Lecture 23

Question 1

What is the purpose or ergogenic aids?

Answer 1

To improve performance

Question 2

Performance can be improved in what three ways?

Answer 2

• increasing the physiological capacity of a particular body system
• increasing the speed of recovery
• decreasing the perception of fatigue or increasing motivation and aggression

Question 3

The ergogenic aids can come in what three forms?

Answer 3

• mechanical
• chemical/pharmacological
• physiological

Question 4

What are three examples of mechanical ergogenic aids?

Answer 4

• altitude training
• nasal strips
• compression garments

Question 5

How does altitude training work as a mechanical ergogenic aid?

Answer 5

There is less O2 in the air when you train which means that you increase the capacity to trap O2 in the blood stream.
The RBC count increases as the kidneys have released EPO to increase RBC and Hb

Question 6

How do nasal strips work as a mechanical ergogenic aid?

Answer 6

These are used by endurance athletes. You stick them across your nose to help open up the nasal passages to increase O2 uptake. There is no evidence that this actually works

Question 7

How do compression garments work as a mechanical ergogenic aid?

Answer 7

This is to increase venous return

Question 8

What are 5 examples of pharmacological/chemical aids? Which of these are legal and which are illegal?

Answer 8

anabolic androgenic steroids which are not permitted

caffeine, nitrates, creatine (and other supplements) are permitted

Question 9

Explain how anabolic androgenic steroids work

Answer 9

These are based on androgens. They affect the activity of the muscle and bones. Their purpose is to increase muscle hypertrophy, increase EPO, increase aggressiveness, increase bone growth. There are also many side effects such as liver failure

Question 10

Studies show that performance is enhanced by caffeine intake at what dose?

Answer 10

2-6mg/kg

Question 11

How does caffeine affect performance?

Answer 11

It increases fat metabolism over glycogen metabolism in endurance athletes ie. it pushes muscles to metabolise fat

Question 12

Do all studies show caffeine to be beneficial? Explain this

Answer 12

No

Not all studies show enhanced performance and if a regular coffee drinker then caffeine is limited in its effects

Question 12

Are there any side effects to using caffeine as a performance enhancer?

Answer 12

No apparent adverse side effects, diuretic at really large doses beyond that used for performance

Question 13

Where is one place we get nitrate supplementation from?

Answer 13

beetroot juice

Question 14

How does nitrate/beetroot juice enhance performance?

Answer 14

It increases nitrate concentration which increases the ability of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells to be producing NO for improved vasodilation to increase blood flow to muscles. There is also sympatholysis and increased efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation. It helps remove the metabolic waste build up during exercise

Question 15

How much Nitrate/Beetroot juice do you need for it to be beneficial?

Answer 15

> 500mg nitrate 75 mins pre-exercise to improve running speed

Question 16

Who do the benefits of Nitrate/Beetroot juice affect most?

Answer 16

low to moderately trained athletes

Question 17

What is the purpose/benefit of creatine as a supplement?

Answer 17

A few days of high creatine intake (free creatine plus creatine phosphate) increases the skeletal muscle content by 20-30%. This increases performance in brief high-intensity exercise

Question 18

Are sports supplements safe to use?

Answer 18

They are assumed safe to use but there is no pre-market review for their safety or efficacy (ie. there is no review to see if it is safe)

Question 19

What are two examples of physiological aids?

Answer 19

• acupuncture

- blood doping (including cobalt supplementation)

Question 20

What is the purpose of acupuncture?

Answer 20

To alleviate muscle tensions

Question 21

Explain how blood doping works

Answer 21

The athlete takes blood out and freezes it during the off season and puts it back in later during the racing season. EPO could also be injected which also increases the red blood cell number to allow the muscles to work longer and harder without cramping

Question 22

How can you detect blood doping?

Answer 22

There is no direct detection method, you just have to monitor the haematological values (haematocrit)

Question 23

What is the purpose of blood doping?

Answer 23

To increase the RBC count which means that you can get more O2 to skeletal muscle (so there is increased carrying capacity) and increased VO2 max

Question 24

Explain what cobalt supplementation does

Answer 24

Instead of injecting blood to improve haematocrit, you can inject cobalt. This stabilises hypoxia inducible factor which mimics hypoxia. This means that you need to make more RBC to grab more O2 so the O2 carrying capacity is increased

Question 25

What is the potential issue of cobalt supplementation?

Answer 25

It could have carcinogenic effect

Question 26

What is the purpose of recombinant EPO?

Answer 26

It increases the RBC count and increases the O2 capacity of the blood

Question 27

Why is it hard to detect blood doping?

Answer 27

Because there is only a small window of opportunity (2-3 days) and the levels are only high 12 - 18 hours after injection. Therefore small amounts more often is more common

Question 28

How does EPO work?

Answer 28

It is released from the kidneys and it enters the circulation, then goes into the bone marrow to produce more RBC

Question 29

What is the problem with having a haematocrit that is too high?

Answer 29

There are too many blood cells which can form clots

Question 30

What could a measurement outside the normal limits on the biological passport indicate?

Answer 30

doping or an underlying health condition

Question 31

What are reticulocytes? What does this have to do with the RBC count? How does this relate to doping?

Answer 31

When RBC are made, you first make them as a reticulocyte (if there is not enough RBC, the number of reticulocytes increases). Therefore we would expect the number of RBC to increase right after the increase in reticulocytes. Normally, as you do exercise, you lose RBC because they get damaged because they are being squeezed through small capillaries in skeletal muscle. Lance Armstrong’s reticulocyte level stayed low but his RBC shot up before the TDF which is indicative of doping