Increased brain dopamine availability improves prolonged exercise tolerance in the heat. It is unclear whether supplementing the amino-acid precursor of dopamine increases exercise capacity in the heat. Eight healthy male volunteers [mean age 32 ± 11 (SD) years; body mass 75.3 ± 8.1 kg; peak oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) 3.5 ± 0.3 L min(-1)] performed two exercise trials separated by at least 7 days in a randomised, crossover design. Subjects consumed 500 mL of a flavoured sugar-free drink (PLA), or the same drink with 150 mg kg body mass(-1) tyrosine (TYR) in a double-blind manner 1 h before cycling to exhaustion at a constant exercise intensity equivalent to 68 ± 5% [Formula: see text] in 30°C and 60% relative humidity. Pre-exercise plasma tyrosine:large neutral amino acids increased 2.9-fold in TYR (P < 0.01), while there was no change in PLA (P > 0.05). Subjects cycled longer in TYR compared to PLA (80.3 ± 19.7 min vs. 69.2 ± 14.0 min; P < 0.01). Core temperature, mean weighted skin temperature, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion and thermal sensation were similar in TYR and PLA during exercise and at exhaustion (P > 0.05) despite longer exercise time in TYR. The results show that acute tyrosine supplementation is associated with increased endurance capacity in the heat in moderately trained subjects. The results also suggest for the first time that the availability of tyrosine, a nutritional dopamine precursor, can influence the ability to subjectively tolerate prolonged submaximal constant-load exercise in the heat.
These data indicate that acute tyrosine administration did not influence self-paced endurance exercise performance in the heat. Plasma tyrosine availability is apparently not a key determinant of fatigue processes under these conditions.
Acute tyrosine administration is associated with increased exercise capacity in the heat. To explore whether reduced plasma tyrosine and phenylalanine (tyrosine precursor) is associated with impaired exercise capacity in the heat, eight healthy, moderately trained male volunteers, unacclimated to exercise in the heat, performed two tests in a crossover design separated by at least 7 days. In a randomised, double-blind fashion, subjects ingested 500 mL flavoured, sugar-free water containing amino acids [(TYR-free; isoleucine 15 g, leucine 22.5 g, valine 17.5 g, lysine 17.5 g, methionine 5 g, threonine 10 g, tryptophan 2.5 g)] to lower the ratio of plasma tyrosine plus phenylalanine:amino acids competing for blood-brain barrier uptake (CAA), a key determinant of brain uptake, or a balanced mixture (BAL; TYR-free plus 12.5 g tyrosine and 12.5 g phenylalanine). One hour later, subjects cycled to exhaustion at 63 ± 5 % [Formula: see text]O2peak in 30 °C and 60 % relative humidity. Pre-exercise ratio of plasma tyrosine plus phenylalanine:ΣCAA declined 75 ± 5 % from rest in TYR-free (P < 0.001), but was unchanged in BAL (P = 0.061). Exercise time was shorter in TYR-free (59.8 ± 19.0 min vs. 66.2 ± 16.9 min in TYR-free and BAL respectively; P = 0.036). Heart rate (P = 0.298), core (P = 0.134) and skin (P = 0.384) temperature, RPE (P > 0.05) and thermal sensation (P > 0.05) were similar at exhaustion in both trials. These data indicate that acutely depleting plasma catecholamine precursors:ΣCAA is associated with reduced submaximal exercise capacity in the heat.
Author responses to reviewers' comments Reviewer Comments: Reviewer #1: Thank you for addressing my comments. Revisions read well. Just one minor comment. The revised paragraph (342 to 387) is too long. Can authors break it into two to improve readability? Same comment for discussion 416 to 455. A new paragraph has been added in line 370 and in line 446. Response to Reviewers (Revised Manuscripts) No influence of low, medium or high dose tyrosine on exercise in a warm environment.
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