Caffeine, but Not Creatine, Improves Anaerobic Power Without Altering Anaerobic Capacity in Healthy Men During a Wingate Anaerobic Test.

There is a lack of evidence on the additional benefits of combining caffeine (CAF) and creatine (CRE) supplementation on anaerobic power and capacity. Thus, the aim of the present study was to test the effects of combined and isolated supplementation of CAF and CRE on anaerobic power and capacity. Twenty-four healthy men performed a baseline Wingate anaerobic test and were then allocated into a CRE (n = 12) or placebo (PLA; n = 12) group. The CRE group ingested 20 g/day of CRE for 8 days, while the PLA group ingested 20 g/day of maltodextrin for the same period. On the sixth and eighth days of the loading period, both groups performed a Wingate anaerobic test 1 hr after either CAF (5 mg/kg of body mass; CRE + CAF and PLA + CAF conditions) or PLA (5 mg/kg of body mass of cellulose; CRE + PLA and PLA + PLA conditions) ingestion. After the loading period, changes in body mass were greater (p < .05) in the CRE (+0.87 ± 0.23 kg) than in the PLA group (+0.13 ± 0.27 kg). In both groups, peak power was higher (p = .01) in the CAF (1,033.4 ± 209.3 W) than in the PLA trial (1,003.3 ± 204.4 W), but mean power was not different between PLA and CAF trials (p > .05). In conclusion, CAF, but not CRE ingestion, increases anaerobic power. Conversely, neither CRE nor CAF has an effect on anaerobic capacity.

The effect of caffeine on exercise performance is not influenced by ADORA2A genotypes, alone or pooled with CYP1A2 genotypes, in adolescent athletes.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the influence of the different genotypes of ADORA2A (1976 C > T, rs 5751876), alone or pooled with CYP1A2 (163 C > A rs 762551) genotypes, on the ergogenic effects of caffeine (CAF) on various aspects of physical performance in male adolescent athletes. METHODS: Ninety male adolescent athletes (age = 15.5 ± 2 years) were classified according to their genotypes for 1976 C > T ADORA2A (TT homozygous or CADORA2A allele carriers) and 163 C > A CYP1A2 (AA homozygous or CCYP1A2 allele carriers). Participants were further divided in four groups (1-TTADORA2A + AACYP1A2; 2-TTADORA2A + AC/CCCYP1A2; 3-AACYP1A2 + CT/CCADORA2A;4-AC/CCCYP1A2 + CT/CCADORA2A). Using a randomized, crossover, counterbalanced, and double-blind design, participants ingested CAF (6 mg kg-1) or a placebo (PLA, 300 mg of cellulose) one hour before performing a sequence of physical tests: handgrip strength, agility test, countermovement jump (CMJ), Spike Jump (SJ), sit-ups, push-ups, and the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1). RESULTS: CAF enhanced handgrip strength (CAF: 35.0 ± 9.2 kg force; PLA: 33.5 ± 8.9 kg force; p = 0.050), CMJ height (CAF: 49.6 ± 12.3 cm; PLA: 48.3 ± 13.6 cm; p = 0.013), SJ height (CAF: 54.7 ± 13.3 cm; PLA: 53.1 ± 14.8 cm; p = 0.013), number of sit-ups (CAF: 37 ± 8; PLA: 35 ± 8; p = 0.001), and distance covered on the Yoyo IR1 test (CAF: 991.6 ± 371.0 m; PLA: 896.0 ± 311.0 m; p = 0.001), This CAF-induced improvement on exercise performance was, however, independent of genotypes groups (all p > 0.05). CAF had no effect on agility (CAF: 15.8 ± 1.2 s; PLA: 15.9 ± 1.3 s; p = 0.070) and push-up (CAF: 26.6 ± 12.0; PLA: 25.0 ± 11.0; p = 0.280) tests. CONCLUSION: The acute caffeine intake of 6.0 mg.kg-1 improves several aspects of physical performance, which seems to be independent of ADORA2A genotypes, alone or in combination with CYP1A2 genotypes.

The rating of perceived exertion is able to differentiate the post-matches metabolomic profile of elite U-20 soccer players.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to assess the metabolic impact of elite Brazilian U-20 players using the rating of perceived exertion scale (RPE) to discriminate metabolomics sensitivity post-two soccer games separated by a short recovery interval. METHODS: Urine was collected immediately and then 20 h after two soccer matches of elite Brazilian U-20 players. RPE was collected after games. The spectra were pre-processed using TopSpin®3.2 software. Chenomx®software was used to identify metabolites in the urine through the available database. RESULTS: The results showed that the metabolic pathways related to energy production, cellular damage, and organic stresses were changed immediately after the game. 20 h after the games, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways related to cell recovery were identified (e.g., gallic acid, ascorbate, and betaine). The matrix of positive correlations between metabolites was more predominant and stronger after game 2 than game 1. T-distribution registered metabolites discriminated below and above 7 on the RPE scale. Athletes with higher RPE values showed a high metabolite profile related to muscle damage (e.g., creatine, creatinine, and glycine) and energy production (e.g., creatine, formate, pyruvate, 1,3 dihydroxyacetone) 20 h post-soccer match. There was a different metabolic profile between athletes with higher and lower RPE values. CONCLUSION: Metabolomics analysis made it possible to observe the metabolic impacts of energy production and muscular damage. RPE identified internal load changes within the group as a result of match intensity in soccer. The correlation matrix indicated a greater predominance of positive and strong correlations between metabolites in the second game compared to the first game.

Caffeine mouth rinse enhances performance, fatigue tolerance and reduces muscle activity during moderate-intensity cycling.

We investigated the effects of caffeine mouth rinse on endurance performance, muscle recruitment (i.e., electromyographic activity of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris), rating of perceived effort and heart rate. Twelve physically-active healthy men cycled at 80% of their respiratory compensation point until task failure. The participants rinsed their mouths for 10 seconds with placebo (PLA, 25 mL of a solution composed of non-caloric mint essence) or caffeine (CAF, 25 mL of 1.2% of anhydrous caffeine concentration with non-caloric mint essence) every 15 minutes of exercise. Time until exhaustion increased 17% (effect size = 0.70) in CAF compared to PLA (p = 0.04). The wavebands of low-frequency electromyographic activity (EMG) of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris was lower in CAF group than PLA at 50% of the time until exhaustion (p = 0.04). The global EMG signal was lower in CAF group than PLA at 100% of the time until exhaustion (p = 0.001). The rating of perceived effort pooled was higher in CAF mouth rinse (p = 0.001) than PLA group. No effect was found on the heart rate between the groups (p > 0.05). Caffeine mouth rinse increases endurance performance, rating of perceived effort and decreases muscle activity during a moderate-intensity exercise.

Chronic metformin intake improves anaerobic but not aerobic capacity in healthy rats.

The effect of chronic metformin intake on aerobic and anaerobic capacity was examined in healthy rats. Twenty rats completed 10 days of metformin (MET) ingestion (250 mg). After this period, the animals performed four high-intensity bouts until exhaustion at 9%, 11%, 13%, and 15% of body mass (BM) in swimming, separated by 24 h, with prior metformin (250 mg) or placebo (PL). The critical load (CL) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC - W') were calculated and considered aerobic and anaerobic capacity, respectively. There was no difference in CL between the MET and PL groups (p > 0.05). The AWC - W' was higher in the MET group than in the PL group (p = 0.004). Time until exhaustion (seconds) at all bouts were higher (p < 0.004) in the MET group (9% of BM = 434.5 ± 267.3, 11% of BM = 269.6 ± 214.2, 13% of BM = 174.0 ± 40.9, 15% of BM = 146.6 ± 15.9) compared to the PL group (9% of BM = 96.4 ± 22.3, 11% of BM = 65.5 ± 13.4, 13% of BM = 51.1 ± 5.5, 15% of BM = 40.8 ± 7.5). Glucose concentration was higher at 90 and 120 min than at 0 and 30 min for the MET group (intragroup) during the oral glucose test tolerance; there was no difference between the MET and PL groups for area under curve. MET ingestion enhances AWC - W' and times to exhaustion but not aerobic capacity.

Caffeine Mouth Rinse Plus Ingestion Improves the 10-Km Time Trial Compared to Caffeine Mouth Rinse Alone.

Background: The benefits of caffeine to physical performance have been extensively demonstrated, however, it has recently been speculated that there is an effect of the administration route on its effectiveness. Purpose: The current study investigated the effect of caffeine mouth rinse in isolation or combined with ingestion on performance in a 30-minute constant-load exercise followed by a 10-km cycling time trial. Methods: Ten physically active men performed a 30-minute constant-load exercise at 50% of the graded test Wmax, followed by a 10-km cycling time trial. Before and at the middle points of the constant-load exercise and 10-km cycling time trial, the following conditions were administered: PLA (cellulose ingestion plus mouth rinsing with magnesium sulfate), ING (5 mg.kg-1 of caffeine ingestion plus mouth rinsing with magnesium sulfate), MR (cellulose ingestion plus mouth rinsing with 1.2% caffeine), and COMB (5 mg.kg-1 of caffeine ingestion plus mouth rinsing with 1.2% caffeine). Results: During the 30-minute constant-load exercise, COMB presented a lower rating of perceived exertion (RPE) than MR (p = .04). For the 10-km time trial, the COMB was faster than MR (MR = 1363 ± 345 vs. COMB = 1291 ± 308s, Δ% = 5.57, p = .05). Mean power output was higher in COMB than PLA, ING, and MR (234 ± 15 vs. 169 ± 29, 148 ± 11, and 145 ± 12 W, respectively). There were no differences between conditions for heart rate and RPE during the 10-km time trial. Conclusion: In summary, caffeine mouth rinsing potentiated the effects of caffeine ingestion during the 10-km time trial compared to caffeine mouth rinsing alone.

Physiological adaptations during endurance training below anaerobic threshold in rats.

To assess the effects of continuous exercise training at intensities corresponding to 80 and 90 % of the lactate minimum test (LM), we evaluated antioxidant activity, hormone concentration, biochemical analyses and aerobic and anaerobic performance, as well as glycogen stores, during 12 weeks of swimming training in rats. One-hundred rats were separated into three groups: control (CG, n = 40), exercise at 80 (EG80, n = 30) and 90% (EG90, n = 30) of LM. The training lasted 12 weeks, with sessions of 60 min/day, 6 days/week. The intensity was based at 80 and 90% of the LM. The volume did not differ between training groups (X of EG80 = 52 ± 4 min; X of EG90 = 56 ± 2 min). The glycogen concentration (mg/100 mg) in the gastrocnemius increased after the training in EG80 (0.788 ± 0.118) and EG90 (0.795 ± 0.157) in comparison to the control (0.390 ± 0.132). The glycogen stores in the soleus enhanced after the training in EG90 (0.677 ± 0.230) in comparison to the control (0.343 ± 0.142). The aerobic performance increased by 43 and 34% for EG80 and EG90, respectively, in relation to baseline. The antioxidant enzymes remain unchanged during the training. Creatine kinase (U/L) increased after 8 weeks in both groups (EG80 = 427.2 ± 97.4; EG90 = 641.1 ± 90.2) in relation to the control (246.9 ± 66.8), and corticosterone (ng/mL) increased after 12 weeks in EG90 (539 ± 54) in comparison to the control (362 ± 44). The continuous exercise at 80 and 90% of the LM has a marked aerobic impact on endurance performance without significantly biomarkers changes compared to control.

Physiological responses during linear periodized training in rats.

This study was undertaken to characterize the effects of the linear periodized training in rats on aerobic and anaerobic performance, glycogen concentration in soleus, gastrocnemius and liver, hormones concentrations (testosterone and corticosterone), enzymes and metabolites (creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, uric acid and urea) as well as antioxidant system (catalase, superoxide dismutase and sulfhydryl groups) after basic, specific and taper periods. Seventy male Wistar rats were randomly separated in two groups: control/sedentary (CT, n = 40) and linear periodized training (LPT, n = 30). The LPT was carried out during a period of 12 weeks (w) with frequency of 6 days/week. The training period was subdivided in three mesocycles: basic (6 weeks), specific (4.5 weeks) and taper (1.5 weeks). The real volume of the training obtained in LPT reduced 7% in relation to the estimated volume. The anaerobic index in LPT after basic and taper was higher than CT in respective period but unchanged intra-group during mesocycles. The aerobic performance in LPT was higher than CT after basic, specific and taper. The creatine kinase and catalase reduced after the taper period in relation to CT and baseline. The glycogen stores in soleus increased after basic in relation to CT. The liver glycogen concentration increased after taper in relation to basic and specific period as well in comparison to CT. In conclusion, the stress biomarkers reduced in taper period in order to increase the aerobic and anaerobic performance in relation to CT.

Can the Brazilian Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaires Differentiate the CYP1A2 and ADORA2A Gene Polymorphisms?-An Exploratory Study with Brazilian Athletes.

This study investigated the ability of the Brazilian Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (CaffEQ-BR), full and brief versions, to differentiate genetic profiles regarding the polymorphisms of the CYP1A2 (rs 762551) and ADORA2A (rs 5751876) genes in a cohort of Brazilian athletes. One-hundred and fifty participants were genotyped for CYP1A2 and ADORA2A. After the recruitment and selection phase, 71 (90% male and 10% female, regular caffeine consumers) completed the CaffEQ-BR questionnaires and a self-report online questionnaire concerning sociodemographic data, general health status, and frequency of caffeine consumption. The order of completion of the CaffEQ-BR questionnaires was counterbalanced. The concordance between the full and brief versions of the CaffEQ-BR was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). To determine the discriminatory capacity of the questionnaires for genotype, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied for sensitivity and specificity (significance level of 5%). Mean caffeine intake was 244 ± 161 mg·day−1. The frequency of AA genotypes for CYP1A2 was 47.9% (n = 34) and 52.1% (n = 37) for C-allele carriers (AC and CC). The frequencies of TT genotypes for ADORA2A were 22.7% (n = 15) and 77.3% (n = 51) for C-allele carriers (TC and CC). All CaffEQ-BR factors, for the full and brief versions, were ICCs > 0.75, except for factor 6 (anxiety/negative effects; ICC = 0.60), and presented ROC curve values from 0.464 to 0.624 and 0.443 to 0.575 for CYP1A2 and ADORA2A. Overall, the CaffEQ-BR (full and brief versions) did not show discriminatory capacity for CYP1A2 and ADORA2A gene polymorphisms. In conclusion, the CaffEQ-BR was not able to differentiate genotypes for the CYP1A2 or ADORA2A genes in this group of Brazilian athletes.

Acute melatonin administration improves exercise tolerance and the metabolic recovery after exhaustive effort.

The present study investigated the effects of acute melatonin administration on the biomarkers of energy substrates, GLUT4, and FAT/CD36 of skeletal muscle and its performance in rats subjected to exhaustive swimming exercise at an intensity corresponding to the maximal aerobic capacity (tlim). The incremental test was performed to individually determine the exercise intensity prescription and 48 h after, the animals received melatonin (10 mg·kg-1) or vehicles 30 min prior to tlim. Afterwards, the animals were euthanized 1 or 3 h after the exhaustion for blood and muscles storage. The experiment 1 found that melatonin increased the content of glycogen and GLUT4 in skeletal muscles of the animals that were euthanized 1 (p < 0.05; 22.33% and 41.87%) and 3 h (p < 0.05; 37.62% and 57.87%) after the last procedures. In experiment 2, melatonin enhanced the tlim (p = 0.01; 49.42%), the glycogen content (p < 0.05; 40.03%), GLUT4 and FAT/CD36 in exercised skeletal muscles (F = 26.83 and F = 25.28, p < 0.01). In summary, melatonin increased energy substrate availability prior to exercise, improved the exercise tolerance, and accelerated the recovery of muscle energy substrates after the tlim, possibly through GLUT4 and FAT/CD36.

Metformin anticipates peak of lactate during high-intensity interval training but no changes performance or neuromuscular response in amateur swimmers.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Metformin demonstrated potential to improve metabolic efficiency in short-intense and prolonged-continuous efforts. The present study investigates the acute effects of metformin intake on performance, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate, blood glucose and neuromuscular parameters related to swimming high-intensity interval series. METHODS: A double-blind, crossover, randomized and placebo-controlled study was carried out. Seven healthy swimmers ingested metformin (500 mg) or placebo capsules on different days and performed a typical high-intensity training series (10 bouts of 50 m with a 3-min interval). Performance, RPE, neuromuscular parameters (lower and upper limbs), blood lactate and glucose were analyzed by the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank and Friedman's tests between supplementation situations and moments, respectively (p > 0.05), the moment where glucose and blood lactate peak were found were analyzed by a Student t-test (p > 0.05) and a Bayesian repeated-measures ANOVA for effects analysis (BFincl). RESULTS: The anticipation of blood glucose and peak lactate was signaling by the interaction effect (metformin increased and placebo decreased) between the eighth and the last bout (BFincl: 4.230 and 5.188 respectively). The second interaction effect of blood glucose and lactate (metformin maintained and placebo increased) during recoveries between 5 min and 7 min (BFincl: 3.825 and 3.806 respectively) also signaling the anticipatory behavior of both physiological parameters. The anticipation of blood lactate peak concentration after metformin intake confirms the anticipatory behavior of blood lactate (p: 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The anticipatory behavior of glucose was not confirmed. Although the anticipatory peak of blood lactate, metformin does not affect neuromuscular responses, RPE and performance. REGISTRATION OF CLINICAL TRIAL: RBR-67wxdw8 Effects of metformin during swimmer training performance.

Exercise training in the aerobic/anaerobic metabolic transition prevents glucose intolerance in alloxan-treated rats.

BACKGROUND: Ninety percent of cases of diabetes are of the slowly evolving non-insulin-dependent type, or Type 2 diabetes. Lack of exercise is regarded as one of the main causes of this disorder. In this study we analyzed the effects of physical exercise on glucose homeostasis in adult rats with type 2 diabetes induced by a neonatal injection of alloxan. METHODS: Female Wistar rats aged 6 days were injected with either 250 mg/kg of body weight of alloxan or citrate buffer 0.01 M (controls). After weaning, half of the animals in each group were subjected to physical training adjusted to meet the aerobic-anaerobic metabolic transition by swimming 1 h/day for 5 days a week with weight overloads. The necessary overload used was set and periodically readjusted for each rat through effort tests based on the maximal lactate steady state procedure. When aged 28, 60, 90, and 120 days, the rats underwent glucose tolerance tests (GTT) and their peripheral insulin sensitivity was evaluated using the HOMA index. RESULTS: The area under the serum glucose curve obtained through GTT was always higher in alloxan-treated animals than in controls. A decrease in this area was observed in trained alloxan-treated rats at 90 and 120 days old compared with non-trained animals. At 90 days old the trained controls showed lower HOMA indices than the non-trained controls. CONCLUSION: Neonatal administration of alloxan induced a persistent glucose intolerance in all injected rats, which was successfully counteracted by physical training in the aerobic/anaerobic metabolic transition.

Mountain Ultramarathon Induces Early Increases of Muscle Damage, Inflammation, and Risk for Acute Renal Injury.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate changes in muscle damage during the course of a 217-km mountain ultramarathon (MUM). In an integrative perspective, inflammatory response and renal function were also studied. Methods: Six male ultra-runners were tested four times: pre-race, at 84 km, at 177 km, and immediately after the race. Blood samples were analyzed for serum muscle enzymes, acute-phase protein, cortisol, and renal function biomarkers. Results: Serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increased significantly throughout the race (P < 0.001, P < 0.001; P = 0.002, respectively), and effect size (ES) denoted a large magnitude of muscle damage. These enzymes increased from pre-race (132 ± 18, 371 ± 66, and 28 ± 3 U/L, respectively) to 84 km (30, 1.8, and 3.9-fold, respectively); further increased from 84 to 177 km (4.6, 2.9, and 6.1-fold, respectively), followed by a stable phase until the finish line. Regarding the inflammatory response, significant differences were found for C-reactive protein (CRP) (P < 0.001) and cortisol (P < 0.001). CRP increased from pre-race (0.9 ± 0.3 mg/L) to 177 km (243-fold), cortisol increased from pre-race (257 ± 30 mmol/L) to the 84 km (2.9-fold), and both remained augmented until the finish line. Significant changes were observed for creatinine (P = 0.03), urea (P = 0.001), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (P < 0.001), and ES confirmed a moderate magnitude of changes in renal function biomarkers. Creatinine and urea increased, and GFR decreased from pre-race (1.00 ± 0.03 mg/dL, 33 ± 6 mg/dL, and 89 ± 5 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively) to 84 km (1.3, 3.5, and 0.7-fold, respectively), followed by a plateau phase until the finish line. Conclusion: This study shows evidence that muscle damage biomarkers presented early peak levels and they were followed by a plateau phase during the last segment of a 217-km MUM. The acute-phase response had a similar change of muscle damage. In addition, our data showed that our volunteers meet the risk criteria for acute kidney injury from 84 km until they finished the race, without demonstrating any clinical symptomatology.

Protocols for hyperlactatemia induction in the lactate minimum test adapted to swimming rats.

The lactate minimum test (LACmin) has been considered an important indicator of endurance exercise capacity and a single session protocol can predict the maximal steady state lactate (MLSS). The objective of this study was to determine the best swimming protocol to induce hyperlactatemia in order to assure the LACmin in rats (Rattus norvegicus), standardized to four different protocols (P) of lactate elevation. The protocols were P1: 6 min of intermittent jumping exercise in water (load of 50% of the body weight - bw); P2: two 13% bw load swimming bouts until exhaustion (tlim); P3: one tlim 13% bw load swimming bout; and P4: two 13% bw load swimming bouts (1st 30 s, 2nd to tlim), separated by a 30 s interval. The incremental phase of LACmin beginning with initial loads of 4% bw, increased in 0.5% at each 5 min. Peak lactate concentration was collected after 5, 7 and 9 min (mmol L(-1)) and differed among the protocols P1 (15.2+/-0.4, 14.9+/-0.7, 14.8+/-0.6) and P2 (14.0+/-0.4, 14.9+/-0.4, 15.5+/-0.5) compared to P3 (5.1+/-0.1, 5.6+/-0.3, 5.6+/-0.3) and P4 (4.7+/-0.2, 6.8+/-0.2, 7.1+/-0.2). The LACmin determination success rates were 58%, 55%, 80% and 91% in P1, P2, P3 and P4 protocols, respectively. The MLSS did not differ from LACmin in any protocol. The LACmin obtained from P4 protocol showed better assurance for the MLSS identification in most of the tested rats.

Carbohydrate Mouth Rinse Maintains Muscle Electromyographic Activity and Increases Time to Exhaustion during Moderate but not High-Intensity Cycling Exercise.

The aim was to investigate the influence of a carbohydrate (CHO) mouth rinse on the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) electromyographic activity (EMG) and time to exhaustion (TE) during moderate (MIE) and high-intensity cycling exercise (HIE). Thirteen participants cycled at 80% of their respiratory compensation point and at 110% of their peak power output to the point of exhaustion. Before the trials and every 15 min during MIE, participants rinsed with the CHO or Placebo (PLA) solutions. The root mean square was calculated. CHO had no effect on the TE during HIE (CHO: 177.3 ± 42.2 s; PLA: 163.0 ± 26.7 s, p = 0.10), but the TE was increased during MIE (CHO: 76.6 ± 19.7 min; PLA: 65.4 ± 15.2 min; p = 0.01). The EMG activity in the VL was higher than PLA at 30 min (CHO: 10.5% ± 2.6%; PLA: 7.7% ± 3.3%; p = 0.01) and before exhaustion (CHO: 10.3% ± 2.5%; PLA: 8.0% ± 2.9%; p = 0.01) with CHO rinsing. There was no CHO effect on the EMG activity of RF during MIE or for VL and RF during HIE. CHO mouth rinse maintains EMG activity and enhances performance for MIE but not for HIE.

Effects of isolated or combined carbohydrate and caffeine supplementation between 2 daily training sessions on soccer performance.

This study aimed to investigate whether isolated or combined carbohydrate (CHO) and caffeine (CAF) supplementation have beneficial effects on performance during soccer-related tests performed after a previous training session. Eleven male, amateur soccer players completed 4 trials in a randomized, double-blind, and crossover design. In the morning, participants performed the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST). Then, participants ingested (i) 1.2 g·kg(-1) body mass·h(-1) CHO in a 20% CHO solution immediately after and 1, 2, and 3 h after the LIST; (ii) CAF (6 mg·kg(-1) body mass) 3 h after the LIST; (iii) CHO combined with CAF (CHO+CAF); and (iv) placebo. All drinks were taste-matched and flavourless. After this 4-h recovery, participants performed a countermovement jump (CMJ) test, a Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT), and a repeated-sprint test. There were no main effects of supplementation for CMJ, LSPT total time, or best sprint and total sprint time from the repeated-sprint test (p>0.05). There were also no main effects of supplementation for heart rate, plasma lactate concentration, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), pleasure-displeasure, and perceived activation (p>0.05). However, there were significant time effects (p<0.05), with heart rate, plasma lactate concentration, RPE, and perceived activation increasing with time, and pleasure-displeasure decreasing with time. In conclusion, isolated and/or combined CHO and CAF supplementation is not able to improve soccer-related performance tests when performed after a previous training session.

Anaerobic and aerobic performances in elite basketball players.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO PROPOSE A SPECIFIC LACTATE MINIMUM TEST FOR ELITE BASKETBALL PLAYERS CONSIDERING THE: Running Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) as a hyperlactatemia inductor, short distances (specific distance, 20 m) during progressive intensity and mathematical analysis to interpret aerobic and anaerobic variables. The basketball players were assigned to four groups: All positions (n=26), Guard (n= 7), Forward (n=11) and Center (n=8). The hyperlactatemia elevation (RAST) method consisted of 6 maximum sprints over 35 m separated by 10 s of recovery. The progressive phase of the lactate minimum test consisted of 5 stages controlled by an electronic metronome (8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0 and 12.0 km/h) over a 20 m distance. The RAST variables and the lactate values were analyzed using visual and mathematical models. The intensity of the lactate minimum test, determined by a visual method, reduced in relation to polynomial fits (2nd degree) for the Small Forward positions and General groups. The Power and Fatigue Index values, determined by both methods, visual and 3rd degree polynomial, were not significantly different between the groups. In conclusion, the RAST is an excellent hyperlactatemia inductor and the progressive intensity of lactate minimum test using short distances (20 m) can be specifically used to evaluate the aerobic capacity of basketball players. In addition, no differences were observed between the visual and polynomial methods for RAST variables, but lactate minimum intensity was influenced by the method of analysis.

Monitoring chronic physical stress using biomarkers, performance protocols and mathematical functions to identify physiological adaptations in rats.

This study was undertaken to characterize the effects of monotonous training at lactate minimum (LM) intensity on aerobic and anaerobic performances; glycogen concentrations in the soleus muscle, the gastrocnemius muscle and the liver; and creatine kinase (CK), free fatty acids and glucose concentrations in rats. The rats were separated into trained (n = 10), baseline (n = 10) and sedentary (n = 10) groups. The trained group was submitted to the following: 60 min/day, 6 day/week and intensity equivalent to LM during the 12-week training period. The training volume was reduced after four weeks according to a sigmoid function. The total CK (U/L) increased in the trained group after 12 weeks (742.0 ± 158.5) in comparison with the baseline (319.6 ± 40.2) and the sedentary (261.6 ± 42.2) groups. Free fatty acids and glycogen stores (liver, soleus muscle and gastrocnemius muscle) increased after 12 weeks of monotonous training but aerobic and anaerobic performances were unchanged in relation to the sedentary group. The monotonous training at LM increased the level of energy substrates, unchanged aerobic performance, reduced anaerobic capacity and increased the serum CK concentration; however, the rats did not achieve the predicted training volume.