Ergogenic Aids

Question 1

What aspects of physical performance may be improved by an ergogenic aid?

Answer 1

Muscle strength
Muscle endurance / recovery
Cardio endurance
Neural control

Question 2

How can an ergogenic aid act on a muscle fiber?

Answer 2

Steroids / GH effect muscle strength / hypertrophy.

*must coincide with training for changes to occur.

Question 3

How can an ergogenic aid affect metabolic byproducts?

Answer 3

Bicarbonate Ion (TUMS!) can buffer acids produced by muscle contraction (read: lactic acid).

Question 4

How can ergogenic aids be a part of fuel supply?

Answer 4

We can affect:

1) Creatine (affect the PCr pathway)
2) CHO loading (increase glycogen stores)
3) High fat diet and carnitine (spares glycogen)

Question 5

How can ergogenic aids effect cardiopulmonary aspects of physiology?

Answer 5

1) Blood doping (more hematocrit!)
2) erthropoetin (acts on bone marrow)
3) altitude training (live high, train low)

Question 6

How can ergogenic aids affect neural control?

Answer 6

1) amphetamines
2) ephedrine
3) caffeine

They basically help by increasing sympathetic and CNS activity and decrease the perception of fatigue.

Question 7

What are the mechanisms of action for caffeine?

Answer 7

1) CNS stimulant
2) increases fat acid utiliztion - lipolysis)
3) Spares muscle and liver glycogen stores

Question 8

What type of physical performance will caffeine most likely benefit?

Answer 8

CNS component may influence a lot of activities.

Increases fat use and glycogen sparing which may improve endurance performance.

Question 9

What is the mechanism of action of creatine? What type of performance will most likely benefit?

Answer 9

Increases muscle PCr content. Repeated bouts of high intensity short duration activity.