Ergogenic Aids Flashcards
What is a supplement?
Nutritional Strategies to make up for a shortfall or used in addition to the diet to provide health and performance benefits
What is an ergogenic aid?
Any substance, process or procedure that may enhance performance or recovery
How is doping in sport controlled?
World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) and Australian Sport Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA) uses codes to govern and enforce doping control.
How does the AIS Sport Supplement Framework classify supplements and ergogenic aids?
Classified into 4 groups according to effectiveness and safety:
Group A - Strong evidence for use in specific situations according to best practice protocols
Group B - Emerging scientific support, deserving of further research
Group C - Scientific evidence not supportive of benefit or no research
Group D - Banned or at high risk of contamination
List the WADA prohibited substances/methods at all times
Substances: - non approved substances - Anabolic Agents - Peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances - Beta-2 agonists (e.g. asthma meds) - Diuretics and other masking agents Methods: - Manipulation of blood or blood components - Chemical and physical manipulation - Gene doping
List common legal substances and methods
- Caffeine
- Creatine
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Beta-Alanine
- Nitrates (beetroot juice)
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of Nitrate
Physiology:
Nitrates are absorbed into plasma, converted to nitrites and then converted to nitric oxide (NO). NO has various effects that can be beneficial to health and exercise performance.
- decreases BP
- improves O2 efficiency
- regulates platelet aggregation
Effects:
- performance enhanced in events lasting 5-30mins
- performance may be improved in long duration events and intermittent high-intensity efforts
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of Beta-Alanine
Physiology: high intensity exercise leads to build-up of lactic acid which dissociates to lactate + H+ resulting in decreased pH
- carnosine is a buffer that resists this change
- beta-alanine can increase intramuscular carnosine and aid buffering
Effect:
- likely improves high intensity exercise lasting 2-4 mins
- likely improves volume completed in strength training
- less likely to affect short <60s efforts
- may not alter endurance performance
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of Sodium Bicarbonate
Physiology:
- sodium-bicarbonate used in the buffering system to defend against increases in intracellular H+ concentration. Lactate accumulates and causes a fall in intracellular pH, causing intracellular acidosis.
Effect:
Increasing extracellular bi-carbonate prior to short-term anaerobic exercise might enhance performance by delaying the fall in intracellular pH, associated with exhaustive effort.
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of Creatine
Physiology:
Creatine is used to resynthesize PCr used for energy supply.
Effects:
- strength
- performance in short high-intensity exercise
- improved muscle mass due to improved training
- enhanced recovery times between sets
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of Caffeine on endurance, high intensity and short or repeated sprints
Physiology: caffeine blocks adenosine receptors and allows stimulatory neurotransmitters to have full effect
Effect;
Endurance:
- increased time to exhaustion
- decrease time to complete set distance
- decreased perception of effort/pain/fatigue
- possibly glycogen sparing
High intensity and Short or repeated sprints:
- improved performance, maybe not for <60s sprints
- decreased perception of effort/pain/fatigue
- improved muscle activation
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of Human Growth Hormone
Physiology:
Endogenous hormone released from pituitary gland. Anabolic role; promote tissue growth and repair.
Effects:
- increased muscle size; no improvement in strength or power
- enhanced lipolysis = decreased fat mass
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of Anabolic and Androgenic steroids
Androgenic - promotes male sexual characteristics
Anabolic - promotes tissue growth and repair
Effect:
- enhances protein synthesis = hypertrophy = increased strength and power
- enhances tissue repair and dampens catabolic processes = faster recovery
- reduces fat mass
- possible enhanced RBC production
Explain the physiology and effect on performance of
Autologous/Homologous blood transfusion
Physiology: removal of ~1L of blood, RBC separated and frozen. the body detects low Hct and releases EPO to stimulate RBC production. pre-competition RBCs are reinfused.
Effects:
- increased Hb and Hct%
- increased O2 carrying capacity of blood. Enhances V02 max and endurance performance
List the WADA prohibited substances in competition
- Stimulants
- Narcotics
- Cannabinoids
- Glucocorticosteroids e.g. cortisol
- particular sports: Beta-Blockers
