Ergogenic aids

Ergogenic aids

1. An external influence used to improve performance

   • Enhance physical power
     • Increase in metabolism and energy supplied to muscles
   • Enhance mental strength
     • Visualization, mental rehearsal, decrease factors that cause anxiety
   • Enhance mechanical edge
     • Technique e.g. pulleys and parachutes
   • Delay onset of fatigue
     • Ice baths, ice vest, compression clothing

2. Carbohydrate loading

   • Stage 1
     • 'Stress' on the body from lack of glycogen stores
       • Little or no carb intake
       • Maintain a high training load
       • 4-7 days before competition
   • Stage 2
     • 'Super compensation
       • Increase carb intake
       • Little or no training
       • 24 - 48 hours before competition
   • Sporting example: marathon runners and cyclists
   • Advantages
     • Increase in glycogen stores = longer supply of energy = improvement in endurance performance
   • Disadvantages
     • Risk of weight gain = affected sleep pattern
     • Risk of limited training before comp

3. Enhancing recovery: Ice baths

   • Process
     • 10 minutes at temp of 1 degree
     • 6th minute - blood rushes round the body getting rid of waste (lactic acid) and provides nutrients
     • Different approaches depending on the nature of the sport
       • A rugby player would entice their full body in the water as they use their shoulders
       • A football player would only entice their legs
   • Advantages
     • Reduces risk of injury
     • Reduces muscle damage
     • Repairs microscopic tears
     • Reduces DOMS through removal of lactic acid
   • Disadvtanges
     • Painful
     • Could lead to hyporthermia
     • Doesn't permanently get rid of muscle pain/soreness

4. Resistance aids: Pulleys and Parachutes

   • Pulleys
     • Specific training
       • Swimmer - pulley takes on role of performer
     • Provide another form of resistance to apply a force to develop strength
   • Parachutes
     • Low movement to improve/refine technique
       • Sprinter
   • Advantages
     • Development of type 2b muscle fibre types
     • Improve neuromuscular system
     • Increases hypertrophy
   • Disadvantages
     • Microscopic tears
     • Affects technique
     • Not used by anaerobic performer

5. Ice vests

   • Pre-cooling
     • Lasts between 8-30 mins during warm ups
     • Temp guidelines vary between 5-6 celsius
     • Pre-cooling advised before long periods of exercise in hot temps as it helps to sustain intensity and speed, reduces thermal strain, allows different pacing and increases exercise intensity towards end of perfromance
     • Must ensure the body temp is remained at 37 celsius to reduce health risks
   • Post-cooling
     • Cryotherapy-cooling treatments used as part of recovery on acute (sudden) and chronic (overuse) injuries
     • RICE
       • Ice reduces swelling and blood leaking into tissues
   • Sporting example: Olympians in hotter countries England football team in World Cup
   • Advantages
     • Increases rate of recovery
     • Adjustable cooling
     • Recharges quickly
     • Improves performance levels
   • Disadvantages
     • Relatively heavily
     • Requires time to freeze packs
     • Requires access to a fridge/freezer

6. Blood doping

   • The injection of oxygenated blood into the body to enhance performance
   • Process
     • Removes 2 pints of blood several weeks before the event
     • Body replaces blood automatically
     • More blood in then injected back into the body
   • Used by endurance based athletes: marathon runners
     • the increase in red blood cells, more haemoglobin in the muscles, more oxygen
       • quicker method of replacing the effects of altitude training
   • Advantages
     • Prevents oxygen depletion and lactic acid formation
     • Delays onset of fatigue
     • Increased level of motivation
   • Disadvantages
     • Increased risk of a stroke
     • Hypertension-high blood pressure
     • Increased risk of heart attack

7. Gene doping

   • Non-therapeutic use of genes/cells that enhance performance
   • Illegal-impossible to detect
   • Aims
     • Anaerobic
       • Myostatin
         • inhibits muscle growth, this is removed ti increase muscle hypertrophy
       • Insulin-like growth factor 1
         • Stimulates muscle cell growth
     • Aerobic
       • Erythopaiten
         • increases production of red blood cells
       • Vascular endothelial growth factor
         • A protein that increases the productivity of the body thereby the productivity of blood cell production
   • Advantages
     • Increased muscle mass and endurance
     • Quicker recovery
     • Masks injury
   • Disadvantages
     • Risk of heart attack and stroke
     • Not human tested poses risk
     • Not guaranteed to be successful
   • Lance Armstrong: Cyclist

8. Creatine loading

   • Stage 1:Loading
     • 20-25g of creatine taken daily for 5-7 days
   • Stage 2:Maintenance
     • 5g of creatine taken for 3-4 weeks
   • Stage 3:Rest period
     • 2 weeks free of creatine then cycle repeated
   • Used by performers that utilize the PC system
     • Games players: footballers
     • Weightlifters: improves muscle contractions
     • Sprinters: Train at high intensity with quick recovery
   • Taken with water in tablet or powder form
   • Legal but illegal methods such as steroids
   • Advantages
     • Increase in muscular hypertrophy
     • Greater muscle mass means higher glycogen stores
     • Can train at higher frequency - more muscle gains
   • Disadvantages
     • Training must be applied
     • Can cause kidney and liver damage
     • Cause cramping and dehydration

9. Meals

   • Pre - meals
     • Athletes eat foods with low GI before match as wouldn't have time to break it down
     • Allows slow release of glucose into blood
     • Consuming carbs an hour before balances out hormones back to normal
     • Low GI foods: pasta, rice, milk
     • Advantages
       • Increase glycogen stores - increases endurance
       • Tops up liver glycogen stores just before event
     • Disadvantages
       • May not have enough time
       • Don't have the correct food groups available
   • Post - meals
     • Endurance athletes must replenish glycogen stores ASAP
       • More important if the performer has more than comp a week
     • A high carb meal should be consumed within 2 hours of finishing the comp
     • Immediately following match:Bananas, dried fruits,sandwiches
     • Several hours later simple sugars like cakes or a main meal of bread, pasta
     • Advantages
       • Replenishes depleted glycogen stores - increased recovery from exercise
       • Carbohydrates lost quickly replenished
     • Disadvantages
       • Make sure get balance right between carbs, fats and proteins
       • Doesn't work if you don't have pre-meals, lose the energy needed

10. Sports drinks

    • Needed to replace the fluids and electrolytes lost through sweating
    • The electrolytes in sports drinks ensure an acid to alkali balance
    • Isotonic
      • Team sports, long distance running
      • Matches up to the amount of sugar and in blood stream
    • Hypertonic
      • Higher concentration of salt and sugar than the body
      • Post-workout
      • Ironmans, Marathon
      • Used to replenish the body after high intensive workouts
    • Hypotonic
      • Dancers, gymnasts, jockey
      • Lower concentration of salt and sugar than the body-absorbed quickly
      • Good for dehydration not carbohydrate boost
    • Advantages
      • Replacement of electrolytes, prevents cramps, dizziness, sickness
      • Replenishment of carbohydrates-primary fuel source of body
    • Disadvantages
      • Upset stomach
      • Carbohydrates in acidic environment cause erosion and dental cavities
      • Water is better alternative-contains calcium and zinc