Ergogenic aids pt.1

Question 1

What is blood doping?

Answer 1

1. Blood doping
   - When a person’s total RBC volume increases
   - By removing an athlete’s blood 4-6 weeks before an event
   - Then then injecting it back right before the event by which time the missing blood has replenished.
2. Benefits (3)
   - Increased RBC and haemoglobin
   - Increased oxygen transportation and aerobic capacity
   - Increased intensity and duration of performance.
3. Drawbacks (4)
   - Increased blood viscosity
   - Decreased cardiac output
   - Increased risk of blood clots and heart disease
   - Risk of transfusion infections e.g. HIV.
4. Illegal aid.
5. Used by endurance athletes e.g. marathon runner.

Question 2

What are the different types of ergogenic aids?

Answer 2

The different types of ergogenic aids are:

• Pharmacological aids.
• Physiological aids.
• Nutritional aids.

Question 3

What are physiological aids?

Answer 3

Physiological aids include:

• Blood doping.
• Intermittent hypoxic training (IHT)
• Cooling aids.

Question 4

What is intermittent hypoxic training (IHT)?

Answer 4

1. Intermittent hypoxic training (IHT)
   - When athletes live at sea level but train under hypoxic conditions (low partial pressure of oxygen)
2. Benefits include (4)
   - Acclimatisation for events at altitude
   - Increased RBC and haemoglobin
   - Increased intensity and duration of performance.
   - Increased buffering capacity and therefore delayed OBLA.
3. Drawbacks include (4)
   - Benefits lost when IHT stops
   - Disrupts training pattern so loss of motivation
   - Decreased immune function and increased risk of infection
   - Dehydration.
4. Legal aid.
5. Used by endurance athletes e.g. marathon runner.

Question 5

What are cooling aids?

Answer 5

1. Cooling aids
   - Can be used pre-event e.g. ice vests, cold towel wraps used 10-30 mins before to reduce core body temp
   - Can be used post-event e.g. ice baths.
   - Can be used to help injury e.g. ice packs, sprays, PRICE (protect, rest, ice, compression, elevate)
2. Advantages (5)
   - Reduce core body temperature
   - Decrease sweating, dehydration and fatigue
   - Decreased injury pain and swelling
   - Increased speed of recovery and repair
   - Decreased DOMS.
3. Drawbacks (5)
   - Difficult to perceive exercise intensity
   - Ice burns and pain
   - May mask and worsen injuries
   - Chest pain and decreased efficiency for elderly
   - Dangerous for those with heart and blood pressure problems.
4. Legal aid.
5. Used by all athletes post event, used to speed recovery: blood vessels constrict, capillaries dilate and old blood is squeezed out of muscles removing lactic acid as new blood flows back to the muscles, bringing fresh oxygen.

Question 6

What are nutritional aids?

Answer 6

Nutritional aids include:

• CHO loading
• Pre-event/pre-training meals
• During event meals
• Post-event/post-training meals.

Question 7

What is CHO loading?

Answer 7

1. CHO loading starts 1 week before competition:
   - Day 1, perform intense exercise to deplete glycogen stores
   - Day 2-3, high protein high fat diet
   - Day 4, perform intense exercise to deplete glycogen stores further
   - Day 5-7, high CHO diet while training is tapered.
2. Advantages (4)
   - Increased glycogen stores
   - Increased endurance capacity
   - Increased time to exhaustion(up to 30%)
   - Delays fatigue.
3. Drawbacks (5)
   - Hypoglycaemia and poor recovery rates in depletion phase
   - Lethargy and irritability
   - Gastrointestinal problems
   - Increased risk of injury
   - Affects mental preparation.
4. Legal aid.
5. Used by endurance athletes e.g. marathon runner, used to ensure body has enough glycogen for aerobic glycolysis.

Question 8

What are pre-event/pre-training meals?

Answer 8

1. Pre-event meals
   -High CHO meal low GI 3 hours before event e.g. porridge
   -1-2 hours before event high GI foods to maintain blood glucose levels.
   Pre-training meals
   -A small meal 30-60 minutes before training.
2. Advantages (2)
   - Tops up liver glycogen
   - Maintains blood glucose levels.
3. Drawbacks (1)
   - Athlete may become dizzy and fatigued if CHOs are consumed immediately before event as the body may try to counteract raised glucose levels.
4. Legal aid.
5. Used be all athletes.

Question 9

What are during event meals?

Answer 9

1. During event meals are used in events over 1 hour, in small amounts.
2. Advantages (2)
   - Tops up liver glycogen
   - Maintains blood glucose levels.
3. Drawbacks (2)
   - Can be difficult to eat during activity
   - Must be pre-planned to have the best effects.
4. Legal aid.
5. Used by all athletes e.g. energy gels in a marathon and a banana at change ends in tennis.