The effect of oral vanadyl sulfate on body composition and performance in weight-training athletes

Serum vanadium concentrations in different sports modalities

AIMS

The aim of this study was to compare serum vanadium (V) concentrations between athletes of different sports modalities and people who did not practise physical exercise regularly.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-one subjects divided into a control group (CG; n = 37; 1.75 ± 0.03 m; 79.45 ± 10.20 kg; 24.72 ± 6.06 years) and an athletes' group (AG; n = 84; 1.77 ± 0.05 m; 66.34 ± 6.12 kg; 19.57 ± 1.95 years) participated in this research. AG were classified by sports modality: aerobic (AE; n = 26), anaerobic (ANA; n = 22); aerobic-anaerobic (AE-ANA; n = 36). Serum V concentrations were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

AG showed higher V concentrations compared to CG (p < 0.01). AE obtained higher concentrations compared to ANA and AE-ANA (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Physical training could increase serum V levels. Specifically, aerobic sports modalities could increase serum V levels to a greater extent than other sports modalities.

ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations

Background

Sports nutrition is a constantly evolving field with hundreds of research papers published annually. In the year 2017 alone, 2082 articles were published under the key words ‘sport nutrition’. Consequently, staying current with the relevant literature is often difficult.

Methods

This paper is an ongoing update of the sports nutrition review article originally published as the lead paper to launch the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2004 and updated in 2010. It presents a well-referenced overview of the current state of the science related to optimization of training and performance enhancement through exercise training and nutrition. Notably, due to the accelerated pace and size at which the literature base in this research area grows, the topics discussed will focus on muscle hypertrophy and performance enhancement. As such, this paper provides an overview of: 1.) How ergogenic aids and dietary supplements are defined in terms of governmental regulation and oversight; 2.) How dietary supplements are legally regulated in the United States; 3.) How to evaluate the scientific merit of nutritional supplements; 4.) General nutritional strategies to optimize performance and enhance recovery; and, 5.) An overview of our current understanding of nutritional approaches to augment skeletal muscle hypertrophy and the potential ergogenic value of various dietary and supplemental approaches.

Conclusions

This updated review is to provide ISSN members and individuals interested in sports nutrition with information that can be implemented in educational, research or practical settings and serve as a foundational basis for determining the efficacy and safety of many common sport nutrition products and their ingredients.

Decavanadate Toxicology and Pharmacological Activities: V10 or V1, Both or None?

This review covers recent advances in the understanding of decavanadate toxicology and pharmacological applications. Toxicological in vivo studies point out that V10 induces several changes in several oxidative stress parameters, different from the ones observed for vanadate (V1). In in vitro studies with mitochondria, a particularly potent V10 effect, in comparison with V1, was observed in the mitochondrial depolarization (IC50 = 40 nM) and oxygen consumption (99 nM). It is suggested that mitochondrial membrane depolarization is a key event in decavanadate induction of necrotic cardiomyocytes death. Furthermore, only decavanadate species and not V1 potently inhibited myosin ATPase activity stimulated by actin (IC50 = 0.75 μM) whereas exhibiting lower inhibition activities for Ca(2+)-ATPase activity (15 μM) and actin polymerization (17 μM). Because both calcium pump and actin decavanadate interactions lead to its stabilization, it is likely that V10 interacts at specific locations with these proteins that protect against hydrolysis but, on the other hand, it may induce V10 reduction to oxidovanadium(IV). Putting it all together, it is suggested that the pharmacological applications of V10 species and compounds whose mechanism of action is still to be clarified might involve besides V10 and V1 also vanadium(IV) species.

ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations

Sports nutrition is a constantly evolving field with hundreds of research papers published annually. For this reason, keeping up to date with the literature is often difficult. This paper is a five year update of the sports nutrition review article published as the lead paper to launch the JISSN in 2004 and presents a well-referenced overview of the current state of the science related to how to optimize training and athletic performance through nutrition. More specifically, this paper provides an overview of: 1.) The definitional category of ergogenic aids and dietary supplements; 2.) How dietary supplements are legally regulated; 3.) How to evaluate the scientific merit of nutritional supplements; 4.) General nutritional strategies to optimize performance and enhance recovery; and, 5.) An overview of our current understanding of the ergogenic value of nutrition and dietary supplementation in regards to weight gain, weight loss, and performance enhancement. Our hope is that ISSN members and individuals interested in sports nutrition find this review useful in their daily practice and consultation with their clients.

Cardioprotection by vanadium compounds targeting Akt-mediated signaling

Treatment with inorganic and organic compounds of vanadium has been shown to exert a wide range of cardioprotective effects in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury, myocardial hypertrophy, hypertension, and vascular diseases. Furthermore, administration of vanadium compounds improves cardiac performance and smooth muscle cell contractility and modulates blood pressure in various models of hypertension. Like other vanadium compounds, we documented bis(1-oxy-2-pyridinethiolato) oxovanadium (IV) [VO(OPT)] as a potent cardioprotective agent to elicit cardiac functional recovery in myocardial infarction and pressure overload-induced hypertrophy. Vanadium compounds activate Akt signaling through inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases, thereby eliciting cardioprotection in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury and myocardial hypertrophy. Vanadium compounds also promote cardiac functional recovery by stimulation of glucose transport in diabetic heart. We here discuss the current understanding of mechanisms underlying vanadium compound-induced cardioprotection and propose a novel therapeutic strategy targeting for Akt signaling to rescue cardiomyocytes from heart failure.

Cardioprotective effect of vanadyl sulfate on ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury in rat heart in vivo is mediated by activation of protein kinase B and induction of FLICE-inhibitory protein

Here we explored the mechanism of cardioprotective action of a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor vanadyl sulfate on myocardial infarction and cardiac functional recovery in rats subjected to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) in vivo. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 30 min heart ischemia by left coronary artery occlusion followed by 24-h reperfusion. Rats were randomized to receive either vehicle or vanadyl sulfate (1 and 5 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 0 min and 30 min after the start of reperfusion. Posttreatment with vanadyl sulfate significantly reduced the infarct size and significantly decreased the elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure, improved left ventricular developed pressure, and left ventricular contractility (+/- dP/dt) after 72-h reperfusion in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, treatment with vanadyl sulfate also significantly inhibited the apoptosis-related Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 processing, thereby elicited the antiapoptotic effect. The cardioprotective effect of vanadyl sulfate was closely associated with restoration of reduced protein kinase B (Akt) activity following MI/R injury. The recovered Akt activity correlated with increased phosphorylation of forkhead transcription factors, FKHR and FKHRL-1, thereby inhibiting apoptotic signaling. Furthermore, treatment with vanadyl sulfate significantly increased FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP) expression, and decreased expression of Fas ligand and Bim in cardiomyocytes. Taken together, rescue of cardiomyocytes by posttreatment with vanadyl sulfate from MI/R injury was mediated by increased FLIP expression and decreased Fas ligand and Bim expression via activation of Akt. These results demonstrate that treatment with vanadyl sulfate exerts significant cardioprotective effects along with cardiac functional recovery.

Vanadate induces necrotic death in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes through mitochondrial membrane depolarization

Besides the well-known inotropic effects of vanadium in cardiac muscle, previous studies have shown that vanadate can stimulate cell growth or induce cell death. In this work, we studied the toxicity to neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (cardiomyocytes) of two vanadate solutions containing different oligovanadates distribution, decavanadate (containing decameric vanadate, V 10) and metavanadate (containing monomeric vanadate and also di-, tetra-, and pentavanadate). Incubation for 24 h with decavanadate or metavanadate induced necrotic cell death of cardiomyocytes, without significant caspase-3 activation. Only 10 microM total vanadium of either decavanadate (1 microM V 10) or metavanadate (10 microM total vanadium) was needed to produce 50% loss of cell viability after 24 h (assessed with MTT and propidium iodide assays). Atomic absorption spectroscopy showed that vanadium accumulation in cardiomyocytes after 24 h was the same when incubation was done with decavanadate or metavanadate. A decrease of 75% of the rate of mitochondrial superoxide anion generation, monitored with dihydroethidium, and a sustained rise of cytosolic calcium (monitored with Fura-2-loaded cardiomyocytes) was observed after 24 h of incubation of cardiomyocytes with decavanadate or metavanadate concentrations close to those inducing 50% loss of cell viability produced. In addition, mitochondrial membrane depolarization within cardiomyocytes, monitored with tetramethylrhodamine ethyl esther or with 3,3',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide, were observed after only 6 h of incubation with decavanadate or metavanadate. The concentration needed for 50% mitochondrial depolarization was 6.5 +/- 1 microM total vanadium for both decavanadate (0.65 microM V 10) and metavanadate. In conclusion, mitochondrial membrane depolarization was an early event in decavanadate- and monovanadate-induced necrotic cell death of cardiomyocytes.

The public health implications of farming cattle in areas with high background concentrations of vanadium

Forty-two adult Brahman-cross cattle farmed extensively in two groups, immediately adjacent to and 2 km from a vanadium processing plant respectively, were slaughtered over a 5 year period at a nearby abattoir. Cattle were being exposed to vanadium at close to no-adverse-effect levels. The dose of vanadium that cattle were taking in prior to slaughter was calculated for each animal from environmental and physiological data using a stochastic risk assessment model. The median exposure doses in the month prior to slaughter ranged from 0.55 to 2.73 mg vanadium/kg body weight/day. A range of tissues was taken from the cattle at slaughter for vanadium determination and tissue levels of vanadium in muscle, liver and kidney are reported. The concentrations of vanadium in the milk of cattle from the same farm sampled over 5 years are also reported. Concentrations were further modelled using a lognormal distribution function to look at possible extreme values that are likely to occur. The concentrations of vanadium in commonly consumed tissues ranged from <0.05 to 11.51 mg/kg (wet-mass basis). The median concentration of vanadium in milk was 0.23 mg vanadium/kg. People drinking milk were at highest risk. The potential oral daily intake of vanadium for people consuming these foodstuffs was modelled using a stochastic model. The model predicted that there is less than a 5% chance that the potential daily intake of vanadium from milk will be >0.44 microg/kg/day for adults. Based on this upper limit it was concluded from current knowledge of toxicity in humans that the tissue and milk residues from cattle should pose no health risk to the consumer.

Dietary supplements and sports performance: minerals

Minerals are essential for a wide variety of metabolic and physiologic processes in the human body. Some of the physiologic roles of minerals important to athletes are their involvement in: muscle contraction, normal hearth rhythm, nerve impulse conduction, oxygen transport, oxidative phosphorylation, enzyme activation, immune functions, antioxidant activity, bone health, and acid-base balance of the blood. The two major classes of minerals are the macrominerals and the trace elements. The scope of this article will focus on the ergogenic theory and the efficacy of such mineral supplementation.

Morphological Alterations of Central Nervous System (CNS) Myelin in Vanadium (V)‐Exposed Adult Rats

In the present work we show morphological data of the in vivo susceptibility of CNS myelin to sodium metavanadate [V(+5)] in adult rats. The possible role of vanadium in behavioral alterations and in brain lipid peroxidation was also investigated. Animals were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 3 mg/kg body weight (bw) of sodium metavanadate [1.25 V/kg bw/day] for 5 consecutive days. Open field and rotarod tests were performed the day after the last dose had been administered and then animals were sacrificed by different methods for histological and lipid peroxidation studies. The present results show that intraperitoneal administration of V(+5) to adult rats resulted in changes in locomotor activity, specific myelin stainings and lipid peroxidation in some brain areas. They support the notion that CNS myelin could be a preferential target of V(+5)-mediated lipid peroxidation in adult rats. The mechanisms underlying this action could affect the myelin sheath leading to behavioral perturbations.

ISSN Exercise & Sport Nutrition Review: Research & Recommendations

Sport nutrition is a constantly evolving field with literally thousands of research papers published annually. For this reason, keeping up to date with the literature is often difficult. This paper presents a well-referenced overview of the current state of the science related to how to optimize training through nutrition. More specifically, this article discusses: 1.) how to evaluate the scientific merit of nutritional supplements; 2.) general nutritional strategies to optimize performance and enhance recovery; and, 3.) our current understanding of the available science behind weight gain, weight loss, and performance enhancement supplements. Our hope is that ISSN members find this review useful in their daily practice and consultation with their clients.

Dietary supplements

For the athlete training hard, nutritional supplements are often seen as promoting adaptations to training, allowing more consistent and intensive training by promoting recovery between training sessions, reducing interruptions to training because of illness or injury, and enhancing competitive performance. Surveys show that the prevalence of supplement use is widespread among sportsmen and women, but the use of few of these products is supported by a sound research base and some may even be harmful to the athlete. Special sports foods, including energy bars and sports drinks, have a real role to play, and some protein supplements and meal replacements may also be useful in some circumstances. Where there is a demonstrated deficiency of an essential nutrient, an increased intake from food or from supplementation may help, but many athletes ignore the need for caution in supplement use and take supplements in doses that are not necessary or may even be harmful. Some supplements do offer the prospect of improved performance; these include creatine, caffeine, bicarbonate and, perhaps, a very few others. There is no evidence that prohormones such as androstenedione are effective in enhancing muscle mass or strength, and these prohormones may result in negative health consequences, as well as positive drug tests. Contamination of supplements that may cause an athlete to fail a doping test is widespread.

Effect of dietary supplements on lean mass and strength gains with resistance exercise: a meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to quantify which dietary supplements augment lean mass and strength gains during resistance training. Peer-reviewed studies between the years 1967 and 2001 were included in the analysis if they met a predetermined set of experimental criteria, among which were at least 3-wk duration and resistance-training 2 or more times a week. Lean mass and strength were normalized for meta-analysis by conversion to percent change per week and by calculating the effect size for each variable. Of the 250 supplements examined, only 6 had more than 2 studies that met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Creatine and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) were found to significantly increase net lean mass gains of 0.36 and 0.28%/wk and strength gains of 1.09 and 1.40%/wk (P < 0.05), respectively. Chromium, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, and protein did not significantly affect lean gain or strength. In conclusion, two supplements, creatine and HMB, have data supporting their use to augment lean mass and strength gains with resistance training.

Vanadyl as a catalyst of human lipoprotein oxidation

Lipoprotein oxidation, which is relevant to atherogenesis, can be induced by redox-active transition metals, such as copper. Vanadium is a metal usually used as vanadyl to improve metabolic control in diabetic patients; given its redox-active properties, we have investigated possible oxidative effects of the metal on lipoproteins from healthy and diabetic subjects. Beginning from 10 microM, vanadyl, but not vanadate, induced oxidation of the non-HDL fraction, which was inhibited by EDTA, butylated hydroxytoluene and Vitamins E and C, but not by mannitol, SOD and catalase. Differently from copper, vanadyl could oxidize directly lipoprotein lipids, although it showed a lower oxidant activity against critical tryptophan residues of the lipoprotein protein moiety. Moreover, the non-HDL fraction of diabetic patients was more susceptible to vanadyl-dependent oxidation than that of controls. Thus, vanadium, in its reduced form which may be used in humans, can oxidize the non-HDL fraction through oxidative effects exerted especially on lipoprotein lipids; the specific pro-oxidant activity of vanadyl is more evident with lipoproteins of diabetic patients. Given also the tissue accumulating capacity of vanadium conceivably in a reduced form, its prolonged administration to humans, especially to diabetic patients without adequate antioxidant supplementation, needs caution.

Oral vanadyl sulphate does not affect blood cells, viscosity or biochemistry in humans

Vanadyl sulphate (VOSO4) is used to improve performance in weight training athletes. Concerns about its safety have arisen because vanadium compounds may cause anaemia and changes in the leukocyte system. In this study, the effects of oral VOSO4 (0.5 mg/kg/day) on haematological indices (red and white cell and platelet counts, red cell mean cell volume and haemoglobin level), blood viscosity (haematocrit, plasma viscosity and blood viscosity at 10s-1 and 100s-1 shear rates) and biochemistry (lipids and indices of liver and kidney function) were investigated in a twelve week, double blind, placebo controlled trial in 31 weight training athletes. Blood viscosity was evaluated at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks and haematological indices and biochemistry were measured before and at the end of treatment. Both the treatment group and placebo group showed increases in haematocrit (3.3-3.6%) and blood viscosity (9-11% at 100s-1 shear; 35-38% at 10s-1 shear) but there were no significant effects of treatment. Similarly there were no treatment effects on haematological indices and biochemistry. Concerns about the adverse effects of oral vanadyl sulphate on blood are not supported by the results of this trial.