The effects of a carbohydrate-protein gel supplement on alpine slalom ski performance.

Alpine slalom ski racing is a high intensity, complex sport in which racers execute turns every second. Acute fatigue can make the difference in not finishing a run (DNF) or finishing out of contention. The quantity and quality of training often dictates racing success. It is not known if nutritional supplementation can improve performance in this high intensity, short duration activity. The objective of this study was to determine if ingesting a carbohydrate-protein energy gel (GEL) improves finishing success and number of gates completed during 2 hr slalom sessions on two consecutive days of training. Twenty-four racers were matched; one group ingested the GEL, the second group received a liquid placebo (PLA). Total carbohy-drate, protein, and water ingested by the GEL group were 60g, 15g, and 450 mL, while the PLA group ingested 450 mL of PLA. The GEL group had significantly fewer DNF's (7/48 vs. 18/48; p = 0.02) on both days, completed a greater number of training gates on Day 2 (260.3 ± 20.1 vs. 246.3 ± 17.5 gates; p = 0.03), and had a lower RPE (3.9 ± 1.2 vs. 5.3 ± 1.2 on Day 2 (p = 0.004) vs. PLA. The statistical analysis of combined finishing times was not possible due to the high number of DNF's in the PLA group. High intensity slalom performance can be im-proved by the ingestion of an energy gel. The GEL allowed the athletes to improve training quantity and quality and their per-ception of effort was less than skiers who ingested a placebo. Key pointsNutritional supplementation with a carbohydrate/protein sports gel during high intensity ski training improved training volume as measured by the number gates completed.Supplementation also reduced the number of DNF's during training.Racers' perception of effort was significantly lower with the supplement ingestion compared to a non-caloric placebo.This applied study was conducted under real life field conditions and training environments.

Effect of acute administration of an herbal preparation on blood pressure and heart rate in humans.

Confusion and controversy exist regarding the cardiovascular effects of dietary supplements containing caffeine and Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) extract. The primary protoalkaloidal ingredient in bitter orange extract is p-synephrine which has some structural similarities to ephedrine and nor-epinephrine, but exhibits markedly different pharmacokinetic and receptor binding properties. The goal of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular effects of a product containing caffeine, bitter orange extract (p-synephrine) and green tea extract in mildly overweight individuals. Fourteen female and nine male subjects (age 24.7 ±7.4 yrs, BMI: 26.6 ±3.8) volunteered in this randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover, double-blind designed study. On day one, subjects entered the laboratory following an overnight fast. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded at 60 min. Expired air was analyzed for the next 10 min of the session. At each of three meals, subjects ingested one capsule that was either a non-caloric placebo or a dietary supplement that contained 13 mg p-synephrine and 176 mg caffeine. On the following day, the subjects returned and repeated the protocol for data collection beginning 60 min after consuming one capsule of the placebo or the dietary supplement. No effects of the dietary supplement on heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure or mean arterial pressure were observed. No between or within group differences were observed when data were analyzed for gender and caffeine usage. A small but significant decrease in resting respiratory exchange ratio was observed for the low caffeine user group in response to the product containing caffeine and p-synephrine. The results of this study indicate that ingestion of a product containing bitter orange extract, caffeine and green tea extract does not lead to increased cardiovascular stress and that fat oxidation may increase in certain populations.

Instructor-paced vs. self-paced skiing modes in older recreational alpine skiers.

Parallel ski steering (PSS), carving in long radii (CLR), and individual technique (IT) skiing modes are mainly used throughout instructor-guided skiing of older recreational skiers. The aims of this study were (a) to determine differences in the physiologic response of older skiers to PSS, CLR, and IT skiing modes, (b) to quantify correlations between rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and the physiologic response, and (c) to analyze the relationship between aerobic capacity, skiing skills, and the blood lactate (LA) response during instructor-guided skiing. Twenty recreational skiers (61.1 ± 5.6 years) performed instructor-paced (PSS and CLR) and self-paced (IT) skiing modes. Heart rate (HR), LA, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), and RPE were determined during skiing. Skiers skiing skills were judged by expert ski instructors. The aerobic capacity was tested by a physical work capacity test (PWC130) test. Heart rate was lower for PSS (106 ± 15 b · min(-1)), compared to CLR (118 ± 16 b · min(-1)) and IT (120 ± 15 b · min(-1)) skiing modes, both p < 0.001. Lactate levels were 1.45 ± 0.50 mmol · L(-1) for PSS, 1.67 ± 0.61 mmol · L(-1) for CLR, and 2.00 ± 0.74 mmol · L(-1) for IT skiing modes, all p < 0.004. Individual reductions in LA concentrations from 3.9 to 2.6 mmol · L were found, for IT and PSS skiing modes, respectively. No significant correlations were determined between any physiologic variable and RPE. Weak correlations were found between LA and PWC130 results (R2 < 0.114) and between LA and skiing skills (R2 < 0.132). In conclusion, significant reductions in the physiologic response were determined for PSS and CLR, compared with IT skiing modes. Instructor-paced skiing modes may minimize the risk of premature fatigue of skiers with high physiological responses. Those skiers may not perceive their disproportionate higher stress compared with skiers on the low end.

Changes in quadriceps muscle activity during sustained recreational alpine skiing.

During a day of skiing thousands of repeated contractions take place. Previous research on prolonged recreational alpine skiing show that physiological changes occur and hence some level of fatigue is inevitable. In the present paper the effect of prolonged skiing on the recruitment and coordination of the muscle activity was investigated. Six subjects performed 24 standardized runs. Muscle activity during the first two (PREskiing) and the last two (POSTskiing) runs was measured from the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) using EMG and quantified using wavelet and principal component analysis. The frequency content of the EMG signal shifted in seven out of eight cases significantly towards lower frequencies with highest effects observed for RF on outside leg. A significant pronounced outside leg loading occurred during POSTskiing and the timing of muscle activity peaks occurred more towards turn completion. Specific EMG frequency changes were observed at certain time points throughout the time windows and not over the whole double turn. It is suggested that general muscular fatigue, where additional specific muscle fibers have to be recruited due to the reduced power output of other fibers did not occur. The EMG frequency decrease and intensity changes for RF and VL are caused by altered timing (coordination) within the turn towards a most likely more uncontrolled skiing technique. Hence, these data provide evidence to suggest recreational skiers alter their skiing technique before a potential change in muscle fiber recruitment occurs. Key pointsThe frequency content of the EMG signal shifted in seven out of eight cases significantly towards lower frequencies with highest effects observed for RF.General muscular fatigue, where additional specific fibers have to be recruited due to the reduced power output of other fibers, did not occur.A modified skiing style towards a less functional and hence more uncontrolled skiing technique seems to be a key issue with respect to the influence on muscle recruitment for applied prolonged skiing session.

Recovery benefits of using a heat and moisture exchange mask during sprint exercise in cold temperatures.

OBJECTIVES: Breathing cold air can lead to bronchoconstriction and peripheral vasoconstriction, both of which could impact muscular performance by affecting metabolic demands during exercise. Successful solutions dealing with these physiological changes during exercise in the cold has been lacking; therefore, we investigated the influence of a heat and moisture exchange mask during exercise in the cold. METHODS: There were three trial arms within this study: wearing the heat and moisture exchange mask during the rest periods in the cold, no-mask application during the rest periods in the cold, and a trial at room temperature (22°C). Eight subjects cycled in four 35 kJ sprint sessions with each session separated by 20 min rest period. Workload was 4% of body mass. RESULTS: Mean sprint times were faster with heat and moisture exchange mask and room temperature trial than cold, no-mask trial (133.8 ± 8.6, 134.9 ± 8.8, and 138.0 ± 8.4 s (p = 0.001)). Systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were greater during the cold trial with no mask (15% and 13%, respectively), and heart rate was 10 bpm less during the third rest or recovery period during cold, no mask compared to the heat and moisture exchange mask and room temperature trials. Subjects demonstrated significant decreases in vital capacity and peak expiratory flow rate during the cold with no mask applied during the rest periods. CONCLUSIONS: These negative responses to cold exposure were alleviated by the use of a heat and moisture exchange mask worn during the rest intervals by minimizing cold-induced temperature stress on the respiratory system with subsequent maintenance of cardiovascular function.

The influence of D-ribose ingestion and fitness level on performance and recovery.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels are severely depleted during and following prolonged high intensity exercise. Recovery from these lower ATP levels can take days, which can affect performance on subsequent days of exercise. Untrained individuals often suffer the stress and consequences of acute, repeated bouts of exercise by not having the ability to perform or recovery sufficiently to exercise on subsequent days. Conversely, trained individuals may be able to recover more quickly due to their enhanced metabolic systems. D-Ribose (DR) has been shown to enhance the recovery in ATP; however, it is not known if recovery and performance can be benefitted with DR ingestion. Therefore, this study was designed to determine what influence DR might have on muscular performance, recovery, and metabolism during and following a multi-day exercise regimen. METHODS: The study was a double blind, crossover study in 26 healthy subjects compared 10 g/day of DR to 10 g/day of dextrose (DEX, control). All subjects completed 2 days of loading with either DR or DEX, followed by 3 additional days of supplementation and during these 3 days of supplementation, each subject underwent 60 min of high intensity interval exercise in separate daily sessions, which involved cycling (8 min of exercise at 60% and 2 min at 80% VO2max), followed by a 2 min power output (PO) test. Subjects were divided into two groups based on peak VO2 results, lower VO2 (LVO2) and higher peak VO2 (HVO2). RESULTS: Mean and peak PO increased significantly from day 1 to day 3 for the DR trial compared to DEX in the LVO2 group. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and creatine kinase (CK) were significantly lower for DR than DEX in the LVO2 group. No differences in PO, RPE, heart rate, CK, blood urea nitrogen, or glucose were found between either supplement for the HVO2 group. CONCLUSION: DR supplementation in the lower VO2 max group resulted in maintenance in exercise performance, as well as lower levels of RPE and CK. Unlike no observed benefits with DEX supplementation.

The influence of commercial energy shots on response time and power output in recreational cyclists.

BACKGROUND: Caffeine based energy shot products accounted for $1.3 billion in sales in 2011. Caffeine has been shown to confer numerous benefits during exercise and is oftentimes combined with ingredients such as carbohydrates and taurine in the hope of further performance improvement. The purpose of this project was to compare auditory response time, power output, and physiological responses between the ingestion of a CHO, PRO, caffeine supplement (CPC), a caffeine-taurine-niacin based supplement (CTN), and a placebo (PL) in commercially formulated products that make claims as to improving performance. METHODS: Fourteen subjects cycled an interval exercise of 70% VO2max for 13 minutes and 90% of VO2max for two minutes for a total of 120 minutes which was then followed by a six-minute power output (PO) task. Subjects ingested a total of 45 g CHO, 7.5 g PRO, and 375 mg caffeine for CPC while 512 mg caffeine and 1200 mg taurine were ingested for CTN throughout the exercise. The treatments were administered in a double blind, randomly assigned protocol. Response time was assessed by auditory response. Significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Average PO was significantly greater for CPC: 309 ± 60 W than CTN: 290 ± 57 W and PL: 282 ± 63 W. Response time was significantly faster for the CPC: 0.219 ± .049 s than CTN: 0.232 ± .060 s and PL: 0.228 ± .047 s. HR was significantly greater for CTN: 143 ± 16 bpm than CPC: 139 ± 16 bpm. RPE was significantly lower for CPC: 13.0 ± 1.7 than CTN: 13.5 ± 1.2 and PL: 13.8 ± 1.9. Blood glucose was greater for CPC: 5.5 ± 0.8 mM/L than CTN: 4.9 ± 0.7 mM/L and PL: 4.6 ± 1.1 mM/L. No significant differences were observed for RER. CONCLUSIONS: The co-ingestion of CPC improved both cycling power output and auditory response time following 2 hours of moderate and high intensity interval cycling compared to CTN and PL. It is possible that the CPC treatment conferred not only a positive peripheral effect, but also a central effect. Even with a large caffeine dose, the combination of caffeine, taurine, niacin led to an inhibitory pattern which did not improve power output or response time performances over a PL.

Quadriceps Muscle Function during Recreational Alpine Skiing.

PURPOSE: Since the introduction of carving skis, muscle activity has been investigated primarily on expert-level skiers with respect to EMG intensities. The three-part aim of this recreational skiing study was to analyze functional differences within the quadriceps muscle, to analyze the topographical influence, and to apply a time-frequency analysis of the EMG intensities using wavelets. METHODS: Seven female subjects performed two runs through a standardized corridor on a slope with different inclinations (13 degrees , 29 degrees , and 21 degrees ). Knee angle and EMG of vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) of the right leg were measured during the runs. The recorded EMG signal was resolved with a set of 10 wavelets (11-432 Hz) into a time-frequency space. Subsequently, the EMG intensity and mean frequency (MF) were calculated for different time windows (inside leg; outside leg). RESULT: For RF, a significantly higher MF (+15.5%, P = 0.009) but similar EMG intensities were detected in the inside leg compared with the outside leg. For VL, the MF (-9.6%, P = 0.053) and EMG intensities (-54.3%, P = 0.010) were lower in the inside leg compared with the outside leg. Both muscles responded with higher EMG intensities on increasing slope inclination (VL = 90.8%, P = 0.022; RF = 115%, P = 0.01). MF is not directly related to inclination. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to previously suggested coloading of the inside leg while carving, our results do not support this hypothesis for VL. However, the functional demand for RF in the inside leg is very high when skiing recreationally. The ability of a situation-dependent loading (RF as knee extensor) and unloading (RF as hip flexor) of the inside leg seems to be a crucial point with respect to specific fatigue during a skiing day.

The role of ribose on oxidative stress during hypoxic exercise: a pilot study.

Oxygen free radicals are produced during stress, are unstable, and potentially interact with other cellular components or molecules. This reactivity can influence cellular function, including a prolongation in tissue recovery following exercise. We tested the effect of ribose (d-ribose), a pentose carbohydrate, in a double-blinded, crossover study on markers of free radical production during hypoxic exercise. Seven healthy volunteers cycled at their lactate threshold for 25 minutes while inhaling 16% O(2) with a subsequent 60-minute resting period at room air. Subjects ingested either placebo or 7 g of ribose in 250 mL of water before and after the exercise session. Urinary malondialdehyde (MDA) and plasma reduced glutathione levels increased significantly during placebo ingestion (0.2 +/- 0.03 nM/mg and 0.26 +/- 0.29 microM, respectively) but were lower with ribose supplementation (0.04 +/- 0.03 nM/mg and 0.38 +/- 0.29 microM, respectively; P < .05). Uric acid levels were similar between groups (ribose vs. placebo, 4.55 +/- 0.06 mg/dL vs. 4.67 +/- 0.06 mg/dL). Ribose demonstrated a beneficial trend in lower MDA and reduced glutathione levels during hypoxic stress.

The effects of ad libitum fluid ingestion on fluid balance during alpine skiing in recreational skiers.

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of ad libitum water ingestion, using a back-mounted hydration system (BMHS), on fluid balance during alpine skiing. Fourteen skiers skied on two different days. On one day, seven skiers ingested water during skiing via the BMHS and the other seven skiers refrained from fluid ingestion during skiing until the midday break (NW trial). On the second day, the trials were reversed. Results indicated that when skiers used the BMHS they drank significantly more water than during the NW trials (2.0 +/- 0.9 vs. 0.78 +/- 0.4 litres). However, skiers drank significantly more at the midday break during the NW trials than during the BMHS trials (0.78 +/- 0.4 vs. 0.4 +/- 0.2 litres). Percent change in plasma volume was less during the BMHS trials than during the NW trials (-0.1 +/- 5.3 vs. -4.9 +/- 5.2%), urine osmolality was maintained in the BMHS trials but rose from 295 +/- 80 to 818 +/- 168 mOsm . kg(-1) at midday during the NW trials, and body mass loss was minimized during the BMHS trials compared with the NW trials (0.4 +/- 0.4 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.2 kg). Skiers reported that they felt significantly better when they ingested water during the BMHS trials. In conclusion, a back-mounted hydration system allowed the skiers to maintain hydration status.

Muscle damage, fluid ingestion, and energy supplementation during recreational alpine skiing.

This study examined energy and fluid supplementation on indices of muscle damage during alpine skiing. Skiers were assigned to a carbohydrate-protein (CP), placebo (PL), or no fluid (NF) group. CP and PL ingested 1.62 L during and after skiing. Myoglobin did not change from pre-skiing (PS) to 2 h post-skiing (2PS) for CP (24.8 +/- 1.4 and 25.6 +/- 1.6 ng/mL), but rose significantly from 26.4 +/- 1.3 to 40.0 +/- 2.8 ng/mL for PL and from 29.0 +/- 1.3 to 82.9 +/- 3.6 ng/mL for NF. Creatine kinase was maintained from PRE to 2 PS for CP, but increased significantly from 117 +/- 7.2 to 174 +/- 43.4 U/L for PL and from 126 +/- 23.2 to 243 +/- 34.3 U/L for NF. This study demonstrates that ingestion of a CP beverage minimized muscle damage indices during skiing compared to PL and NF and that ingesting fluids may also minimize muscle damage compared to a NF condition.