Ergogenic aids Flashcards
What is the definition of ergogenic aids?
Anything that enhances performance
What are the three types of ergogenic aids?
pharmacological, physiological, nutritional
What are the three pharmacological aids?
Anabolic steroids
Erythropoietin (EPO)
Human growth hormone (HGH)
What are the three physiological aids?
Blood doping intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) Cooling aids (Pre/post exercise)
What are the 9 nutritional aids?
Amount of food Composition of meal Timing of meals Hydration Glycogen/Carbohydrate loading Creatine Caffeine Bicarbonate Nitrate
What type of aid are anabolic steroids?
Pharmacological
What is the legal status of anabolic steroids?
Illegal
Describe the use of anabolic steroids
Man made synthetic drug, mimics testosterone, taken via injections/pills/patches/creams.
What are the benefits of using anabolic steroids?
Growth of muscle mass/strength/power.
Promotes synthesis of proteins, speeding up recovery so can increase quantity/intensity/duration of training
Decrease recovery time (rehab)
Increase aggression can be good.
What are the potential risks of using anabolic steroids?
Permanent liver damage/cancer Hypertension/increase blood pressure Increase LDL and decrease HDL Increase chance of coronary heart disease Increase paranoia/aggression Acne ...And more...
What are the risks of anabolic steroids dependent on?
The dosage (higher dosage, more risks)`
Who benefits from using anabolic steroids?
High intensity/short duration performers such as weight lifters/sprinters/throwers/power positions like wingers in rugby Injured performers (speed up recovery/muscle repair)
What type of aid are erythropoietin (EPO)
Pharmacological
What is the legal status of erythropoietin (EPO)?
Illegal
Describe the use of erythropoietin (EPO)
Synthetic protein stimulating red blood cell growth
Alternative to blood doping
EPO peptide hormone is naturally made by kidneys, stimulates bone marrow to increase red blood cell production.
Urine tests show that red blood cell level is higher than normal
Use plasma infusion to prevent hyperviscosity.
What are the benefits of using erythropoietin (EPO)?
Treat anaemia/kidney disease
Increase haematocrat
Increase haemoglobin levels so increase oxygen uptake/VO2 max, increase energy delivery, delay fatigue in aerobic performance.
What are the potential risks of using erythropoietin (EPO)?
Thickened blood (increase viscosity)
Decrease HR/cardiac output, overloads cardiovascular system
Increase risk of blood clotting/heart failure/strokes
More danger if dehydrated
Misuse can lead to auto immune disease
Who benefits from using erythropoietin (EPO)?
Endurance/aerobic performers that rely on good oxygen transport to muscles Eg Tour De France cycling/ rowing/ swimming/ marathon running
Cyclists have some main performers banned for using EPO (Eg Lance Armstrong)
What type of aid are human growth hormones (HGH)?
Pharmacological
What is the legal status of human growth hormones (HGH)?
Illegal
Describe the use of human growth hormones (HGH)?
Injections/pills/cream/suppositories
Difficult to detect-natural levels vary
Mimics the natural hormone that stimulates the growth of cartilage/muscle/bone.
Important role in metabolism
What effects the natural levels of the natural growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland?
Diet, stress, sleep, exercise
What are the benefits of using human growth hormones (HGH)?
Increase muscle mass/strength
Increase intensity/recovery of training
stimulate liver to produce IGF-1 which produces cartilage cells/bone density and increases healing of soft tissue
Increases metabolism which increases blood glucose and decreases fat mass.
What are the potential risks of using human growth hormones (HGH)?
Increase hypertrophy of internal organs Muscle/joint weakness Increase diabetes/hypertension/bone thickening/deformities/glucose intolerance Can cause cardiomyopathy Increase risk of cancer.
Who benefits from using human growth hormones (HGH)?
Used by power/sprint performers
Performers that need an increase in soft tissue repair in order to maintain their high intensity training.
What is cardiomyopathy?
Heart rhythm is disturbed so you have an irregular heart beat
what is IGF-1
Insulin-like Growth Factor-1
What type of aid is blood doping?
Physiological
What is the legal status of blood doping?
Illegal
Describe the use of blood doping?
Autologous-Transfusion of one’s own blood which is stored/refrigerated and reinfused later
Homologous-Transfusion of another persons blood
Removing and storing blood 4-6 weeks PRE-performance, the body then adapts to replace red blood cells and re-infuse just before performance.
What are the benefits of using blood doping?
Increase total volume of rbc’s so more haemoglobin
increase oxygen to muscles/aerobic capacity/energy delivered and delayed fatigue for aerobic performance
What are the potential risks of blood doping?
Increase blood viscosity
Decrease heart rate/blood flow/cardiac output which can overload the cardiovascular system leading to clotting/heart failure/stroke/pulmonary/cerebral ambolism
Risk of HIV if homologous
More dangerous if dehydrated
Who benefits from blood doping?
Endurance/aerobic performers which rely on the supply of oxygen to muscles Eg distance cycling, marathon running, rowing
What type of aid are cooling aids pre exercise?
Physiological
What is the legal status of cooling aids pre exercise?
Legal
Describe the use of cooling aids pre exercise?
Ice/cooling vest or soaked towels/headbands
Critical core temp exists after which athletes must decrease intensity or risk heat illness
10-30 min before prolonged exercise in hot temp
Best to start exercise with low body temp as it increases the margin between starting and critical temp.
What are the benefits of using cooling aids pre exercise?
Decreases temp/thermal strain/dehydration enabling athletes to draw on reserves later in performance
Decrease CV-Drift (HR increases as temp increases for the same exercise intensity)
Reduce need to increase cardiac output to skin-maintains cardiac output to muscles
What are the potential risks of using cooling aids pre exercise?
Increase risk of heat illnesses if not used
Metabolic/CV responses can be decreased during initial 15 minutes of exercise. decrease HR and perceived exertion and may lead to working above target zones/pace
Increase angina pain.
Don’t use with hypertensives as vasoconstriction can increase BP
Who benefits from using cooling aids pre exercise?
Mainly endurance athletes
Anyone exercising in hot conditions where body temperature regulation is more of an issue eg cricket
What type of aid are cooling aids post exercise?
Physiological
What is the legal status of cooling aids post exercise?
Legal
Describe the use of cooling aids post exercise?
Used for injury treatment and post event recovery
Sprays/Ice packs/gels/baths and cold water immersions (CWI)
Injury specific (ice packs/gels on specific body areas)
CWI (6 degrees) better than iced water
What are the benefits of cooling aids post exercise?
Increase muscle repair/recovery
Decrease DOMS
Increase post active range of motion because
>Increase anti-inflammatory response by decreasing swelling by constricting blood vessel
>Increase pain tolerance due to decreasing nerve conduction velocity
Injury treatment
What are the potential risks of using cooling aids post exercise?
Ice burns/tissue/vascular harm if applied to the skin for more than 10 minutes
Ice may hide/complicate nerve impingement injuries
Don’t use with hypertensives as vasoconstriction may increase BP
Increase stress hormone for 60 minutes which are catabolic (break down muscle)
use on chest region can cause angina/respiratory issues
Who benefits from using cooling aids post exercise?
All performers with soft tissue injuries/DOMS/undertaking contact (rugby players)
After high intensity/repeated exercise to speed up their recovery process after exercise.
What type of aid is food volume/timing?
Nutritional
What is the legal status of food volume/timing?
Legal
What does food volume depend upon?
The individual, frequency, intensity and duration of performers training.
What type of aid is hydration?
Nutritional
What is the legal status of hydration?
Legal
Describe the use of hydration?
Hydration is achieved by drinking water and sports drinks
Water makes up 60% of male and 50% of female body weight
2nd only to oxygen to maintain life
Increase sweating during exercise - decrease electrolytes/increase water loss
Thirst mechanism doesn’t match our hydration state
What are the potential benefits of hydration?
Decrease risk of dehydration
Regulates temperature
Maintains blood volume
Optimizes CV functions
Isotonic drinks helps to maintain electrolytes and efficient muscle function
Glucose rich sports drinks also maintain blood glucose levels
What are the potential risks of hydration?
Dehydration decreases blood volume, cardio output which increases stress on heart
Increase viscosity of blood
Decrease electrolytes
Decrease muscle function
Decrease ability to sweat/regulate temperature
Dehydration of 2% decreases performance by 20%
Who benefits from hydration?
All athletes in all contexts
Endurance athletes
High temperature activities
What are isotonic drinks?
Drinks that contain the same amount of glucose as the body’s blood
What are hypertonic drinks?
Drinks that contain a higher amount of glucose than the body’s blood
What are hypotonic drinks?
Drinks that contain a lower amount of glucose than the body’s blood
What are the benefits of isotonic drinks?
It tops up carbohydrates
Fluid/electrolyte replenishment
Increase absorption/rehydration
What are the negatives of isotonic drinks?
Slower absorption than hypotonic
What are the benefits of hypertonic drinks?
Increase replenishment of carbohydrate stores/electrolytes post exercise
What are the negative of hypertonic drinks?
Slowest absorption
Increase dehydration
Decrease performance during activity
What are the benefits of hypotonic drinks?
Quickest absorption and rehydration
Vital during prolonged exercise/in heat
What are the negatives of hypotonic drinks?
Not beneficial for any activity requiring more carbohydrates
What are electrolytes?
Salts and minerals (potassium/sodium) which conduct electrical impulses
What is hyper-hydration?
Increased hydrated state (fluid intake is more than fluid loss)
What are electrolyte drinks?
Within sports drinks and containing salt and minerals
What is hyponatraemia?
Water intoxication:
Condition where increased water volume dilutes blood and decreases levels of salt/sodium causing fatigue
What is super-hydration?
Use of Glycerol intake alongside water intake which increases water retention
What is dehydration?
Decreased body fluids (fluid loss is more than fluid intake)
What is hypohydration?
Decreased hydrated state due to excessive sweating in prolonged endurance activity and exercise in hot environments
What is thermoregulation?
The control process by which the body maintains its core body temperature
What type of aid is glycogen/carbohydrate loading?
Nutritional
What is the legal status of glycogen/carbohydrate loading?
Legal
Describe the use of glycogen/carbohydrate loading?
2 phases
Depletion phase: 4-7 days before
Loading Phase: 1-4 days before
What are the potential benefits of glycogen/carbohydrate loading?
Increase activity of enzyme glycogen synthase which increases glycogen synthesis which increases glycogen storage which increases endurance capacity/delays fatigue
What are the potential risks of glycogen/carbohydrate loading?
Disruption of an athlete's normal routine: Post depletion phase - Negative psychological effects Feel irritable/weak/fatigued Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) Loading phase - Increased weight Increased water retention Decreased power to weight ratio
Who benefits from glycogen/carbohydrate loading?
Long duration/high endurance aerobic performers
All day events
Performers reliant upon glycogen as primary energy fuel
What type of aid is creatine?
Nutritional
What is the legal status of creatine?
Legal
Describe the use of creatine?
Naturally found in liver/kidneys - converted to phosphocreatine (PC) - stored in small amounts of muscles
PC provides quickest source of energy to resynthesise ATP for muscle contractions
Found naturally in meats but creatine supplements used in synthetic form as soluble tablet/capsule/powder
What are the potential benefits of creatine?
Increased PC stores by up to 50% Increased duration, speed/power output Increased recovery Increased fat free body mass Increased intensity and duration of training Increased hypertrophy
What are the potential risks of creatine?
Increased weight gain/body mass due to increased muscle water retention
Increased muscle cramps
Increased gastro distress
Increased stress on organs
Who benefits from creatine?
Intermittent/high volume/intensity short duration power athletes
What type of aid is caffeine?
Nutritional
What is the legal status of caffeine?
Legal
Describe the use of caffeine?
Found in tea, coffee, soft drinks, cocoa, tablets and medications
What are the benefits of caffeine?
Increased CNS stimulation - increased adrenaline which:
Increases cognitive awareness/concentration
Decrease fatigue
Increase endurance/aerobic capacity
Increase breakdown of fats as energy fuel
What are the risks of caffeine?
Increase dehydration Decrease heat regulation Increase Bp/heat exhaustion Decrease performance Serious:Nausea,muscle tremors, anxiety,headaches,insomnia
Who benefits from caffeine?
Endurance (Tour de France cyclists)
AND
anaerobic (higher intensity/duration training)
What type of aid is bicarbonate?
Nutritional
What is the legal status of bicarbonate?
Legal
Describe the use of bicarbonate
Aerobic-muscles convert CO2 and H2O into bicarbonate and H+ ions in the red blood cells
Anaerobic-H+ produced faster than we can remove so increase LA and fatigue
bicarbonate of soda increases blood bicarbonate so neutralises acid
What are the benefits of bicarbonate?
Increase tolerance to LA Delay fatigue Increase anaerobic/lactate threshold Increase intensity/duration of performance Increase power at lactate threshold
What are the risks of bicarbonate?
Can cause intestinal distress
Bloating, nausea, diarrhoea which can decrease performance
Who benefits from bicarbonate?
Anaerobic performers trying to increase speed/power/lactate threshold using high intensity workouts
What type of aid is nitrate?
Nutritional
What is the legal status of nitrate?
Legal
Describe the use of nitrate
Converted to nitric oxides which is naturally produced by cells lining the blood vessels
Final dosage 1-3 hours before event
Long term ingestion is best in high intensity/less fit performers
Increase benefits when intravenous administered with high dosage levels
Less effective if oral ingestion
What are the benefits of nitrates?
Nitric oxide released which relaxes smooth muscle in blood vessels which increases vasodilation
Which increases blood flow
Which increases O2/nutrients to muscles
Increases the removal of CO2/LA which delays fatigue
Increase high intensity work rate tolerance
Increase O2 capacity/performance
What are the risks of nitrates?
High levels can cause weakness, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, headaches
High doses intravenously administered may cause decrease in Bp with high HR, decrease arterial resistance in the arms
Individuals with liver disease/kidney failure shouldn’t take them
Some link to gastric cancer
Who benefits from nitrates?
Endurance athletes
Athletes that work at higher work intensities
