Ergogenic Aids in Sport Flashcards
What is the placebo effect?
– Placebo: inactive substance that looks like the real
thing
– Expectations affect physiological response
– Double-blind experimental design
Factors that can limit ergogenic aid research?
– Studies can miss small effects – Equipment inaccuracy – Research variability – Testing situations (lab vs. field) – Reliance on supplement label that is inaccurate
What are the effects of bicarbonate?
– Increased blood pH and buffering capacity
– Delayed onset of anaerobic fatigue
What are the demonstrated effects of bicarbonate?
– 300 mg / kg increased all-out performance for 1 to 7 min
– Enhanced H+ removal from muscle fibers
What are some risks of utilising bicarbonate?
– GI discomfort (bloating, cramping)
– Sodium citrate - similar results without risks
What are the proposed benefits of b-Alanine?
– Increased intracellular buffering
What are the effects of b-Alanine?
– Increased muscle cell carnosine levels
What are the risks of utilising b-Alanine?
– Paresthesia (tingling of the skin)
What is caffeine?
– Central nervous system stimulant
– Sympathomimetic effects similar to amphetamines
(but weaker)
What are some proposed benefits of caffeine?
– Increased alertness and concentration
– Improved energy level
– Faster response
What are the demonstrated effects of caffeine?
– Elevated mood
– Decreased fatigue
– Lowered perception of effort
– Increased fat metabolism
What are some risks associated with consuming caffeine?
– Nervousness, tremors
– Insomnia, disruption of normal sleep patterns
– Addictive
What are some proposed benefits of cherry juice polyphenols?
– Pain reduction from anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties
What are the demonstrated effects of cherry juice polyphenols?
– Perceived reduction of muscle pain in research
subjects
What are the proposed benefits of creatine?
– Enhanced peak power production during intense
exercise
– Improved recovery from high-intensity exercise
What are the demonstrated effects of creatine?
– Increased muscle PCr content
– Enhanced performance in high-power exercise
– Strength gains when combined with resistance
training
What are the risks of creatine supplementation?
– Kidney damage in athletes who used massive doses
Does creatine improve performance?
– Expectations exceed true benefits
– Performance enhancement more likely in sports
involving brief, high-intensity exercise
– Individual variability in response
What are the proposed benefits of nitrate?
– Increased delivery of O2 and nutrients to active
skeletal muscle
What are the demonstrated effects of nitrate?
– Improved time to exhaustion
– Reduced O2 consumption
– Reduced systolic blood pressure
What are some risks of consuming nitrate?
– Adverse effects in people taking medications that
affect NO metabolism
What are the three rules that classify substance use?
– Has the potential to enhance sport performance
– Has the potential to harm the athlete
– Violates the spirit of sport
How can supplements be contaminated?
• Purity
– Supplement labels may be inaccurate
– Accidental or purposeful contamination
– Athletes using supplements risking penalties for
banned substances
• Potency
– May contain negligible values of the desired
substance
– Some products contain %150 ≤ of dose listed on
label
What are stimulants?
– Include amphetamines and related compounds
– Also known as sympathomimetic amines
What are the proposed benefits of stimulants?
– Suppress appetite, boost metabolism – Combat fatigue – Heighten concentration and alertness – Induce sense of indestructibility – Improve performance
What are the demonstrated effects of stimulants?
– Higher state of arousal - increased energy, self confidence, faster decision making
– Decreased fatigue
– Increased HR, blood pressure, blood flow, blood
glucose, and FFAs
What are the risks associated with stimulants?
– Death
– Cardiac arrhythmia
– Addiction (psychological, physiological)
– Side effects: nervousness, anxiety, aggression,
insomnia
What are the proposed benefits of anabolic steroids?
– Increased muscle mass and strength
– Reduced fat mass
– Facilitate recovery after exhaustive exercise
What are the demonstrated effects of anabolic steroids?
– Increased body mass and fat-free mass (FFM)
– Increased total body potassium and nitrogen (FFM
markers)
– Increased muscle size and strength
– Decreased muscle fiber damage after exhaustive
lifting
What is the dose threshold for anabolic steroid effects?
– Small doses ineffective
– Large, chronic doses very effective
What are the risks associated with anabolic steroids?
– Children: smaller adult stature
– Men: excess estrogen (breast enlargement),
testicular atrophy, reduced sperm count, impotence
– Women: disrupted menstruation/ovulation,
development of masculine sex characteristics
– Cancer (prostrate, liver)
– Cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, heart attack
– Thrombosis, arrhythmia, hypertension
– Decreased HDL, increased LDL
– Personality changes: aggression, violence
What are the proposed benefits of human growth hormone?
– Stimulation of protein, nucleic acid synthesis
– Stimulation of bone growth (young athletes)
– Stimulation of IGF-1 synthesis
– Increase in FFA mobilization, decreased fat mass
– Increase in blood glucose levels
– Enhanced healing after injury
What are the demonstrated effects of human growth hormone?
– Older men: increased FFM and bone density,
decreased fat mass
What are the risks associated with human growth hormone?
– Acromegaly - skin thickening; soft tissue growth; broadening of face, hands, feet – Enlargement of internal organs – Cardiomyopathy – Hypertension – Glucose intolerance/diabetes
What are the proposed benefits of diuretics?
– Temporary weight reduction
– Dilution of banned substances in urine samples
What are the demonstrated effects of diuretics?
– Significant temporary weight loss
– Dehydration
What are the risks associated with diuretics?
– Impaired thermoregulation
– Electrolyte imbalance - fatigue, muscle cramping,
cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest
What are the proposed benefits of beta-blockers?
– Enhanced physical steadiness
– For shooters, more time to aim between heartbeats
What are the demonstrated effects of beta-blockers?
– Decreased resting, submaximal, and maximal HR
What are the risks associated with beta-blockers?
– Light-headedness from low blood pressure
– Fatigue, impaired performance
– Bronchospasm in asthmatics
– Hypoglycemia in type II diabetics
What is blood doping?
• Blood doping is any means by which red blood cell count increases – Transfusion of red blood cells – Infusions of artificial hemoglobin – Use of erythropoietin (EPO) or EPO-stimulating substances
What are the proposed benefits of blood doping?
– Enhanced oxygen-carrying capacity
– Improved endurance performance
What are the demonstrated effects of blood doping?
– Increased V•O2max (long term)
– Enhanced endurance performance (short term)
– Benefit more evident in second half of race
What are the risks associated with blood doping?
– Blood becomes too viscous - excessive clotting,
heart failure
– Blood matching complications
– Exposure to bloodborne diseases
