Jon-Kyle Davis*, Matt Green, Matt Laurent, Nick Bacon and Whitney Thomas
Background:
A double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized trial was performed to evaluate the effects of a nutritionally enriched coffee (NEC) drink compared to decaffeinated coffee (DC) on repeated flying 40-yard sprint performance.
Methods:
Physically active male and female volunteers (n = 13) completed 24 × 50 yard sprints following NEC and DC (counterbalanced). Sprints were completed in 2 halves(12 sprints per half) with 2 minutes recovery between each sprint and a 10-minute recovery period between halves. Acute-RPE (A-RPE) (0–10 omni scale) was recorded after every sprint and Session RPE (S-RPE) was recorded 20 min after completing each trial. Blood lactate ([LA]) was recorded at baseline and following sprints, 6, 12, 18, and 24. Additionally, a fatigue index (FI) was calculated as a percentage difference between mean sprint time and fastest sprint time.
Results:
A 2 (trial) × 2 (treatment) repeated measures ANOVA revealed significantly (p = 0.03) faster (main effect) sprint time for NEC. Post-hoc analyses revealed significantly faster times (p ≤ 0.05) for sprints 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 17, while approaching significance at sprints 10 (p = 0.07) and 15 (p = 0.08). No main effect for A-RPE (p = 0.28) or [LA] (p = 0.15) was found. Results from a paired t-test revealed a significantly improved FI (p = 0.04) with NEC but no significant impact on S-RPE (p = 0.72).
Conclusion:
Results indicate that caffeine administered in a NEC drink can enhance repeated bouts of acute sprint performance possibly through delayed fatigue as evidenced in a dampened perceived exertion response (faster sprints with similar RPE).
My Take:
The findings of this study appear to give a reason for physically active males and females to consume nutritionally enriched coffee before any repeated bouts of sprints to enhance their performance by blunting their perception of fatigue. I don’t feel that regular gym goers who workout in the afternoon would be crazy about performance enhancing through coffee. However, this coffee could be beneficial for the morning rush gym rats. After reading this abstract I had a few questions. First would be could these results translate to elite athletes, I know for a fact that at Penn State when the football players come back from summer break they must run 15 40 yard dash all within .2 seconds of their best. If this nutritionally enhanced coffee could dull their perception of fatigue they might be able to pass this test easily. Also I am assuming that the participants consumed JavaFit coffee, how much coffee did the subjects consume? And how many mg of caffeine? Other than these questions it appears that this enhanced coffee may be very beneficial especially to gym goers early in the morning, one to offset fatigue and two psychologically ( I know I can’t function until I have my cup of coffee.)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Minerals and Sport Performance an overview
Minerals are very important for every athlete. They are part of muscle contraction, oxygen transport, help in nerve impulse conduction and acid-base balance of the blood, support a healthy immune system, have antioxidative properties…Which minerals are from outmost importance, which minerals have an ergogenic effect and does it make sense to supplement with minerals?
An athlete generally should try to achieve adequate mineral intake through their daily diet without extra supplementation in the first attempt. If an athlete is deficient in a mineral, supplementation might improve bodily function and therefore performance. The two most deficiencies in athletes are known to be calcium and iron.
Overview:
Calcium is stored in the skeletal system and helps in muscular contraction. Calcium need is increased in athletes, especially with high intensity training. Insufficient calcium intake will lead to decreased bone density. (Females more likely to develop calcium deficiency) Additional calcium intake if athlete is not deficient does not enhance performance.
Phosphorus helps in energy metabolism. Phosphate salt supplementation resulted in equivocal results in different study. Some studies reported a lower RPE and therefore a beneficial psychological effect of Phosphate supplementation before exercise.
Magnesium regulates muscle contraction, oxygen delivery and helps in protein synthesis. Studies have not shown improvements in performance with supplementation.
Iron is important for oxygen transport. Iron supplementation should improve performance in deficient individuals but will not have an effect in people with no deficiency. Iron losses include sweat losses, menstrual, gastrointestinal losses or myoglobin leakage. Iron supplementation has also proved to be beneficial for athletes training in altitude to stimulate EPO production.
Zinc deficiency is seen in individuals with a high carb, low protein diet. Constant fatigue, loss of body weight and decreased endurance performance are among symptoms of zinc deficiency. General supplementation is not recommended.
Chromium, an insulin cofactor, might have an ergogenic effect by facilitating BCAA transport into the muscle. In general studies have failed to show effects on sport performance with chromium supplementation.
Vanadium also helps to enhance insulin activity whereas the limited data available does not support an anabolic effect if individual is healthy.
Selenium supplementation has shown in some studies to enhance gluthatione peroxidase status in aerobic exercise. Whereas the studies failed to show improvements in performance.
Conclusion:
After reviewing minerals, there is no effidence of any mineral to enhance performance. If an athlete has a well balanced diet, he should be able to meet almost all of his mineral needs. Athletes who are deficient of a mineral might improve performance and bodily function with supplementation. As a female runner, I have constantly problems to keep my iron levels up. Supplementation has helped me to improve performance. But negatively, constant supplementation might have adverse effects. Therefore an athlete should research what foods contain the mineral he is in need of.
An athlete generally should try to achieve adequate mineral intake through their daily diet without extra supplementation in the first attempt. If an athlete is deficient in a mineral, supplementation might improve bodily function and therefore performance. The two most deficiencies in athletes are known to be calcium and iron.
Overview:
Calcium is stored in the skeletal system and helps in muscular contraction. Calcium need is increased in athletes, especially with high intensity training. Insufficient calcium intake will lead to decreased bone density. (Females more likely to develop calcium deficiency) Additional calcium intake if athlete is not deficient does not enhance performance.
Phosphorus helps in energy metabolism. Phosphate salt supplementation resulted in equivocal results in different study. Some studies reported a lower RPE and therefore a beneficial psychological effect of Phosphate supplementation before exercise.
Magnesium regulates muscle contraction, oxygen delivery and helps in protein synthesis. Studies have not shown improvements in performance with supplementation.
Iron is important for oxygen transport. Iron supplementation should improve performance in deficient individuals but will not have an effect in people with no deficiency. Iron losses include sweat losses, menstrual, gastrointestinal losses or myoglobin leakage. Iron supplementation has also proved to be beneficial for athletes training in altitude to stimulate EPO production.
Zinc deficiency is seen in individuals with a high carb, low protein diet. Constant fatigue, loss of body weight and decreased endurance performance are among symptoms of zinc deficiency. General supplementation is not recommended.
Chromium, an insulin cofactor, might have an ergogenic effect by facilitating BCAA transport into the muscle. In general studies have failed to show effects on sport performance with chromium supplementation.
Vanadium also helps to enhance insulin activity whereas the limited data available does not support an anabolic effect if individual is healthy.
Selenium supplementation has shown in some studies to enhance gluthatione peroxidase status in aerobic exercise. Whereas the studies failed to show improvements in performance.
Conclusion:
After reviewing minerals, there is no effidence of any mineral to enhance performance. If an athlete has a well balanced diet, he should be able to meet almost all of his mineral needs. Athletes who are deficient of a mineral might improve performance and bodily function with supplementation. As a female runner, I have constantly problems to keep my iron levels up. Supplementation has helped me to improve performance. But negatively, constant supplementation might have adverse effects. Therefore an athlete should research what foods contain the mineral he is in need of.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Resistance training with soy vs whey protein supplements in hyperlipidemic males
Carol A DeNysschen1 , Harold W Burton2 , Peter J Horvath2 , John J Leddy3 and Richard W Browne: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2009, 6:8doi:10.1186/1550-2783-6-8.
Abstract
Most individuals at risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) can reduce risk factors through diet and exercise before resorting to drug treatment. The effect of a combination of resistance training with vegetable-based (soy) versus animal-based (whey) protein supplementation on CVD risk reduction has received little study. The study's purpose was to examine the effects of 12 weeks of resistance exercise training with soy versus whey protein supplementation on strength gains, body composition and serum lipid changes in overweight, hyperlipidemic men.
The Berrones Analysis:
Although both types of protein, whey and soy, did not significantly affect strength or size gains, the importance of the study should not be negated. That is, resistance training is a beneficial mode of exercise that alters body composition, independent of protein supplementation. However, many studies have shown the enhanced effects of protein supplementation, namely the mixture of essential amino acids and simple sugars, on various parameters of fitness including size and strength. Thus, if one is overweight, high-lipidemic, and male, then step right up to the squat rack without your 5 lb bucket of whey, because sooner than later the cheeseburger in your arteries will plug up fifty years of healthy living.
Abstract
Most individuals at risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) can reduce risk factors through diet and exercise before resorting to drug treatment. The effect of a combination of resistance training with vegetable-based (soy) versus animal-based (whey) protein supplementation on CVD risk reduction has received little study. The study's purpose was to examine the effects of 12 weeks of resistance exercise training with soy versus whey protein supplementation on strength gains, body composition and serum lipid changes in overweight, hyperlipidemic men.
The Berrones Analysis:
Although both types of protein, whey and soy, did not significantly affect strength or size gains, the importance of the study should not be negated. That is, resistance training is a beneficial mode of exercise that alters body composition, independent of protein supplementation. However, many studies have shown the enhanced effects of protein supplementation, namely the mixture of essential amino acids and simple sugars, on various parameters of fitness including size and strength. Thus, if one is overweight, high-lipidemic, and male, then step right up to the squat rack without your 5 lb bucket of whey, because sooner than later the cheeseburger in your arteries will plug up fifty years of healthy living.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Funny Business- Hydroxycut
Abstract
Aim: The efficacy of optimal doses of highly bioavailable (–)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) alone and in combination with niacin-bound chromium (NBC) and a standardized Gymnema sylvestre extract (GSE) on weight loss in moderately obese subjects was evaluated by monitoring changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), appetite, lipid profiles, serum leptin and excretion of urinary fat metabolites. HCA-SX has been shown to reduce appetite, inhibit fat synthesis and decrease body weight without stimulating the central nervous system. NBC has demonstrated its ability to maintain healthy insulin levels, while GSE has been shown to regulate weight loss and blood sugar levels.
Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human study was conducted in Elluru, India for 8 weeks in 60 moderately obese subjects (ages 21–50, BMI >26 kg/m2). Subjects were randomly divided into three groups. Group A was administered HCA-SX 4667 mg, group B was administered a combination of HCA-SX 4667 mg, NBC 4 mg and GSE 400 mg, while group C was given placebo daily in three equally divided doses 30–60 min before meals. All subjects received a 2000 kcal diet/day and participated in supervised walking.
Results: At the end of 8 weeks, body weight and BMI decreased by 5–6% in both groups A and B. Food intake, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides and serum leptin levels were significantly reduced in both groups, while high-density lipoprotein levels and excretion of urinary fat metabolites increased in both groups. A marginal or non-significant effect was observed in all parameters in group C.
Conclusion: The present study shows that optimal doses of HCA-SX and, to a greater degree, the combination of HCA-SX, NBC and GSE can serve as an effective and safe weight-loss formula that can facilitate a reduction in excess body weight and BMI, while promoting healthy blood lipid levels.
Reference
Preuss, H.G., Bagchi, D., Bagchi, M., Sanyasi Rao, C.V., & Satyanarayana, S. (2004). Effects of a natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss. Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, 6, 171-180.
My Take
The most interesting thing about this paper is that the same research team published it in two different journals in the same year, using a slightly different title and subject group, which changed the stats but still produced the same results. This paper shows that HCA, NBC, and GSE together have the greatest effect on weight loss, more so than just taking the HCA alone. I looked up the amounts of these components in Hydroxycut and compared them to the amounts in the study. I found that it is very hard to tell exactly how much of each is actually in the product because it is not clearly listed on the label. It seems that the amounts in the product are almost equal to those researched. However, although positive gains were seen, studies still need to be done on Hydroxycut as a whole to claim that it works.
Aim: The efficacy of optimal doses of highly bioavailable (–)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) alone and in combination with niacin-bound chromium (NBC) and a standardized Gymnema sylvestre extract (GSE) on weight loss in moderately obese subjects was evaluated by monitoring changes in body weight, body mass index (BMI), appetite, lipid profiles, serum leptin and excretion of urinary fat metabolites. HCA-SX has been shown to reduce appetite, inhibit fat synthesis and decrease body weight without stimulating the central nervous system. NBC has demonstrated its ability to maintain healthy insulin levels, while GSE has been shown to regulate weight loss and blood sugar levels.
Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human study was conducted in Elluru, India for 8 weeks in 60 moderately obese subjects (ages 21–50, BMI >26 kg/m2). Subjects were randomly divided into three groups. Group A was administered HCA-SX 4667 mg, group B was administered a combination of HCA-SX 4667 mg, NBC 4 mg and GSE 400 mg, while group C was given placebo daily in three equally divided doses 30–60 min before meals. All subjects received a 2000 kcal diet/day and participated in supervised walking.
Results: At the end of 8 weeks, body weight and BMI decreased by 5–6% in both groups A and B. Food intake, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides and serum leptin levels were significantly reduced in both groups, while high-density lipoprotein levels and excretion of urinary fat metabolites increased in both groups. A marginal or non-significant effect was observed in all parameters in group C.
Conclusion: The present study shows that optimal doses of HCA-SX and, to a greater degree, the combination of HCA-SX, NBC and GSE can serve as an effective and safe weight-loss formula that can facilitate a reduction in excess body weight and BMI, while promoting healthy blood lipid levels.
Reference
Preuss, H.G., Bagchi, D., Bagchi, M., Sanyasi Rao, C.V., & Satyanarayana, S. (2004). Effects of a natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and a combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract on weight loss. Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, 6, 171-180.
My Take
The most interesting thing about this paper is that the same research team published it in two different journals in the same year, using a slightly different title and subject group, which changed the stats but still produced the same results. This paper shows that HCA, NBC, and GSE together have the greatest effect on weight loss, more so than just taking the HCA alone. I looked up the amounts of these components in Hydroxycut and compared them to the amounts in the study. I found that it is very hard to tell exactly how much of each is actually in the product because it is not clearly listed on the label. It seems that the amounts in the product are almost equal to those researched. However, although positive gains were seen, studies still need to be done on Hydroxycut as a whole to claim that it works.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Efficacy and safety of a popular thermogenic drink after 28 days of ingestion.
Roberts, M. D., Dalbo, V. J., Hassell, S. E., Stout, J. R., & Kerksick, C. M. Efficacy and safety of a popular thermogenic drink after 28 days of ingestion. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:19
Abstract
Background: We have recently demonstrated that consuming a thermogenic drink (TD) acutely
increases energy expenditure and serum markers of lipolysis in healthy, college-aged individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if consuming TD over 28 days affects its acute thermogenic and lipolytic effects as well as body composition and clinical chemistry safety markers.
Methods: Sixty healthy, males (mean ± SE; 23 ± 1 years, 177 ± 2 cm, 81.7 ± 2.1 kg, 22.8 ± 1.4%
body fat; n = 30) and females (23 ± 1 years, 166 ± 2 cm, 62.1 ± 1.8 kg, 28.3 ± 1.4% body fat; n =
30) reported to the laboratory on day 0 (T1) for determination of body composition, resting
energy expenditure (REE) as well as glycerol and free fatty acid (FFA) levels before and after
ingesting either 336 ml of TD or a non-caloric, non-caffeinated placebo (PLA) drink. Following day 0, participants supplemented daily with 336 ml·day-1 of either TD or PLA and repeated identical testing procedures on day 28 (T2). Day 28 area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated for REE, FFA, and glycerol. Day 28 acute data and prolonged AUC comparisons between groups were analyzed using ANOVAs with repeated measures.
Results: Percent body fat (p = 0.02) and fat mass (p = 0.01) decreased in the TD group compared to the PLA group after 28 days. Day 28 FFA AUC values (p = 0.048) were greater in the TD group compared to the PLA group. There was no significant difference in day 28 REE AUC values (p = 0.30) or glycerol AUC values (p = 0.21), although a significant increase in REE values in the PLA group may have confounded these findings. There were no differences between groups concerning blood and clinical safety markers.
Conclusion: Within-group elevations in FFA and REE values in the TD group were still evident
following a 28-day supplementation period which may contribute to the observed decrements in
%BF. Further, prolonged TD supplementation did not alter the assessed clinical safety markers.
Future studies should examine the synergistic and independent effects of the active ingredients in addition to effects of longer ingestion periods of TD ingestion with or without exercise at
promoting and sustaining changes in body composition.
When I read articles with results like this two things come to my mind. 1) "Awesome, you can actually lose weight and look better with out doing much work!" 2) "Crap, now my clients are going to see this and think that this is all they have to do!" Which in turn leads to less money for me and the economy is bad enough man.
What concerns me the most here is that just like the article referenced these findings should be carefully considered as the present study only spanned 28 days and did not invoke dietary or exercise intervention. So we have no way of knowing if the TD did the work or if their diets and exercise manipulated the body's metabolism in order to get the results. Of course there are arguments against this by comparing pre post RBC's triglycerides etc, etc, but in essence we still don't know the external factors.
Another thing is that the media centers so much attention around aesthetics of a person's body and society has bought into it so hard that no body wants to exercise to be "more healthy" they all exercise to get that "perfect body." With these results you are telling people that they can throw out exercising ans still lose fat mass! These implications could possibly cause a huge catastrophic morbididty rate to increase over the years because if you simply lose fat mass without exercising you may not see the physiological benefits that result from consistent exercise such as increaesed RBC's, stronger cardiovascular system (heart), increased bone mineral density, muscle hypertrophy, etc, etc. This means that your body's ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles, pump blood easily, and prevent osteoporosis has not been improved. So can someone tell me why we would not want to exercise? I have the answer, because it is easier just to take a magic pill (drink) and see results. Its sad that we have been brainwashed into caring more about how we look now instead of the longevity of our health down the road. I wish it were easier for people to understand but just because you don't see or feel anything happening does not mean that your body is not getting healthier!!
I appreciate this article though because maybe by combining the drink WITH exercise and proper nutrition we as exercise physiologists and strength coaches can continue to promote longevity while our clients/athletes still SEE results and therefore will still be doing our part in making the world and its inhabitants a healthier place to live.
Abstract
Background: We have recently demonstrated that consuming a thermogenic drink (TD) acutely
increases energy expenditure and serum markers of lipolysis in healthy, college-aged individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if consuming TD over 28 days affects its acute thermogenic and lipolytic effects as well as body composition and clinical chemistry safety markers.
Methods: Sixty healthy, males (mean ± SE; 23 ± 1 years, 177 ± 2 cm, 81.7 ± 2.1 kg, 22.8 ± 1.4%
body fat; n = 30) and females (23 ± 1 years, 166 ± 2 cm, 62.1 ± 1.8 kg, 28.3 ± 1.4% body fat; n =
30) reported to the laboratory on day 0 (T1) for determination of body composition, resting
energy expenditure (REE) as well as glycerol and free fatty acid (FFA) levels before and after
ingesting either 336 ml of TD or a non-caloric, non-caffeinated placebo (PLA) drink. Following day 0, participants supplemented daily with 336 ml·day-1 of either TD or PLA and repeated identical testing procedures on day 28 (T2). Day 28 area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated for REE, FFA, and glycerol. Day 28 acute data and prolonged AUC comparisons between groups were analyzed using ANOVAs with repeated measures.
Results: Percent body fat (p = 0.02) and fat mass (p = 0.01) decreased in the TD group compared to the PLA group after 28 days. Day 28 FFA AUC values (p = 0.048) were greater in the TD group compared to the PLA group. There was no significant difference in day 28 REE AUC values (p = 0.30) or glycerol AUC values (p = 0.21), although a significant increase in REE values in the PLA group may have confounded these findings. There were no differences between groups concerning blood and clinical safety markers.
Conclusion: Within-group elevations in FFA and REE values in the TD group were still evident
following a 28-day supplementation period which may contribute to the observed decrements in
%BF. Further, prolonged TD supplementation did not alter the assessed clinical safety markers.
Future studies should examine the synergistic and independent effects of the active ingredients in addition to effects of longer ingestion periods of TD ingestion with or without exercise at
promoting and sustaining changes in body composition.
When I read articles with results like this two things come to my mind. 1) "Awesome, you can actually lose weight and look better with out doing much work!" 2) "Crap, now my clients are going to see this and think that this is all they have to do!" Which in turn leads to less money for me and the economy is bad enough man.
What concerns me the most here is that just like the article referenced these findings should be carefully considered as the present study only spanned 28 days and did not invoke dietary or exercise intervention. So we have no way of knowing if the TD did the work or if their diets and exercise manipulated the body's metabolism in order to get the results. Of course there are arguments against this by comparing pre post RBC's triglycerides etc, etc, but in essence we still don't know the external factors.
Another thing is that the media centers so much attention around aesthetics of a person's body and society has bought into it so hard that no body wants to exercise to be "more healthy" they all exercise to get that "perfect body." With these results you are telling people that they can throw out exercising ans still lose fat mass! These implications could possibly cause a huge catastrophic morbididty rate to increase over the years because if you simply lose fat mass without exercising you may not see the physiological benefits that result from consistent exercise such as increaesed RBC's, stronger cardiovascular system (heart), increased bone mineral density, muscle hypertrophy, etc, etc. This means that your body's ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles, pump blood easily, and prevent osteoporosis has not been improved. So can someone tell me why we would not want to exercise? I have the answer, because it is easier just to take a magic pill (drink) and see results. Its sad that we have been brainwashed into caring more about how we look now instead of the longevity of our health down the road. I wish it were easier for people to understand but just because you don't see or feel anything happening does not mean that your body is not getting healthier!!
I appreciate this article though because maybe by combining the drink WITH exercise and proper nutrition we as exercise physiologists and strength coaches can continue to promote longevity while our clients/athletes still SEE results and therefore will still be doing our part in making the world and its inhabitants a healthier place to live.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
International Society of Sports Nutrition 6th Annual Conference and Expo
Register now! Go to www.theissn.org for more information!
GPLC improves performance!
An interesting study which shows that Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine produces enhanced anaerobic work capacity with reduced lactate accumulation in resistance trained males. http://www.jissn.com/content/6/1/9/abstract
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The effect of glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate on the progression of knee osteoarthritis
Sawitzke AD, Shi H, Finco MF, Dunlop DD, Bingham CO 3rd, Harris CL, Singer NG, Bradley JD, Silver D, Jackson CG, Lane NE, Oddis CV, Wolfe F, Lisse J, Furst DE, Reda DJ, Moskowitz RW, Williams HJ, Clegg DO.
University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. allen.sawitzke@hsc.utah.edu
OBJECTIVE: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee causes significant morbidity and current medical treatment is limited to symptom relief, while therapies able to slow structural damage remain elusive. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (CS), alone or in combination, as well as celecoxib and placebo on progressive loss of joint space width (JSW) in patients with knee OA. METHODS: A 24-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, conducted at 9 sites in the United States as part of the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), enrolled 572 patients with knee OA who satisfied radiographic criteria (Kellgren/Lawrence [K/L] grade 2 or grade 3 changes and JSW of at least 2 mm at baseline). Patients with primarily lateral compartment narrowing at any time point were excluded. Patients who had been randomized to 1 of the 5 groups in the GAIT continued to receive glucosamine 500 mg 3 times daily, CS 400 mg 3 times daily, the combination of glucosamine and CS, celecoxib 200 mg daily, or placebo over 24 months. The minimum medial tibiofemoral JSW was measured at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months. The primary outcome measure was the mean change in JSW from baseline. RESULTS: The mean JSW loss at 2 years in knees with OA in the placebo group, adjusted for design and clinical factors, was 0.166 mm. No statistically significant difference in mean JSW loss was observed in any treatment group compared with the placebo group. Treatment effects on K/L grade 2 knees, but not on K/L grade 3 knees, showed a trend toward improvement relative to the placebo group. The power of the study was diminished by the limited sample size, variance of JSW measurement, and a smaller than expected loss in JSW. CONCLUSION: At 2 years, no treatment achieved a predefined threshold of clinically important difference in JSW loss as compared with placebo. However, knees with K/L grade 2 radiographic OA appeared to have the greatest potential for modification by these treatments.
MY THOUGHTS ON THE SUBJECT...
I have been using a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement on & off now for a few years. It seems like whenever I am on it, I have no pains in my joints at all. But when I am on it for a while and begin to think I don't need it anymore, I stop consumption, and soon enough, joint pains arise. So I am unsure whether or not it is by chance that I get joint injuries when I am off joint supplements. I have done a lot of research on this subject matter, and all of the research data is equivocal. But there are a few recent studies I noticed saying that joint supplementation is ineffective, like the article posted above. So maybe they should conduct a study testing for different markers than previously used. In conclusion, I will most likely continue to use my joint supplements at low dose, simply because of its sulfur content, as sulfur seems to have quite a few health benefits.
Posted by Kevin L. Jones
Monday, April 13, 2009
The effect of exhaustion exercise on thyroid hormones and testosterone levels of elite athletes receiving oral zinc.
School of Physical Education and Sports, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. kmkilic@yahoo.com.tr
OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to investigate how exhaustion exercise affects thyroid hormones and testosterone levels in elite athletes who are supplemented with oral zinc sulfate for 4 weeks.
METHODS: The study included 10 male wrestlers, who had been licensed wrestlers for at least 6 years. Mean age of the wrestlers who volunteered in the study was 18.70 +/- 2.4 years. All subjects were supplemented with oral zinc sulfate (3 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks in addition to their normal diet. Thyroid hormone and testosterone levels of all subjects were determined as resting and exhaustion before and after zinc supplementation.
RESULTS: Resting TT3, TT4, FT3, FT4 and TSH levels of subjects were higher than the parameters measured after exhaustion exercise before zinc supplementation (p<0.05).>
CONCLUSION: Findings of our study demonstrate that exhaustion exercise led to a significant inhibition of both thyroid hormones and testosterone concentrations, but that 4-week zinc supplementation prevented this inhibition in wrestlers. In conclusion, physiological doses of zinc administration may benefit performance.
MY TAKE: This is a two year old study but I was interested in researching Zinc because it is believed to be important is many things from preventing premature aging of the skin, helping the healing processes, reducing duration and severity of cold symptoms, to prostate function. ZMA is commonly taken in hopes of increasing testosterone and sleep but this study used only 3g/day of zinc sulfate and showed that it improved thyroid hormones and testosterone concentrations which are important to all people but especially athletes and those who train.
Plant based dietary supplement increases urinary pH
John M Berardi1, Alan C Logan2 and A Venket Rao3
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:20doi:10.1186/1550-2783-5-20
Abstract
Background
Research has demonstrated that the net acid load of the typical Western diet has the potential to influence many aspects of human health, including osteoporosis risk/progression; obesity; cardiovascular disease risk/progression; and overall well-being. As urinary pH provides a reliable surrogate measure for dietary acid load, this study examined whether a plant-based dietary supplement, one marketed to increase alkalinity, impacts urinary pH as advertised.
Methods
Using pH test strips, the urinary pH of 34 healthy men and women (33.9 +/- 1.57 y, 79.3 +/- 3.1 kg) was measured for seven days to establish a baseline urinary pH without supplementation. After this initial baseline period, urinary pH was measured for an additional 14 days while participants ingested the plant-based nutritional supplement. At the end of the investigation, pH values at baseline and during the treatment period were compared to determine the efficacy of the supplement.
Results
Mean urinary pH statistically increased (p = 0.03) with the plant-based dietary supplement. Mean urinary pH was 6.07 +/- 0.04 during the baseline period and increased to 6.21 +/- 0.03 during the first week of treatment and to 6.27 +/- 0.06 during the second week of treatment.
Conclusion
Supplementation with a plant-based dietary product for at least seven days increases urinary pH, potentially increasing the alkalinity of the body.
MY TAKE: Acidosis can not only destroy bone integrity and other health aspects but it can worsen your recovery and performance from exercise (which produces a metabolic acidosis). Maintaining a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit can improve body composition and performance. So even while strongmen and heavy weight powerlifters scoff at fruits and veggies because they need extra calories, they could actually be hurting themselves in doing so. And they might actually need way more because they eat so much. A plant-based supplement could be an easy alternative to consuming Fs & Vs all day long to enhancing gains in athletes and normal active people alike. Although, it should not be their sole form and can not necessarily be substituted for whole fresh veggies and fruits.
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