Effects of carbohydrates-BCAAs-caffeine ingestion on performance and neuromuscular function during a 2-h treadmill run: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over placebo-controlled study

Functional and Traditional Resistance Training Are Equally Effective in Increasing Upper and Lower Limb Muscular Endurance and Performance Variables in Untrained Young Men

Background: Functional resistance training (FRT) has been proposed as a safe alternative to traditional resistance training (TRT) for developing neuromuscular adaptation capacity and improving muscular strength and competitive performance. This study sought to compare the effects of 6 weeks of FRT and TRT on upper and lower limb muscular endurance and performance variables in untrained young men.

Methods: Twenty-nine untrained healthy young males aged 18–29 years were randomly given 6 weeks of FRT [40% of 1repetition maximum (RM), 4,5 sets of 20 repetitions, 3 times/week] or TRT (70% of 1RM, 4,5 sets of 12 repetitions, 3 times/week). All participants underwent numerous tests before and after the 6-week training, such as muscular endurance (reps of bench press and leg flexion) and physical performance tests (sprint performance, pull-ups, throwing ability, and jumping ability).

Results: After the 6 weeks of training, the TRT and FRT groups showed an equally significant increase in muscular endurance (p < 0.01), while the throwing and jumping abilities, 30-m sprint, and pull-ups performances in both the groups (p < 0.01) also improved significantly. However, no differences were observed between the groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: These findings indicate that both functional resistance training and traditional resistance training are effective training methods for improving the upper and lower limb muscular endurance and performance in untrained young men.

Effects of 6-Week Traditional and Functional Resistance Training on Arterial Stiffness and Muscular Strength in Healthy Young Men

Background

The present study investigated the effects of traditional resistance training (TRT) and functional resistance training (FRT) on arterial stiffness and muscular strength in healthy young men.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial included 29 untrained healthy young men aged 18–29 years who were randomly divided into two groups, namely, TRT group (n = 15) and FRT group (n = 14). All participants underwent numerous tests, such as those for body composition, cardio-ankle vascular index, blood pressure, heart rate, and maximal strength before and after the 6-week training program. The exercise training comprised whole-body strength training exercises 3 days a week for 6 weeks. The total training volume and number of sets (4–5 sets) were kept constantly similar in each group. The TRT group completed 4–5 sets of 8–12 repetitions [70% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM)], whereas the FRT group completed 4–5 sets of 15–22 repetitions (40% 1RM).

Results

The TRT and FRT groups exhibited equally significantly increased maximal strength (within group: both p < 0.01). Furthermore, the independent t-test showed that the differences between the two groups in terms of changes in maximal strength were no significant (between group: both p > 0.05). Additionally, significant main effects of time (pre vs. post) were observed for the left and right cardio-ankle vascular indices (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference were observed between the groups. For body compositions outcome measures, no significant differences between groups were observed.

Conclusion

Six weeks of FRT and TRT exhibit no difference in terms of effects on arterial stiffness and muscular strength.

A 12-week randomized clinical trial investigating the potential for sucralose to affect glucose homeostasis

The discovery of gut sweet taste receptors has led to speculations that non-nutritive sweeteners, including sucralose, may affect glucose control. A double-blind, parallel, randomized clinical trial, reported here and previously submitted to regulatory agencies, helps to clarify the role of sucralose in this regard. This was primarily an out-patient study, with 4-week screening, 12-week test, and 4-week follow-up phases. Normoglycemic male volunteers (47) consumed ∼333.3 mg encapsulated sucralose or placebo 3x/day at mealtimes. HbA1c, fasting glucose, insulin, and C-peptide were measured weekly. OGTTs were conducted in-clinic overnight, following overnight fasting twice during screening phase, twice during test phase, and once at follow-up. Throughout the study, glucose, insulin, C-peptide and HbA1c levels were within normal range. No statistically significant differences between sucralose and placebo groups in change from baseline for fasting glucose, insulin, C-peptide and HbA1c, no clinically meaningful differences in time to peak levels or return towards basal levels in OGTTs, and no treatment group differences in mean glucose, insulin, or C-peptide AUC change from baseline were observed. The results of other relevant clinical trials and studies of gastrointestinal sweet taste receptors are compared to these findings. The collective evidence supports that sucralose has no effect on glycemic control.

Safety and efficacy of a 6-month home-based exercise program in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Previous randomized controlled trials investigating exercise training programs in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) patients are scarce and of short duration only. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of a 6-month home-based exercise training program on fitness, muscle, and motor function in FSHD patients.

METHODS

Sixteen FSHD patients were randomly assigned to training (TG) and control (CG) groups (both n = 8) in a home-based exercise intervention. Training consisted of cycling 3 times weekly for 35 minutes (combination of strength, high-intensity interval, and low-intensity aerobic) at home for 24 weeks. Patients in CG also performed an identical training program (CTG) after 24 weeks. The primary outcome was change in peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) measured every 6 weeks. The principal secondary outcomes were maximal quadriceps strength (MVC) and local quadriceps endurance every 12 weeks. Other outcome measures included maximal aerobic power (MAP) and experienced fatigue every 6 weeks, 6-minute walking distance every 12 weeks, and muscle characteristics from vastus lateralis biopsies taken pre- and postintervention.

RESULTS

The compliance rate was 91% in TG. Significant improvements with training were observed in the VO2 peak (+19%, P = 0.002) and MAP by week 6 and further to week 24. Muscle endurance, MVC, and 6-minute walking distance increased and experienced fatigue decreased. Muscle fiber cross-sectional area and citrate synthase activity increased by 34% (P = 0.008) and 46% (P = 0.003), respectively. Dystrophic pathophysiologic patterns were not exacerbated. Similar improvements were experienced by TG and CTG.

CONCLUSIONS

A combined strength and interval cycling exercise-training program compatible with patients' daily professional and social activities leads to significant functional benefits without compromising muscle tissue.

Prediction of performance reduction in self-paced exercise as modulated by the rating of perceived exertion

PURPOSE

Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is a scale of exercise difficulty and has been hypothesized to be a regulator of work rate during self-pacing. The goal of this work was to develop a dynamic prediction of RPE and to characterize the control strategy employed to reduce work rate during self-paced exercise using RPE as feedback.

METHODS

Training and test data were acquired from the literature to develop a linear regression of RPE as a function of four physiological variables: core temperature, mean-weighted skin temperature, metabolic rate, and integral of relative oxygen consumption (R (2) = 0.85). A thermoregulatory model was used to predict core and mean-weighted skin temperature. Utilizing self-paced cycling and running data from the literature, we characterized reductions in work rate with a proportional-derivative control algorithm with RPE as feedback.

RESULTS

Bland-Altman analysis revealed the necessity to parameterize RPE equations for untrained and endurance-trained individuals. Afterwards, dynamic predictions of RPE were accurate for a wide range of activity levels and air temperatures for walking, running, and cycling (LoA and bias of 2.3 and -0.03, respectively). For self-paced exercise, the control algorithm characterized the trend and magnitude of work rate reductions for cycling and running, and showed regulated RPE to be less conservative for shorter vs. longer duration exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel methodology to characterize self-paced work intensity, based upon dynamic physiologic response, is provided. The complete model is a useful tool that estimates performance decrements during self-paced exercise and predicts tolerance time for exhaustive fixed-rate exercise.

Ubiquinol supplementation enhances peak power production in trained athletes: a double-blind, placebo controlled study

Background

To investigate the effect of Ubiquinol supplementation on physical performance measured as maximum power output in young and healthy elite trained athletes.

Methods

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 100 young German well trained athletes (53 male, 47 female, age 19.9 ± 2.3 years) received either 300 mg Ubiquinol or placebo for 6 weeks. Athletes had to perform a maximum power output test and the performance in W/kg of bodyweight was measured at the 4 mmol lactate threshold on a cycling ergometer before the supplementation treatment (T1), after 3 weeks (T2) and after 6 weeks (T3) of treatment. In these 6 weeks all athletes trained individually in preparation for the Olympic Games in London 2012. The maximum power output was measured in Watt/kilogram body weight (W/kg bw).

Results

Both groups, placebo and Ubiquinol, significantly increased their physical performance measured as maximum power output over the treatment period from T1 to T3. The placebo group increased from 3.64 ± 0.49 W/kg bw to 3.94 ± 0.47 W/kg bw which is an increase of +0.30 ± 0.18 W/kg bw or +8.5% (±5.7). The Ubiquinol group increased performance levels from 3.70 W/kg bw (±0.56) to 4.08 W/kg bw (±0.48) from time point T1 to T3 which is an increase of +0.38 ± 0.22 W/kg bw or +11.0% (±8.2). The absolute difference in the enhancement of the physical performance between the placebo and the Ubiquinol group of +0.08 W/kg bodyweight was significant (p < 0.03).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that daily supplementation of 300 mg Ubiquinol for 6 weeks significantly enhanced physical performance measured as maximum power output by +0.08 W/kg bw (+2.5%) versus placebo in young healthy trained German Olympic athletes. While adherence to a training regimen itself resulted in an improvement in peak power output, as observed by improvement in placebo, the effect of Ubiquinol supplementation significantly enhanced peak power production in comparison to placebo.