuries
- chest pain & reduced efficiency in the elderly
- dangerous for those with heart conditions if used in chest area
3 hours before an endurance event what should an athlete eat
- slow digesting carbohydrate meal
- with a low glycacemic index to maximise glycogen stores and prevent glycogen depletion
define glycaemic index
a rating scale showing how quickly a carbohydrate affects blood glucose levels
what should an athlete eat 1-2 hours before an endurance event
- smaller carbohydrate meal
- with a high glycaemic index
- eg. honey on bagel/ energy bar
why shouldn’t an athlete take take glucose supplements immediately before an event
- their body may try to counteract the raised blood glucose levels by leaving the athlete dizzy and fatigued
- this is called hypoglycaemia
what food should an endurance athlete consume during an endurance event
- regular amounts (30-60g) of fast- digesting carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose levels and preserve muscle glycogen stores
- eg glucose tablets, gels, banana, sports drink
what should an athlete consume after an endurance event
- 1- 1.5kg of carbohydrate per hour
- consumed within 30 mins of the event finishing
- repeated at 2 hour intervals up to 6 hours post event
what is the WADA status of carboloading for endurance training
legal
if an athlete is training for 1 hour per day how high is their carbohydrate intake
5-7g per kg of body mass
if an athlete is training 4 hours per day how high is their carbohydrate intake
10-12g per kg of body mass
how high is the carbohydrate intake of an athlete 13 hours before an event
1-4g per kg of body mass
how high is the carbohydrate intake of an athlete 1-2 hours before an event
small meal
how high is the carbohydrate intake of an athlete during an endurance event
60-90g per hour
how high is the carbohydrate intake of an athlete post endurance event
1-1.5g per kg of body mass within 30 mins and then repeated 3 times every 2 hours
how does sweating decrease performance
- increased temperature
- increased blood viscosity
- increased heart rate
- increased fatigue
- decreased cognitive function and skill level
what can the loss of electrolytes cause
fatigue and cramping
define electrolytes
salt and minerals, that conduct electrical impulses
for every 1 Kg of body mass lost during activity how much water should be consumed
1 litre
define a hypotonic solution
lower concentration of glucose (4%) than blood stream
define isotonic solution
equal concentrations of glucose (5-8%) to the blood stream
define hypertonic solution
higher concentration of glucose (15%) than the blood stream
what kind of nutritional plan will an athlete need to follow to increase muscle mass and strength
- 5-6 small meals a day every few hours
- up to 30% lean protein to enhance muscle building and repair (turkey/tuna)
- complex carbohydrates to release energy slowly, control blood sugar levels and minimise storage of fat (black beans/ oatmeal)
- limited fat intake, which also provides energy and is important for hormone production (flaxseed rich in omega-3 fatty acids)
what should consist of a pre- strength training meal
- 30-60 mins before training
- small meal with equal quantities of fast digesting carbohydrates and protein
- eg. white bagels or rice with whey protein or egg whites
what should consist of a post- strength training meal
- within 2 hours
- meal consisting of fast digesting carbohydrates and protein, this replaces lost glycogen and satisfy the far higher need for protein to boost protein synthesis and muscle and strength gains
- protein shakes
what is the WADA status of strength training
legal
define glycogen/ carbohydrate loading
manipulation of carbohydrate intake in the week before competition to maximise stores of glycogen
how does glycogen/ carbohydrate loading benefit performance
- increased glycogen storage
- delays fatigue
- increases endurance capacity
- increased time to exhaustion by up to 30%
what are the risks of glycogen/ carbohydrates loading
- hypoglycaemia on the depletion phase
- poor recovery rates in the depletion phase
- lethargy and irritability in the depletion phase
- gastrointestinal problems
- affects mental preparation
define creatine supplementation
consumption of creatine monohydrate to increase stores of PC to increase intensity and duration of performance
what are the performance benefits of creatine supplementation
- increased PC stores
- increased fuel for very high intensity energy production (ATP-PC system)
- increased intensity and duration of training
- increased maximum and explosive strength
what are the risks of creatine supplementation
- increased weight gain
- water retention
- muscle cramps
- gastrointestinal problems
define caffine
a stimulant used to heighten the central nervous system and metabolise fats to prolong aerobic energy production
what are the performance benefits of caffeine
- increased mental alertness
- reduces effects of fatigue
- delays use of glycogen stores
- improves decision making and reaction time
what are the risks of caffeine
- diuretic effect leading to dehydration
- insomnia and anxiety
- gastrointestinal problems
define sodium bicarbonate
an alkaline which acts as a buffer to reduce effects of lactic acid and delay fatigue
what are the performance benefits of sodium bicarbonate
- reduces acidity in the muscle cells
- increases tolerance to to lactic acid
- delays OBLA
- increases the buffering capacity of the blood
what are the risks of sodium bicarbonate
- possible gastrointestinal problems
- unpleasant taste, causing nausea
define nitrates
compounds which dilate blood vessels, reducing blood pressure and increasing blood flow to the muscles
what are the performance benefits of nitrates
- reduced blood pressure -
- increased blood flow
- increased intensity of performance
- delays fatigue
what are the risks of nitrates
- headaches, dizziness or light- headedness
- long term effect on health unclear
- possible carcinogenic risk
