Ergogenic Aids

Amphetamines Ephedrine (i.e., Ripped Fuel, Xenadrine RFA-1, Hydroxycut, Thermo Speed) 1. What type of athletic performance would this agent help (aerobic/anaerobic/strength) • Power and speed types of events 2. What is the purported mechanism of action for the agent? • Activates the SNS • Thought to increase concentration and alertness • Thought to improve performance by delaying fatigue, increasing speed and power 3. How does it actually improve performance? • Increases strength, acceleration, HRmax, time to fatigue 4. Is it safe, legal and effective? • Can elevate HR and BP • Can trigger cardiac arrhythmia • Addictive • Legality depends on the sport (Banned in NFL and Olympics) • Believed to have been the cause of death in a number of athletes Caffeine 1. What type of athletic performance would this agent help (aerobic/anaerobic/strength) • Power and speed types of events • Aerobic Events 2. What is the purported mechanism of action for the agent? • Activates the CNS • Thought to increase concentration and alertness • Thought to improve performance by delaying fatigue, increasing speed and power 3. How does it actually improve performance? • Increases catecholamine release • Increases Fatty Acid mobilization which can spare muscle glycogen 4. Is it safe, legal and effective? • Addictive • Can cause nervousness/restlessness and insomnia • Can cause dehydration • Legality depends on the sport Anabolic Steroids 1. What type of athletic performance would this agent help (aerobic/anaerobic/strength) • Power and speed types of events 2. What is the purported mechanism of action for the agent? • Accelerates growth • Increases FFM and muscle mass • Facilitates recovery 3. How does it actually improve performance? • Increases body mass, FFM, muscle size and strength 4. Is it safe, legal and effective? • Illegal in most sports • Many risks • Suppression of gonadotropic hormones • Early closure of epiphysis in children • Liver damage • Cardiomyopathy • Increased cholesterol levels • Changes in mood swings and violent behavior Erythropoietin (EPO) 1. What type of athletic performance would this agent help (aerobic/anaerobic/strength) • Endurance events 2. What is the purported mechanism of action for the agent? • Increases RBC production 3. How does it actually improve performance? • Increased RBC concentration which increases O2 carrying capacity of the blood • Increases Hct and Hb by ~10% • Increases VO2max by ~6-8% • Increases time to fatigue by ~13-17% 4. Is it safe, legal and effective? • Illegal in a number of sports (Olympic Sports, Cycling) • New testing procedures can detect the use of EPO • While effective, can increase blood viscosity • Can lead to clotting and heart failure Oxygen Supplementation 1. What type of athletic performance would this agent help (aerobic/anaerobic/strength) • Endurance events • Recovery (?) 2. What is the purported mechanism of action for the agent? • Increases O2 content of blood 3. How does it actually improve performance? • Can enhance blood O2 content, but only if the oxygen is breathed during exercise 4. Is it safe, legal and effective? • No effect if performed prior to exercise or to enhance recovery following exercise (possibly may be helpful at altitude) • Effectiveness is doubtful in a “real-world” setting as one would have to carry an oxygen tank with them during exercise • Legality ???? Bicarbonate Loading 1. What type of athletic performance would this agent help (aerobic/anaerobic/strength) • Anaerobic events lasting 1-7 minutes in duration 2. What is the purported mechanism of action for the agent? • Increases blood bicarbonate levels which increases blood buffering capacity 3. How does it actually improve performance? • Decreases blood lactate accumulation which results in less [H+] in the blood. This will increase time to fatigue during high intensity, short duration events • Time to fatigue can be increased by ~42% in these types of activities 4. Is it safe, legal and effective? • Relatively safe and legal • Can consume ~300mg of bicarbonate/kg body wt about 45 min to 1 hour prior to the event. • Risks: Diarrhea, cramps, bloating Creatine Supplementation 1. What type of athletic performance would this agent help (aerobic/anaerobic/strength) • Power or sprint events that are repeated • Does not increase strength 2. What is the purported mechanism of action for the agent? • Increases skeletal muscle creatine (Cr) levels • Increased muscle mass (???) and decreased body fat 3. How does it actually improve performance? • CrP levels are increased which enhance the ATP-CrP energy system • Aids in recovery of the ATP and CrP stores between repeated bouts of high intensity types of activity • Allows for increased time to fatigue during subsequent bouts of exercise due to enhanced recovery • Does not increase strength or muscle mass 4. Is it safe, legal and effective? • Generally legal and believed to be safe • Should not be used chronically (i.e., every day) • Acute use: 20 g/d beginning 1 week prior to a competition •