Ergogenic Aids

Abstract

In the context of sport, an ergogenic aid can be broadly defined as a technique or substance used for the purpose of enhancing performance. Ergogenic aids have been classified as nutritional, pharmacologic, physiologic, or psychologic and range from use of accepted techniques such as carbohydrate loading to illegal and unsafe approaches such as anabolic-androgenic steroid use. The efficacy of many of these techniques is controversial, whereas the deleterious side effects are clear. The purpose of this article is to review the epidemiology, administration, efficacy, pharmacology, and side effects of commonly used ergogenic aids. Physical therapists should be able to recognize the signs of ergogenic aid abuse in individuals under their care, and they should be aware of the side effects of these aids. Moreover, the physical therapist can serve as a resource for those individuals seeking information on the risks and benefits of ergogenic aids.

Potential pitfalls when investigating the ergogenic effects of caffeine in mice

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Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxantine) is the most commonly consumed social drug in western society for increased physical and cognitive performance [1][2][3][4][5], and it is the main ergogenic resource used by athletes [6]. Initially controversial, caffeine was banned by the International Olympic Committee from 1980-2003 [1,6,7], but then in 2004 its use was approved by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA), and later this year by the U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA; 2016).

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“…Ergogenic doses of caffeine ranging from 3 to 9 mg/kg body mass [6] appear to have no adverse effects. A moderate oral dose of 6 mg/ kg body mass, which elicits peak plasma levels of about 60 µmol/L concentrations after 30 to 60 min, with half-life for elimination range between 2.5-10 h, is known to enhance physical and cognitive performance [5,6,10,14,15]. Blood levels of 1 -2 mmol/L are known to be toxic and even lethal [14], and have been associated with suicides [16].…”

Esteróides anabólicos androgênicos e sua relação com a prática desportiva

“…Alguns autores citam que a descoberta de que o uso de hormônios androgênicos poderiam melhorar o desempenho físico ocorreu apenas em 1939 (Thein et al, 1995;Ghaphery, 1995;Scott et al, 1996). Entretanto, Kuhn (2002) relata que tal fato teria ocorrido antes, já em 1896, quando um contemporâneo de Brown-Séquard, após autoadministrar um extrato testicular observou aumento na força muscular do seu dedo.…”

An Investigation of the Effects of Holographic Wristbands on Strength, Balance and Flexibility- a Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Study

“…While some of these aids have been shown to effect performance when used in specific situations, others remain controversial 5) . It has been suggested that the placebo effect plays a major role in the benefits claimed for some ergogenic aids 6) .…”