Four Days of Blueberry Powder Supplementation Lowers the Blood Lactate Response to Running But Has No Effect on Time-Trial Performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 636-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P. Brandenburg ◽  
Luisa V. Giles

Blueberries are abundant with anthocyanins possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. As these properties combat fatigue and promote recovery, blueberry supplementation may enhance performance and recovery. Thus, the objectives were to examine the effects of two blueberry supplementation protocols on running performance, physiological responses, and short-term recovery. Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PLA)-controlled crossover design, 14 runners completed an 8-km time trial (TT) after supplementation with 4 days of blueberries (4DAY), 4 days of a PLA, or 2 days of placebo followed by 2 days of blueberries (2DAY). Heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion were monitored during the TT. Blood lactate, vertical jump, reactive strength index, and salivary markers were assessed before and after. No significant differences were observed for time to complete the TT (PLA: 3,010 ± 459 s; 2DAY: 3,014 ± 488 s; 4DAY: 3,011 ± 423 s), heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, or any of the salivary markers. An interaction effect (p = .027) was observed for blood lactate, with lower post-TT concentrations in 4DAY (5.4 ± 2.0 mmol/L) than PLA (6.6 ± 2.5 mmol/L; p = .038) and 2DAY (7.4 ± 3.4 mmol/L; p = .034). Post-TT decreases in vertical jump height were not different, whereas the decline in reactive strength index was less following 4DAY (−6.1% ± 13.5%) than the other conditions (PLA: −12.6% ± 10.1%; 2DAY: −11.6% ± 11.5%; p = .038). Two days of supplementation did not influence performance or physiological stress. Although 4 days of supplementation did not alter performance, it blunted the increase in blood lactate, perhaps reflecting altered lactate production and/or clearance, and offset the decrease in dynamic muscle function post-TT, as indicated by the reactive strength index differences.

Author(s):  
Jason P. Brandenburg ◽  
Luisa V. Giles

Abstract Background Blueberries are concentrated with anthocyanins possessing antioxidant properties. As these properties counter fatigue, blueberry supplementation may improve performance and recovery, particularly in hypoxia, where oxidative stress is elevated. Methods This study examined the effects of blueberry supplementation on running performance, physiological responses, and recovery in normobaric hypoxia. Eleven experienced runners completed a 30-minute time-trial (TT) in normobaric hypoxia (%O2 = 15.5 %) on separate days after supplementation with four days of blueberries (BLU) or four days of placebo (PLA). Heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SaO2) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were monitored during the TT. Blood lactate and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) were assessed pre-TT, post-TT, and during recovery. Results No significant differences were observed in the distance run during the TT, HR, SaO2, and RPE. The post-TT increase in blood lactate was significantly lower in BLU than PLA (p = 0.036). Pre-TT and post-TT FENO did not differ between conditions. Blood lactate recovery following the TT was similar between conditions. Conclusions Four days of blueberry supplementation did not alter running performance or cardiovascular and perceptual responses in normobaric hypoxia. Supplementation lowered the blood lactate response to running, however, the significance of this finding is uncertain given the absence of an ergogenic effect.


Sports ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Amelia F. Dingley ◽  
Alexander P. Willmott ◽  
John F. T. Fernandes

This study investigated the effectiveness of a self-selected (SS) warm-up on 500 m sprint kayak performance (K500) compared to continuous (CON) and intermittent high intensity (INT)-type warm-ups. Twelve nationally ranked sprint kayakers (age 17.7 ± 2.3 years, mass 69.2 ± 10.8 kg) performed CON (15 min at the power at 2 m·mol−1), INT (10 min at 2 m·mol−1, followed by 5 × 10 s sprints at 200% power at VO2max with 50 s recovery at 55% power at VO2max), and SS (athlete’s normal competition warm-up) warm-ups in a randomised order. After a five-minute passive recovery, K500 performance was determined on a kayak ergometer. Heart rate and blood lactate (BLa) were recorded before and immediately after each warm-up and K500 performance. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded at the end of the warm-up and K500. BLa, heart rate, and RPE were generally higher after the INT than CON and SS warm-ups (p < 0.05). No differences in these parameters were found between the conditions for the time trial (p > 0.05). RPE and changes in BLa and heart rate after the K500 were comparable. There were no differences in K500 performance after the CON, SS, or INT warm-ups. Applied practitioners can, therefore, attain similar performance independent of warm-up type.


Author(s):  
Zied Abbes ◽  
Monoem Haddad ◽  
Khalid W. Bibi ◽  
Iñigo Mujika ◽  
Cyril Martin ◽  
...  

Objectives: To investigate whether tethered swimming (TS) performed 8 minutes before a 50-m freestyle swimming sprint could be an effective postactivation potentiation method to improve performance in young swimmers. Methods: Fourteen regional-level male adolescent swimmers (age 13.0 [2.0] y; height 161.1 [12.4] cm; body mass 52.5 [9.5] kg) underwent 2 trial conditions in a randomized and counterbalanced order (1 experimental [TS], 1 control) on different days. During the experimental session, the participants performed a standard warm-up of 1200 m followed by a TS exercise, which consisted of 3 × 10-second maximal efforts of TS with 1-minute rests between bouts. In the control condition, the warm-up phase was immediately followed by 200 m at a moderate pace (same duration as the TS in the experimental session). Performance (time trial); biomechanical (stroke length), physiological (blood lactate concentrations), and psychophysiological (ratings of perceived exertion) variables; and countermovement-jump (CMJ) flight time were collected. Results: TS warm-up had no significant effect on 50-m swimming performance (P = .27), postexercise ratings of perceived exertion, stroke length, or CMJ flight time (P ≥ .05). Blood lactate concentrations significantly increased at the end of the warm-up in the TS condition only (interaction effect: F1.91,29.91 = 4.91, P = .01, η2 = .27) and after the 50-m trial in both conditions (F1.57,20.41 = 62.39, P = .001, η2 = .82). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that 3 × 10-second TS exercises performed 8 minutes prior to the event did not affect ratings of perceived exertion, stroke length, or CMJ flight time. In addition, tethered swimming did not affect 50-m freestyle sprint performance in young swimmers.


1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Imamura ◽  
Yoshitaka Yoshimura ◽  
Kazuhiro Uchida ◽  
Ayumi Tanaka ◽  
Seiji Nishimura ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Zochowski ◽  
Elizabeth Johnson ◽  
Gordon G. Sleivert

Context:Warm-up before athletic competition might enhance performance by affecting various physiological parameters. There are few quantitative data available on physiological responses to the warm-up, and the data that have been reported are inconclusive. Similarly, it has been suggested that varying the recovery period after a standardized warm-up might affect subsequent performance.Purpose:To determine the effects of varying post-warm-up recovery time on a subsequent 200-m swimming time trial.Methods:Ten national-caliber swimmers (5 male, 5 female) each swam a 1500-m warm-up and performed a 200-m time trial of their specialty stroke after either 10 or 45 min of passive recovery. Subjects completed 1 time trial in each condition separated by 1 wk in a counterbalanced order. Blood lactate and heart rate were measured immediately after warm-up and 3 min before, immediately after, and 3 min after the time trial. Rating of perceived exertion was measured immediately after the warm-up and time trial.Results:Time-trial performance was significantly improved after 10 min as opposed to 45 min recovery (136.80 ± 20.38 s vs 138.69 ± 20.32 s, P < .05). There were no significant differences between conditions for heart rate and blood lactate after the warm-up. Pre-time-trial heart rate, however, was higher in the 10-min than in the 45-min rest condition (109 ± 14 beats/min vs 94 ± 21 beats/min, P < .05).Conclusions:A post-warm-up recovery time of 10 min rather than 45 min is more beneficial to 200-m swimming time-trial performance.


1998 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dixie L. Thompson ◽  
Keith A. West

A paucity of data exists related to the usefulness of Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to set exercise intensity in non-laboratory settings. The purpose of this study was to determine if RPE could be used on an outdoor track to generate blood lactate and heart rate (HR) responses similar to those obtained on a treadmill (tm) run. Nine experienced runners (6 males, 3 females; [Formula: see text]) completed a horizontal, incremental tm test. HR, RPE, and lactate were measured for each stage. Subsequently, subjects ran for 30 min on an outdoor track at the RPE corresponding with 2.5 mM lactate during the tm run. Repeated measures ANOVA compared lactate and HR values at 2.5 mM lactate on the tm run and values obtained during the track run. Lactate during the track run was significantly higher (p < .05) than 2.5 mM throughout the 30 min (6.9 ± 2.9, 63 ± 2.9, and 5.8 ± 3.0 mM at 10, 20, and 30 min, respectively). HR at 2.5 mM lactate during the tm run (173 ± 6.1 bpm) was significantly lower (p < .05) than at min 10 and 20 of the track run (182.6 ± 9.3 and 182.9 ± 8.0 bpm, respectively) but not different from min 30 (181.3 ± 10.6 bpm). In summary, it is difficult to generate specific physiological responses using RPE. Key words: RPE, Borg Scale, exercise, lactate, training


1998 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 915-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Robergs ◽  
Selda Bereket ◽  
Melissa A. Knight

Two studies were conducted to assess whether indoor video-assisted cycling influenced a person's quality of exercise (subjectively and quantitatively), compared to indoor cycling alone. In the first study 12 recreationally active subjects completed an initial test of VO2max, and three randomized trials of cycling at 70% VO2max (35 min.) watching a commercial cycling tape (cycle video), a test pattern displayed on the ergometer screen (blank video), or no video. Subjects' ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and Affect were recorded, and heart rate and oxygen consumption (VO2) were measured during testing. The second study required 12 different subjects first to complete an assessment of VO2max and then two randomized trials (cycle video and no video) on a cycle ergometer where they freely set the intensity of their own exercise. Measurements of VO2, heart rate, blood lactate, power output, RPE, and Affect were recorded during testing. Results of Exp. 1 indicated that subjects' perceived effort equally between the two conditions, yet reported significantly ( p <.05) higher affect at 25 and 35 min. of cycling during the cycle video condition than no video condition. Results of Exp. 2 indicated that despite similar levels of blood lactate, subjects exercised at a significantly higher intensity during the cycle video condition compared to no video condition, with a higher VO2 and heart rate. The data support the use of indoor exercise videos to improve the exercise experience and also to increase the physiological demands of indoor exercise.


Author(s):  
Sharon Gam ◽  
Kym J. Guelfi ◽  
Paul A. Fournier

Studies have reported that rinsing the mouth with a carbohydrate (CHO) solution improves cycling time-trial performance compared with rinsing with a placebo solution. However, no studies have compared the effect of mouth rinsing with a no-mouth-rinse control condition. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a CHO mouth rinse with those of a placebo rinse and a no-rinse condition. Ten male cyclists completed three 1,000-kJ cycling time trials in a randomized, counterbalanced order. At every 12.5% of the time trial completed, participants were required to rinse their mouths for 5 s with either a 6.4% maltodextrin solution (CHO), water (WA), or no solution (CON). Heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded every 25% of the time trial completed. Time to completion was faster in both CHO (65.7 ± 11.07 min) and CON (67.6 ± 12.68 min) than in WA (69.4 ± 13.81 min; p = .013 and p = .042, respectively). The difference between CHO and CON approached significance (p = .086). There were no differences in heart rate or RPE between any conditions. In summary, repeated mouth rinsing with water results in decreased performance relative to not rinsing at all. Adding CHO to the rinse solution appears to oppose this fall in performance, possibly providing additional benefits to performance compared with not rinsing the mouth at all. This brings into question the magnitude of the effect of CHO mouth rinsing reported in previous studies that did not include a no-rinse condition.


Author(s):  
Luca Pollastri ◽  
Gabriele Gallo ◽  
Milena Zucca ◽  
Luca Filipas ◽  
Antonio La Torre ◽  
...  

Background: The effects of anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) on endurance exercise performance are not yet fully understood. Different stimulated areas and low focality of classical tDCS technique may have led to discordant results. Purpose: This study investigated the effect of a bilateral anodal high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on the cycling time-trial (TT) performance and physiological and perceptual response at moderate intensity in elite cyclists. Methods: A total of 8 elite cyclists (maximal oxygen consumption: 72.2 [4.3] mL·min−1·kg−1) underwent in a double-blind, counterbalanced, and randomized order the experimental treatment (HD-tDCS) or control treatment (SHAM). After 20 minutes of receiving either HD-tDCS on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3 and F4) or SHAM stimulation, the participants completed a constant-load trial (CLT) at 75% of the second ventilatory threshold. Thereafter, they performed a simulated 15-km TT. The ratings of perceived exertion, heart rate, cadence,  oxygen consumption, and respiratory exchange ratio were recorded during the CLT; the ratings of perceived exertion and heart rate were recorded during the TT. Results: The total time to complete the TT was 1.3% faster (HD-tDCS: 1212 [52] s vs SHAM: 1228 [56] s; P = .04) and associated with a higher heart rate (P < .001) and a tendency toward higher mean power output (P = .05). None of the physiological and perceptual variables measured during the CLT highlighted differences between the HD-tDCS and SHAM condition. Conclusions: The findings suggest that bilateral HD-tDCS on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves cycling TT performance without altering the physiological and perceptual response at moderate intensity, indicating that an upregulation of the prefrontal cortex could enhance endurance exercise performance.


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