Caffeine, Coffee and Ephedrine: Impact on Exercise Performance and Metabolism

2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. S186-S191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry E. Graham

This paper addresses areas where there is controversy regarding caffeine as an ergogenic aid and also identifies topics that have not been adequately addressed. It is clear that caffeine, in moderate amounts, can be used orally as an ergogenic aid in aerobic activity lasting for more than 1 min. It increases endurance and speed, but not maximal [Formula: see text] and related parameters. While there are fewer well-controlled studies for resistance exercise, the literature would suggest similar improvements: increased endurance at submaximal tension and power generated in repeated contractions and no change in maximal ability to produce force. It is likely that theophylline (a related methylxanthine) has similar actions and it has been suggested that the combination of caffeine and sympathomimetics may be a more potent erogenic aid. The voids in our understanding of caffeine include the dose (what amount is optimal, what vehicle is used to deliver the drug as well as method, pattern, and mode of administration), the potential side effects (particularly in competitive settings), health implications (insulin resistance and if combined with ephedrine, cardiovascular risks) and mechanisms of action. It appears unlikely that increased fat oxidation and glycogen sparing is the prime ergogenic mechanism.

Author(s):  
Vilton E.L. de Moura e Silva ◽  
Jason M. Cholewa ◽  
François Billaut ◽  
Ralf Jäger ◽  
Marcelo C. de Freitas ◽  
...  

Context: Capsaicinoids and capsinoids (CAP) are natural substances found primarily in chili peppers and other spicy foods that agonize the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine. Several studies have shown CAP to be a potential antiobesity agent and to exhibit an analgesic effect in both rodents and humans. However, there is no scientific consensus about the effects of CAP on physical exercise performance and its physiological mechanisms of action. Purpose: This systematic review aimed to better elucidate the effects of CAP compounds as ergogenic aids and to discuss underlying mechanisms of action by which this supplement may potentially enhance endurance performance and muscular strength. Conclusions: Among 22 studies included in the review, 14 examined the effects of capsaicinoid or capsinoid compounds on endurance and resistance exercise performance in animals, with 9 studies showing benefits on performance. In humans, 8 studies were included: 3 demonstrated significant acute endurance benefits and 2 showed acute resistance exercise performance benefits compared with a placebo condition. Therefore, while more mechanistic studies are necessary to confirm these outcomes in humans, the available scientific literature appears to suggest that these compounds could be considered an effective nutritional strategy to improve exercise performance.


2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina COMAN ◽  
Olivia Dumitrita RUGINA ◽  
Carmen SOCACIU

Diabetes has become the most common metabolic disease worldwide. In particular, type 2 diabetes is the most commonly encountered type of diabetes, which is characterised by the inability of the organism to respond to normal levels of circulating insulin, also called insulin resistance. Current antidiabetic therapy is based on synthetic drugs that very often have side effects. For this reason, there is a continuous need to develop new and better pharmaceuticals as alternatives for the management and treatment of the disease. Natural hypoglycaemic compounds may be attractive alternatives to synthetic drugs or reinforcements to currently used treatments. Their huge advantage is that they can be ingested in everyday diet. Recently, more attention is being paid to the study of natural products as potential antidiabetics. This mini review of the current literature is structured into three main sections focused on: (a) plant extracts, (b) plant biomolecules, and (c) other natural molecules that have been used for their antidiabetic effects. Potential molecular mechanisms of action are also discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Roxana Ciobotaru ◽  
Mary-Nicoleta Lupu ◽  
Laura Rebegea ◽  
Octavian Catalin Ciobotaru ◽  
Oana Monica Duca ◽  
...  

Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid used for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. In addition to these therapeutic indications, it is also recommended for nausea and vomiting treatment which may occur during the postoperative period, with impact on postoperative evolution, regarding the evolution of wound healing and length of stay (LOS), with a reflection on the costs of hospital admission. Therefore, their prevention is very important for both patients� comfort and a good recovery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-111
Author(s):  
Lin Zheng ◽  
Weibiao Lv ◽  
Yuanqing Zhou ◽  
Xu Lin ◽  
Jie Yao

: Since its discovery more than 100 years ago, aspirin has been widely used for its antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-rheumatic activities. In addition to these applications, it is increasingly becoming clear that the drug also has great potential in the field of cancer. Here, we briefly review current insights of aspirin’s anti-tumor effects. These are multiple and vary from inhibiting the major cellular mTOR pathways, acting as a calorie-restricted mimetic by inhibition of energy production, suppressing platelet aggregation and granule release, inhibiting immune escape of tumor cells, to decreasing inflammatory responses. We consider these five mechanisms of action the most significant of aspirin’s anti-tumor effects, whereby the anti-tumor effect may ultimately stem from its inhibition of energy metabolism, platelet function, and inflammatory response. As such, aspirin can play an important role to reduce the occurrence, proliferation, and metastasis of various types of tumors. However, most of the collected data are still based on epidemiological investi-gations. More direct and effective evidence is needed, and the side effects of aspirin intake need to be solved before this drug can be widely applied in cancer treatment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 802-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. O’Connor ◽  
Phillip D. Tomporowski ◽  
Rodney K. Dishman

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine whether people differed in change in performance across the first five blocks of an online flanker task and whether those trajectories of change were associated with self-reported aerobic or resistance exercise frequency according to age. A total of 8752 men and women aged 13–89 completed a lifestyle survey and five 45-s games (each game was a block of ~46 trials) of an online flanker task. Accuracy of the congruent and incongruent flanker stimuli was analyzed using latent class and growth curve modeling adjusting for time between blocks, whether the blocks occurred on the same or different days, education, smoking, sleep, caffeinated coffee and tea use, and Lumosity training status (“free play” or part of a “daily brain workout”). Aerobic and resistance exercise were unrelated to first block accuracies. For the more cognitively demanding incongruent flanker stimuli, aerobic activity was positively related to the linear increase in accuracy [B=0.577%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.112 to 1.25 per day above the weekly mean of 2.8 days] and inversely related to the quadratic deceleration of accuracy gains (B=−0.619% CI, −1.117 to −0.121 per day). An interaction of aerobic activity with age indicated that active participants younger than age 45 had a larger linear increase and a smaller quadratic deceleration compared to other participants. Age moderates the association between self-reported aerobic, but not self-reported resistance, exercise and changes in cognitive control that occur with practice during incongruent presentations across five blocks of a 45-s online, flanker task. (JINS, 2015, 21, 802–815)


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1094
Author(s):  
Noemí Serra-Payá ◽  
Manuel Vicente Garnacho-Castaño ◽  
Sergio Sánchez-Nuño ◽  
Lluís Albesa-Albiol ◽  
Montserrat Girabent-Farrés ◽  
...  

The assessment of ventilatory efficiency is critical to understanding the matching of ventilation (VE) and perfusion in the lungs during exercise. This study aimed to establish a causal physiological relationship between ventilatory efficiency and resistance exercise performance after beetroot juice (BJ) intake. Eleven well-trained males performed a resistance exercise test after drinking 140 mL of BJ (~12.8 mmol NO3−) or a placebo (PL). Ventilatory efficiency was assessed by the VE•VCO2−1 slope, the oxygen uptake efficiency slope and the partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (PetCO2). The two experimental conditions were controlled using a randomized, double-blind crossover design. The resistance exercise test involved repeating the same routine twice, which consisted of wall ball shots plus a full squat (FS) with a 3 min rest or without a rest between the two exercises. A higher weight lifted was detected in the FS exercise after BJ intake compared with the PL during the first routine (p = 0.004). BJ improved the VE•VCO2−1 slope and the PetCO2 during the FS exercise in the first routine and at rest (p < 0.05). BJ intake improved the VE•VCO2−1 slope and the PetCO2 coinciding with the resistance exercise performance. The ergogenic effect of BJ could be induced under aerobic conditions at rest.


Author(s):  
Bruno Viana Rosa ◽  
Fabrício Eduardo Rossi ◽  
Helton Pereira dos Santos Nunes de Moura ◽  
Arilene Maria da Silva Santos ◽  
Acácio Salvador Véras-Silva ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-524
Author(s):  
Valdemar Stajer ◽  
Nikola Todorovic ◽  
Darinka Korovljev ◽  
Nebojsa Maksimovic ◽  
Suzana Miljkovic ◽  
...  

The main aim of this study was to examine the effects of medium-term supplementation with an eight-herbs extract on running performance, biomarkers of antioxidant status and telomere length, and self-reported outcome measures of safety events in healthy men. Ten healthy young men (age 23.1±3.2 years, weight 73.7±9.9kg, and height 179.4±8.0cm) volunteered to participate in this randomized controlled trial. The participants were allocated in a double-blind cross-over design to receive either an eight-herbs extract or placebo during a 6-week intervention period. Two-way mixed analysis of variance (treatment vs. time interaction) revealed no significant differences for exercise performance outcomes and telomere length between groups (P>0.05). Compared with placebo, P-DNA provoked a significant rise in serum total antioxidant capacity (316.0±183.4µmol/mL at baseline; 792.7±68.1µmol/mL at follow-up in the eight-herbs extract group vs. 298.1±90.7µmol/mL at follow-up in the placebo group; P<0.001), and less reduction in serum superoxide dismutase levels at follow-up (150.4±5.1IU/mL at baseline; 145.5±3.0IU/mL at follow-up in the eight-herbs extract group vs. 139.3±3.3IU/mL at follow-up in the placebo group; P=0.01). No participant reported any side effects of either intervention. The eight-herbs extract can thus be recommended as a well tolerated dietary supplement that can enhance antioxidant capacity in healthy men. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04263246).


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