ERGOGENIC AIDS

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ERGOGENIC AIDS

• MONDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 2006

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INTRODUCTION

• An ergogenic aid is any substance that aids
  performance.
• In this module we will look at both legal and
  illegal ergogenic aids.
• You will need to know
• The effects of the aid
• Which athletes benefit from its use
• Potential risks

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NUTRITIONAL AIDS

• Carbohydrate Loading
• This involves a super-compensation of glycogen
  within muscles. Carbo loading usually takes on
  the following format
• Heavy training session 7 days prior to
  competition to deplete muscle glycogen stores.
• For approx 3 days, athlete consumes a diet high
  in fats and protein, but low in carbohydrate,
  while maintaining training intensity.
• After 3 days, training tapered and athlete
  consumes diet high in carbohydrate.
• Night before competition, pasta party. In this
  way, muscle super-compensates for the previous
  lack of glycogen and stores more than before.
• Muscle glycogen graph on board

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A high carbohydrate diet can be equated to
approximately 4g of carbohydrate per pound body
weight. i.e. if you were 10stone 140 pounds
560g carbohydrate which is a huge amount if you
look at the table below!
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NUTRITIONAL AIDS

• Carbohydrate Loading
• Who benefits?
• Athletes in long duration aerobic events e.g.
• marathon runners, Tour de France cyclists.
• Potential Risks
• Training without sufficient glycogen stores is
  very difficult, so quality of training may be
  lost in run up to competition.
• Danger of depleted glycogen stores if follow
  incorrect diet.
• Athlete may gain weight because of water
  retention.

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NUTRITIONAL AIDS

• Pre-Event Meals
• 3 days before competition high carbohydrate
  meals should be eaten so muscle glycogen levels
  are high.
• 2-4hrs before competition carbohydrate meal will
  ensure liver glycogen stores are high.
• 5 min before exercise glucose can be eaten.

Who benefits? Performers who rely on the
breakdown of glucose for energy. E.g. games
players and any aerobic athletes. Potential
Risks Consuming the large carbohydrate meal
15-45min prior to exercise can have a detrimental
effect. The large amount of blood glucose
stimulates increased release of insulin, and
hypoglycaemia can occur, causing early exhaustion.
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NUTRITIONAL AIDS

• Post-event meals
• Liver glycogen stores are replaced within hours
  after a carbohydrate-rich meal.
• Muscle glycogen stores are harder to replace and
  can take several days after a long-duration
  activity like a marathon.
• A post event meal should be consumed immediately
  it is possible after the event, because muscle
  glycogen replacement is significantly quicker
  during the first 2 hours after exercise.
• Who benefits?
• Performers who have exercised and used
  carbohydrate as an energy source.
• Potential risks
• There are no potential risks with post-event
  meals.

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NUTRITIONAL AIDS

• Fluid intake during exercise
• Consuming small amounts of carbohydrate during
  events that are longer than 45min can have a
  beneficial effect on performance. Why?
• Carbohydrate drinks are an excellent way of
  getting the required glucose into the blood
  stream.
• Dehydration is one of the greatest causes of
  fatigue, and so every athlete should get into the
  routine of replacing fluids regularly. What is
  the problem with the bodys sense of thirst?

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NUTRITIONAL AIDS
Water v. sports drinks

• Water is excellent for preventing/reducing
  dehydration.
• But, it contains no carbohydrate which has a
  two-fold role
• Provides energy to maintain work for a longer
  period
• Can help the absorption of water from the
  intestine into the body.

• Sports drinks are usually one of three types
• Hypertonic contain large amounts of carbohydrate
  to provide energy.
• Isotonic contain approx. same amount of
  carbohydrate as is in our blood.
• Hypotonic contain less carbohydrate.

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NUTRITIONAL AIDS

• Sports Drinks ctd
• Although large quantities of carbohydrate can
  help prolong the duration of exercise, it can
  feel quite uncomfortable in the stomach, making
  athletes feel nauseous. Hence, there is a limit
  to the quantity of CHO that drink manufacturers
  will put into their drinks.
• Very large amounts of carbohydrate may also
  increase dehydration by diverting water to the
  intestines for digestion.
• One of the most important factors for
• sports drinks manufacturers to
• consider is the taste of the drink.
• It could be the most effective sports
• drink ever, but if it doesnt taste palatable
• it is no use.

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NUTRITIONAL AIDS

• Who benefits?
• Performers in any event lasting longer than
  45min. E.g. footballers,
• Triathletes.
• Potential Risks
• Gastro problems can occur, particularly if the
  drink is very high in carbohydrate.
• Large amounts of drink in the stomach can make
  athletes feel uncomfortable.

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• CREATINE
• Creatine supplements have been available for many
  years. By increasing the amount of creatine in
  the diet, the performer can maximise the amount
  of PCr stored in muscles.
• Who benefits?
• High intensity athletes e.g. 100m sprinter WHY?
• Potential Risks
• Increased creatine concentration can put strain
  on organs like the liver.
• Can increase dehydration in performers

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• NASAL STRIPS
• These were originally designed to stop snoring
  and have no beneficial physiological effects to
  sports performers at all.
• Aerobic capacity is not usually limited by the
  supply of O2 to the lungs. (Can you remember the
  major limiting factor to VO2max?)

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• CAFFEINE
• Caffeine can help improve mental alertness,
  concentration and reaction time.
• It has been proven to reduce the feeling of
  fatigue, allowing exercise at higher intensities
  for longer.
• Caffeine can increase the bodys ability to
  utilise fat as a fuel and increase aerobic
  capapcity.
• Why is using fat as a fuel an advantage?

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• ALCOHOL
• Alcohol has no beneficial effects to sports
  performance
• Although the performer may feel more relaxed and
  self-confident, it actually impairs psychomotor
  performance. (but the performer doesnt notice!)
• Alcohol also speeds up dehydration.

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• BLOOD DOPING AND ERYTHROPOETIN
• Blood doping and erythropoetin (EPO) are 2
  different processes.
• The theory behind the two however is the same
• Blood doping
• RBC are removed from the body and stored. The
  body then replenishes the RBC which have been
  taken. After approx. 5 weeks, when the body has
  replaced the RBC, the originals are infused back
  into the body. Hence the total concentration of
  RBCs has increased.
• EPO
• This is a hormone that stimulates the body to
  create more RBC itself.

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• Who benefits?
• All endurance athletes.
• Potential Risks
• Increased concentration of RBCs increases blood
  viscosity, which puts a strain on the heart.
• Blood clots and heart failure have been reported.

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• HORMONES AND ANABOLIC STEROIDS
• Anabolic steroids are building steroids. E.g.
  nandrolone.
• Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass and
  strength
• (and help with the recovery from high-intensity
  training?)
• Human growth hormone (HGH) can
• - increase the amount of glucose in the blood
• - increase the bodys healing capacity

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• Who benefits?
• High intensity, short duration athletes.
• E.g. weightlifters, sprinters.
• HGH can be useful for endurance athletes due to
  the increase in glucose levels.

• Potential Risks
• They affect the balance of our sex hormones
  testosterone and oestrogen. Women who take
  steroids often have a reduction in breast size,
  hair growth and develop a deeper voice. Men have
  a breast enlargement, reduction in the size of
  their penis and so on.
• Other side effects include acne, weak joints and
  aggressive tendencies. ROID RAGE

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OTHER AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

• Potential Risks ctd
• HGH is similar in effect, although in adults it
  can make the bones thicken and deform, and cause
  internal organs to increase dangerously in size.
• The onset of diabetes and high blood pressure is
  also a common side affect.

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FINALLY

• There will always be research by athletes,
  coaches and sports scientists to develop aids to
  performance. They are continuously trying to
  make the body stronger, faster and higher.
• However, in the long run the risks of ergogenic
  aids will outweigh the benefits. In particular,
  long term problems are still unknown for many of
  the newly developed aids like creatine
  supplements.