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Hacking your Health (TEU00361) > Week 10: Maximising Human Performance > Flashcards

Week 10: Maximising Human Performance Flashcards

1
Q

What is an ergogenic aid?

A

Any substance or phenomena which improves athletic performance.

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2
Q

What are the 5 classes of ergogenic aids?

A
  1. Pharmacological
  2. Hormonal
  3. Physiological
  4. Nutritional
  5. Technological
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3
Q

Gives some examples of pharmacological ergogenics?

A
  • Beta blockers
  • Caffeine
  • Sympathetic amines
  • Amphetamines (nervous system stimulant)
  • Diuretics
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4
Q

Gives some examples of hormonal ergogenics?

A
  • Anabolic steroids
  • Human growth hormone (HGH)
  • EPO
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5
Q

Gives some examples of physiological ergogenics?

A
  • Blood doping
  • Altitude
  • Bicarbonate loading
  • Phosphate loading
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6
Q

Gives some examples of nutritional ergogenics?

A
  • Creatine
  • B-Alenine
  • L-Carnitine
  • Amino acids
  • CHO
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7
Q

Gives some examples of technological ergogenics?

A
  • Equipment
  • Positioning
  • Feedback
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8
Q

What does our sympathetic nervous system control?

A
  • Heart rate
  • Blood pressure
  • Cardiovascular system
    (“Fight or flight” response, meaning it prepares our body for strenuous physical activity)
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9
Q

How do beta-blockers work?

A

They work by blocking the neurotransmitter receptors (particularly beta-receptors) in the adrenergic nerves.
- This prevents the sympathetic nervous system function

Result:
- Lower heart rate
- Reduction in tremors or shakes (and overall signs of anxiety that we associate with sympathetic drive)
- Helps prevent competition stress and anxiety

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10
Q

What type of sports are beta-blockers commonly used (illegally)?

A

Target sports (golf, archery, shooting etc.)

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11
Q

What is another ergogenic aid that can be used to prevent competition nervousness and anxiety?

A

Alcohol.

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12
Q

How do sympathetic amines work?

A

In an opposing way to the beta-blockers, in that they increase and/or enhance sympathetic drive!

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13
Q

How do amphetamines (and related compounds) work?

A

They mimic the sympathetic nervous system activity (i.e., nervous system stimulants).
- Improves focus, reaction time, concentration, and confidence
- Raises maximum heart rate and peak lactate concentration

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14
Q

When are sympathetic amines commonly used?

A

In power sports (sprinting and lifting).

Historically used in endurance sports (e.g., cycling)
- Used in the Tour de France at big climbs or sprint finishes, but can have huge consequences on health
- Tommy Simpson died (from a heart attack) during the big climb of the TdF after taking amphetamines during the race!

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15
Q

What is an example of a legal pharmacological ergogenic aid? How does it work? Effects?

A

Caffeine.
- Acts as a CNS stimulant

Effects?
- Increases mental alertness, concentration, reaction time
- Decreases fatigue (or delays its onset)
- Positive metabolic effect (increases fat mobilisation and oxidation)
- Improves endurance

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16
Q

What is considered a moderate dose of caffeine? What effect can this dose have?

A

Moderate dose - 3-6mg/kg-1 (per kilogram body mass)

Improves performance and endurance (Southward et al., 2018).

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17
Q

What do we mean when referring to (illegal) hormonal ergogenic agents?

A
  1. Anabolic steroids
  2. Catabolic steroids
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18
Q

What do anabolic steroids do?

A

They stimulate muscle tissue to grow and “bulk up” in response to training by mimicking the effect of naturally produced testosterone on the body.
- Almost chemically identical to male androgenic hormones (i.e., testosterone)

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19
Q

What are the benefits of anabolic steroids?

A
  • Increase muscle mass
  • Reduce fat mass
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20
Q

What are some examples of anabolic steroids?

A
  • Stanozolol
  • Nandrolone
  • Oxandrolone
  • Oxymetholone
  • Trenbolone acetate
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21
Q

What are the risks of anabolic steroids?

A
  • Early closure of the epiphyseal plate (of the long bones) of teenagers, stunting growth
  • Reduces the natural production of androgen (testosterone), leading to atrophy of gonads and significant hormonal disruption
  • Abnormal cardiac hypertrophy, leading to heart attacks etc.
  • Personality change (“roid rage”)
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22
Q

What do catabolic steroids do?

A

They attenuate inflammatory response following tissue damage.
- Improves (enhances) recovery from training and racing (and other high intensity training)
- A.K.A., corticosteroids

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23
Q

What is an example of a catabolic steroid?

A

Cortisol (e.g., cortisol creams).

24
Q

Give some examples of athletes who were caught using steroids?

A

Ben Johnson - a Canadian sprinter who won the gold medal in the Seoul Olympics.

Marion Jones - Gold medalist in 100m and 200m sprints.
- Never tested positive for steroid use, but was exposed by a whistle-blower in BALCO (a private pharma company)

25
Q

Who is BALCO?

A

A private pharmaceutical company that supplied anabolic steroids to professional athletes!
- Designed these such that they would go undetected

26
Q

What is HGH?

A

Human Growth Hormone.

27
Q

What are the benefits of HGH?

A

Upregulates the androgenic responses we associate with testosterone.
- Increased protein synthesis
- Increased bone growth
- Increased ILG synthesis
- Decreased fat mass

28
Q

What are the risks associated with HGH?

A
  • Abnormal bone growth
  • Abnormal cardiac growth
  • Increased risk of diabetes
29
Q

What is EPO?

A

Erythropoietin - a naturally occurring hormone that is produced in the kidneys and regulates red blood cell production.

30
Q

What are the benefits of EPO?

A

Increased production of red blood cells, thereby enhancing our oxygen delivery capacity and enhancing our oxygen consumption (VO2max).
- Gives an immediate increase in VO2 max without any training!

31
Q

What are the risks associated with EPO?

A

Increased blood viscosity, which can lead to heart failure.

32
Q

What is haematocrit? What is a normal range?

A

Haematocrit - the ratio between red blood cells and plasma.
- Normal range = between 40-50% (i.e., 40-50% or your blood is made up of RBCs)
- Above 50% is a sign that the athlete may be using EPO

33
Q

What is meant by blood doping?

A

Processes which artificially raise your red blood cell volume - which enhances your oxygen delivery capacity and raises oxygen consumption (VO2max).

34
Q

What are the two types of blood doping?

A
  1. Autologous (reinfuse your own blood)
  2. Homologous (reinfuse someone else’s blood)
35
Q

How was the problem of blood doping resolved?

A

Through the introduction of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) programme.
- Introduced by Ashenden and Parisotto (from the Australian Institute of Sport)
- Initiated by World Anti-Doping Agency in 2009

36
Q

How does the ABP programme catch blood doping?

A

By looking at the age of the red blood cells!
- Looking at the ratio of reticulocytes (immature) to erythrocytes (mature)

37
Q

What is a normal ratio for reticulocytes to erythrocytes?

A

Normal reticulocyte ratio = between 0.5 to 1.5%

38
Q

What trends do we see in reticulocyte percentage after withdrawal and upon reinfusion?

A

Upon withdrawal - percentage of reticulocytes goes UP to make up for the loss of RBCs.

Upon reinfusion - the percentage of reticulocytes goes DOWN as the population of older, mature RBCs increases (i.e., the RBC concentration is higher, but fewer are of them are new/immature).

39
Q

Give an example of a LEGAL ergogenic aid?

A
  • Bicarbonate loading
  • Amino acid (protein supplementation)
  • Creatine supplementation
  • Beta-alanine
  • L-cartinine
  • Phosphate loading
    Nitrate supplementation
40
Q

What is bicarbonate loading?

A

Usually involves ingesting quantities of baking soda (NaCO3), and works on the basis of buffering against lactic acid.

41
Q

What is the benefit of bicarbonate loading?

A
  • Allows higher levels of lactate into blood.
  • Improves muscular endurance, but not strength!
42
Q

What is the optimal dosage for bicarbonate loading?

A

0.3g.kg-1 body mass.

43
Q

What are the risks of bicarbonate loading?

A

Can cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract.

44
Q

What is amino acid (protein) supplementation?

A

Increasing the intake of amino acids (protein), which leads to…
- Increased rate of muscle growth and strength development
- Delayed fatigue and increased endurance via CNS

45
Q

What are the best AA’s for delayed fatigue?

A
  • Leucine
  • L-tryptophan
  • Valine
46
Q

What is the recommended dosage for protein/AA supplementation for optimal muscle growth?

A

1.3-1.6g.kg-1 body mass.

47
Q

What is creatine supplementation?

A

Improves the phosphocreatine (PCR) system by increasing the amount of circulating phosphocreatine which can be quickly used as an ATP store, thus improving power production.
- Creatine - key to the phosphogen system

48
Q

What is the benefit of creatine supplementation?

A

Quicker gains in strength and power.

49
Q

What are the risks of creatine supplementation?

A

Increased water retention in muscles (cramping).

50
Q

What is the recommended dosage for creatine supplementation?

A

20g.day-1 for a minimum of 14 days.

51
Q

What is the benefit of L-carnitine supplementation?

A

Helps turn fat into energy (naturally produced in the human brain, liver, and kidneys).

52
Q

What is phosphate loading? What are the benefits?

A

The ingestion of sodium phosphates as an ergogenic aid.
Benefits?
- Increases the availability of phosphates for oxidative phosphorylation (production of ATP) and increases the potential for aerobic exercise performance
- Thus improving energy capacity and endurance

53
Q

What is the formula that determines marathon running speed (according to Joyner et al.,)?

A

Marathon running speed = VO2max(ml/kg/min) X %VO2max at LT X RE

Where…
- LT = lactate threshold
- RE = running economy (i.e., the mechanics of your running)

54
Q

What two factors substantially improve running economy?

A
  1. Smaller calf volume
  2. Longer Achilles tendon
55
Q

What shoe is sometimes considered as “technological doping”?

A

Nike Vaporfly.

56
Q

What is the effect of the carbon plate in the shoe on running economy?

A

Has about a 1% effect on RE.

Hacking your Health (TEU00361) (7 decks)

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