Ergogenic

• Ergogenic Aids


  Any training technique, mechanical device, nutritional ingredient or practice, pharmacological method, or psychological technique that can improve exercise performance capacity or enhance training adaptations
• Ergogenic aids may help prepare an individual to exercise, improve exercise efficiency, enhance recovery from exercise, or assist in injury prevention during intense training
• A consensus exists to suggest that a nutritional supplement is ergogenic if peer-reviewed studies demonstrate the supplement significantly enhances exercise performance following weeks to months of ingestion
• A supplement may also have ergogenic value if it acutely enhances the ability of an athlete to perform an exercise/training-related task or enhances recover from a single exercise bout
• Apparently Effective Ergogenic Aids

  • Creatine
  • Protein
  • EAA
  • Low calorie diet
  • Thermogenics
  • Water and sports drinks
  • Carbohydrate
  • Sodium phosphate
  • Sodium bicarbonate
  • Caffeine
  • Beta alanine
• Possibly Effective Ergogenic Aids

  • HMB
  • BCAA
  • High fiber diets
  • Green tea extracts
  • Conjugated linoleic acids
  • Post exercise carb-protein
  • EAA
  • BCAA
  • HMB
  • Glycerol
• Too Early to Tell Ergogenic Aids

  • Alpha ketoglutarate
  • Alpha ketoisocaproate
  • Ecdysterones
  • Growth hormone releasing peptides & secretagogues
  • Gymnema sylvestre/chitosan
  • Phosphatidyl Choline
  • Betaine
  • Coleus Forskolin
  • DHEA
  • Psychotropic nutrients/herbs
  • Medium chain tryglycerides
• Apparently Not Effective and/or Dangerous Ergogenic Aids

  • Glutamine
  • Smilax
  • Isoflavones
  • Sulfo-polysaccharides
  • Boron
  • Chromium
  • Conjugated linoleuc acids
  • Gamma Oryzanol
  • Prohormones
  • Tribulus terrestris
  • Vanadyl sulfate
  • Calcium pyruvate
  • Chitosan
  • Chromium
  • HCA (hydrocitric acid)
  • L-carnitine
  • Phosphates
  • Herbal diuretics
  • Glutamine
  • Ribose
  • Inosine
• Amino Acids


  • Essential
  • Branched
  • Non-essential
• Essential Amino Acids (EAA)

  1. 6g after exercise increases protein synthesis, 6-20g per day
• Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)


  Addition of BCAA before or after resistance training can increase protein synthesis and gains in lean mass, minimizes protein degradation with greater gains in fat free mass during intense training, aids in glycogen resynthesis, delays onset of fatigue, helps maintain mental function in aerobic based exercise, useful in high altitude training
• Creatine


  Considered by ISSN as the most effective nutritional supplement to increase high intensity exercise capacity and muscle mass during training, improves exercise capacity in a variety of events
• Creatine supplementation


  0.3 g/kg/day for at least 3 days followed by 3-5g/day thereafter to maintain elevated stores, smaller amounts of 2-3g/d will increase creatine stores over a 3-4 week period
• Caffeine


  Helps improve speed, peak and mean power, 3-8 mg/kg/day 30-90 minutes before event can spare mobilization of muscle carbs stores during exercise thereby improving endurance exercise capacity
• Overconsumption of caffeine may trigger dehydration, above 9mg/kg surpasses doping threshold
• Glycerol


  Helps increase fluid retention thereby preventing dehydration, direct effect on exercise capacity is yet to be established
• HMB (Betahydroxy B methylbutyrate)


  Leucine metabolite that is possibly effective in inhibiting protein degradation, reported to increase training adaptations in untrained individuals, helps reduce muscle breakdown in runners
• Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) supplementation

  0.3g/kg 60-90 min. before exercise, 5g/kg, 2x a day for 5 days, caution: GI distress
• Sodium Phosphate


  Improves endurance and exercise capacity, 1g taken 4x daily for 3-6 days increases oxygen uptake (maximal aerobic capacity and anaerobic threshold by 5-10%), increases mean power output and oxygen capacity in trained cyclists
• Beta alanine


  Related to carnosine, primary muscle buffering substance taken for a 28-day period, increases fatigue threshold
• D Ribose


  Kind of sugar produced in the body that boosts muscle energy production, low level of evidence
• ATP


  Energy source for the cells, reduces muscle fatigue, improves force output, low level of evidence
• Glutamine


  One of the non-essential amino acids in the body, reported to stimulate protein and glycogen synthesis, thought to help maintain immune system, low level of evidence
• Nitrate / nitric oxide


  Synthesized from amino acid, arginine, which acts as a signaling molecule for a range of body systems, vasodilation to increase blood flow, regulation of muscle contraction and glucose uptake, regulation of cellular respiration, reported effect on submaximal exercise capacity
• Quality and Safety Assurance Seals

  • PURITY Testing Seal
  • SAFETY & POTENCY Testing Seals
  • Banned Substances Control Group
  • United States Pharmacopeaia
  • Consumer Lab
  • World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
  • National Safety Foundation (NSF seal)
• Banned Substances Control Group


  An independent, third-party company specializing in dietary supplements, certification system that utilizes the most up-to-date scientific analysis & testing procedures to ensure that products are free of drugs or other contaminants that can be harmful or lead to positive drug tests, evaluates general quality of products & also checks for label claims
• United States Pharmacopeaia


  Verifies dietary ingredients used in the manufacture of dietary supplements, verifies that ingredients are consistent in quality from batch to batch, meet label or certificate of analysis claims for identity, strength, purity, and quality, are prepared in accordance with accepted manufacturing practices, meet requirements for acceptable limits of contamination
• Consumer Lab


  Examines research literature to understand chemical makeup of products that have been shown useful in clinical research studies and establishes standards of quality, selects popular brands for testing against these standards, which include identity and potency, purity, bioavailability, and consistency
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)


  To check if content is not part of the banned/prohibited list
• National Safety Foundation (NSF) Seal


  Product underwent extensive testing, material analysis, plant inspection, thoroughly evaluated, and complied to all standards set by NSF, under NSF program, NSF seal on the label also means that product has been tested for banned substances, serves around 80 countries
• Guidelines according to the International Olympic Committee for nutritional supplements/ergogenic aids: Is it safe? Is it legal? Is there evidence that it works at the dose recommended? Am I aware of the correct protocols of how and when to take it? Can the athlete afford to maintain it?