Ergogenic Aids Flashcards
What are Ergogenic Aids
a substance / object / method used to improve performance
Pharmacological Aids?
Definition?
Examples?
A group of ergogenic aids to increase the levels of hormones or neural transmitters naturally produced by the body
Examples include:
- Anabolic steroids
- EPO
- HGH
Anabolic steroids
What are Anabolic steroids?
How can it be taken? (4 ways)
Used by? (1 type of people and 4 examples of them)
General information:
- illegal synthetic hormones that resemble testosterone and promote protein synthesis for muscle growth
Can be taken in:
- tablet/ capsules
- injection
- cream
Used by:
- maximal and explosive strength based performers eg.
- sprinters - throwers - baseball - rugby players
Anabolic steroids - Performance benefits (3) vs Risks (6)
Benefits:
- Increased muscle mass and strength
- Increased recovery
- Increased intensity and duration of training
Risks:
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Liver damage
- Heart failure
- Acne
- Hormonal disturbances
Erythropoietin (EPO)
What is EPO? (2 things)
How can it be taken? (1 ways)
Used by? (1 type of people and 3 examples of them)
General Information:
- naturally produced hormone
- increased production of red blood cells
Can be taken in:
- Injection form
Used by:
- Associated with endurance performers such as:
- marathon runners - triathletes - Tour de France cyclists
EPO - Performance benefits (3) vs Risks (3)
Performance benefits:
- increase oxygen transport
- increase aerobic capacity
- increase intensity and duration
Risks:
- increased blood viscosity (HYPER-VISCOSITY)
- decreased cardiac output
- risk of blood clots
- Decreased natural production of EPO
Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
What is HGH? (3 things)
Used by? (1 type of people and 4 examples of them)
General Information:
- synthetic product that replicates naturally produced growth hormone
- increases protein synthesis for muscle growth, recovery and repair
- preferable to some over testosterone, as there are less side effects and is difficult to detect
Used by:
- Associated with maximal and explosive strength based performers such as:
- power lifters - bodybuilders - sprinters - throwers
HGH - Performance benefits (5) vs Risks (3)
Performance benefits:
- Increased muscle mass and strength
- Increased fat metabolism and decreased fat mass
- Increased blood glucose
- Increased recovery
- Increased intensity and duration of training
Risks:
- Abnormal bone and muscle development
- Enlargement of vital organs
- Increased risk of cancer and diabetes
Physiological aids (definition)
A group of ergogenic aids to increase the rate of adaptation by the body to increase performance
Blood Doping
What is it? (1 thing)
How? (3 parts)
Used by? (1 type of people and an example of them)
General Information:
- illegal method of increasing red blood cell count by infusing blood prior to competition
How:
- Volume of blood and the red blood cells frozen around 4 weeks prior to competition.
- Body replenishes the lost blood.
- Couple of hours before an event the red blood cells are reinfused.
Used by:
- Associated with endurance performers such as the Tour de France cyclists.
Blood Doping - Performance benefits (3) vs Risks (4)
Performance Benefits:
- Increased RBC therefore more Hb
- Increased O2 transportation and aerobic capacity
- Increased intensity and duration of performance
Risks:
- increased blood viscosity
- decreased cardiac output
- heart failure
- transfusion reaction
Intermittent hypoxic training
What is it? (1 thing)
Can be performed how? (1 way)
Used by? (1 type of people and 2 examples of them)
General Information:
- This is where athletes live at sea level but train in hypoxic (low
pressure of oxygen) conditions.
Can be performed:
- With aerobic and high intensity anaerobic intervals where a mask is worn supplying low ppO2 during the exercise interval and taken off during rest
Used by:
Associated with endurance performers such as:
- marathon runners
- triathletes
IHT - Performance Benefits (4) vs Risks (5)
Performance Benefits:
- Allows acclimatisation for events at altitude
- Increased RBC therefore more Hb
- Increased intensity and duration before fatigue
- Increased mitochondria and buffering capacity therefore delay OBLA
Risks:
- Benefits lost when IHT stops
- May disrupt training process = loss of motivation
- Hard to reach normal work rates
- Decreased immune function and increased risk of infection
- Dehydration
Cooling aids
What is it? (1 thing and 3 examples)
Can be done how? (2 way)
How is it used post event (what is used, how does it actually work?)
General Information:
- a range of products such as:
- ice vests
- ice packs
- ice baths
- used to reduce core temperature treat injury and speed up recovery
Injury treatment:
- Can be used during or after an event
- Nerve endings are numbed to reduce pain and arterioles vasoconstrict to reduce blood flow and reduce swelling.
Post event:
- Ice baths used after and event to speed up recovery and reduce DOMS.
- Blood vessels constrict, removing waste and lactic acid from the muscle tissue
Cooling aids - Performance Benefits (5) vs Risks (5)
Performance Benefits:
- Reduce core body temperature
- Decreased sweating, dehydration and early fatigue
- Decreased injury pain and swelling
- Increased speed of recovery and repair
- Decreased DOMS
Risks:
- Difficult to perceive exercise intensity
- Ice burns and pain
- May mask and worsen injuries
- Chest pain and decreased efficiency in elderly
- Dangerous for those with heart and blood pressure problems
Glycogen loading (definition)
4 phases to glycogen loading
The manipulation of carbohydrate intake in the week before competition to maximise stores of glycogen
Day 1: glycogen-depleting bout of endurance exercise
Day 2-3: high protein, high fat diet
Day 4: glycogen-depleting bout of endurance exercise
Day 5-7: high carbohydrate diet while training is tapered or reduced to resting.
Performance benefits (4) and risks (6) of glycogen loading
Performance benefits:
- Increased glycogen stores
- Increased endurance capacity
- Delays fatigue
- Increased time to exhaustion by up to 30%
Risks:
- Hypoglycaemia in the depletion stage
- Poor recovery rates in depletion stage
- Lethargy and irritability
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Increased risk of injury
- Affects mental preparation
Nutritional aids
Nutritional aids can come in the form of: (7 things)
- Amount, composition and timing of meals
- Glycogen loading
- Hydration
- Creatine supplementation
- Caffeine
- Bicarbonate
- Nitrate
Amount, composition and timing of meals - Endurance training
Recommendations: (3)
Recommendations:
- Someone who trains at a moderate intensity for 1 hour a day should consume 5-7g of carbohydrates per kg of body mass
- An athlete who trains intensely for more than 4 hours per day should consume 10-12g per kg per day.
- They should also consider pre and post event high carbohydrate meals.
Amount, composition and timing of meals - Strength training
Someone following a programme to increase muscle mass and strength is likely to follow a different type of plan
(4 recommendations)
Recommendations:
- 5-6 small meals every few hours
- up to 30% lean protein to enhance muscle building and repair
- complex carbohydrates to release energy slowly
- limited fat intake
Hydration – losing _% body weight in ______ can cause __% decrease in ______________
Dehydration can lead to: (5 things)
losing 2% body weight in sweat can cause 20% decrease in performance
Due to:
- Decreased heat regulation and increased temperature
- Increased blood viscosity
- Increased heart rate
- Increased fatigue
- Decreased cognitive function and skill level
Guidelines for hydration: (3 things)
Hypotonic solutions (4)
Isotonic solutions (4)
Hypertonic solutions (5)
- The performer needs to be well hydrated prior to training
- for every 1kg of body mass lost during the activity 1 litre of fluid should be consumed.
- Electrolytes (salts and minerals that conduct electrical impulses) have to be replaced to promote hydration.
Hypotonic solutions:
- Drinks which contain a lower concentration of glucose than blood stream
- It quickly replaces fluid lost by sweating
- Provides some glucose for energy production
- Used by jockeys and gymnasts
Isotonic solutions:
- These contain equal concentrations of glucose to the blood stream
- Absorbed at the same rate as water
- Quickly rehydrate and supply glucose for energy production
- Used by middle/long distance runners and games players
Hypertonic solutions:
- Contain a higher concentration of glucose than in the blood stream
- Absorbed at a slower rate than water
- Usually used post exercise to maximise glycogen replenishment
- Ultra distance athletes may use this to meet energy requirements
- They need to use this in combination with isotonic
Creatine supplementation
(2 facts about creatine)
(2 type of things its used for)
- Naturally produced in the form of amino acids
- Stored in the muscle tissue as PC
- Used to fuel high intensity energy production
- Used by weightlifters and sprinters
Performance benefits (4) and risks (5) of creatine
Performance benefits:
- Increased PC stores
- Increased fuel for high intensity activities
- Increased intensity and duration of training
- Increased maximum and explosive strength
Risks:
- Increased weight gain
- Increased water retention
- Muscle cramps
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Long term effects on health unclear
Caffeine and its benefits (5) and risks (4)
Stimulant to heighten the CNS and mobilise fats to prolong energy production
Benefits:
- Increased nervous stimulation
- Increased focus and concentration
- Increased mobilisation of fats
- Preservation of muscle glycogen
- Increased endurance performance
Risks:
- Diuretic – leading to dehydration
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Gastrointestinal problems
Bicarbonate
What is it?
How much taken and when?
Who does it benefit?
- An alkaline which acts as a buffer to neutralise the rise in lactic acid
Believed to benefits that compete 1-7 minutes such as athletes who run 400m-1500m or rowers.
Bicarbonate benefits (4) and risks (3)
Benefits:
- Increased buffering capacity
- Increased tolerance to lactic acid
- Delays OBLA
- Increased intensity and duration of performance
Risks:
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Unpleasant taste
- Causes nausea
Nitrates
What is it?
Where found?
How does it work?
When taken?
Who is it good for?
- Inorganic compounds which dilate blood vessels, reducing blood pressure and increasing blood flow to the muscles.
- Found in root vegetables, beetroot etc
- Converts into nitric oxide which plays a role in vascular and metabolic control
- Take in the lead up to the event – usually 6 days
- Good for endurance events close to lactic threshold 5000 -1000m runners
Performance benefits (4) and risks of nitrates (4)
Performance benefits:
- Reduced blood pressure
- Increased blood flow
- Increased intensity of performance
- Delays fatigue
Risks:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Unclear for long term risks
- Possible carcinogenic risk
