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NEWS
THECUTTINGEDGE
Science shorts that could help you boost your showing across disciplines
Journal:
Journal of Sports Science, November 2016 [Epub ahead of print]
4
DROP
THE VODKA
To give your session a boost, try
a shot of Red Bull. A study by Diego
Souza of Londrina State University,
Brazil, analysed 34 papers looking
at the acute effects of caffeine-
containing energy drinks on
physical performance. Though
caffeine produced a nominal
improvement in strength and
endurance, taurine realised an even
greater boost in performance.
Taurine is a free-form amino acid
first discovered in the bile of bulls
(hence the Red Bull name), and is
utilised by the body during exercise
and times of stress. Be warned: too
much Red Bull can increase anxiety.
2
THOROUGH
WARM-UP
Next time you’re competing in
a triathlon, you might be wise to
slip into a Dryrobe after your
swim warm-up. A team from
Canberra University investigated
the effects of completing additional
warm-up strategies in the transition
phase between the pool warm-up
and the start of the race. These
included dry-land exercises and
passive warming via a heated
jacket. The researchers showed
that swim performance improved
by 0.8% with the more strategic
warming protocols, thanks to
a lower reduction in core
temperature.
1
BETA’S
A BELTER
A recent meta-analysis by Brazilian
and English universities found
significant evidence of an ergogenic
effect from taking beta-alanine
supplements. Beta-alanine
increases muscle carnosine content,
which improves the body’s ability to
buffer hydrogen ions produced
during high-intensity exercise. This
can potentially delay fatigue and
reduce perceptions of fatigue by
delaying a rise in acid levels. A dose
of 3-6g per day is recommended,
though the research showed a
greater effect when ingested with
sodium bicarbonate. But beware:
this combo can cause sickness!
3
PROTEIN
OVERLOAD
It’s generally accepted that a 20g
hit of post-exercise protein results
in optimal muscle repair, but a
study from Stirling University
suggests that 40g could be better.
The study showed that with 40g,
muscle protein synthesis increased
after whole-body exercises that
utilise large-muscle groups (the 20g
figure came from smaller-muscle
studies). Exercise physiologist Asker
Jeukendrup concludes, though, that
the current guidelines are a great
starting point: 20-25g of protein
containing 8-10g of essential amino
acids and 3g of leucine at regular
(3-4hr) intervals.
P
ondering whether to buy that merino base layer and Lycra run tights or ‘be hard’ and slip into vest and
shorts? Recent research suggests that the former combo is well worth the outlay. A Scandinavian team
examined the effects of skin and core tissue cooling on oxygenation of the vastus lateralis, one of the
four muscles that makes up the quadriceps, during walking and running. (Measuring the amount of oxygen
swimming around in your bloodstream is a good indicator of how hard you can exercise.) The team showed that
skin cooling had no impact on oxygenation levels, but that core tissue cooling led to greater deoxygenation of
the thigh muscle before the session had even begun, because the subjects’ metabolism sucked up larger
quantities of oxygen simply to keep warm. This has performance repercussions: reduced oxygen levels resulted
in early cessation of a bike or run effort and greater discomfort. Of course, mechanisms such as shivering
mitigate reductions in core temperature, but don’t take the risk – insulate with breathable fabrics and you’ll not
only extract more from a session, you’ll also reduce the chances of a muscle strain.
WARMTOTHETASK
New arguments for performance gains from technical fabrics...
Journals: 1
British Journal of Sports Medicine, October 2016 [Epub ahead of print];
2
Journal of Sports Sciences, 15 September
2016, online;
3
Physiological Reports, August 2016;
4
European Journal of Nutrition, October 2016 [Epub ahead of print]
Doubling your protein intake
post-exercise could improve
muscle protein synthesis
3