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The effect of combined β-Alanine and NaHCO3 supplementation on cycling performance
Citation
Bellinger, PM and Howe, ST and Shing, CM and Fell, JW, The effect of combined β-Alanine and NaHCO3 supplementation on cycling performance, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 44, (8) pp. 1545-1551. ISSN 0195-9131 (2012) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2012 by the American College of Sports Medicine
DOI: doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e31824cc08d
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 28-days of β-alanine supplementation on four minute cycling time trial performance and to determine if there was an additive effect of combined β-alanine and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation on high-intensity cycling performance.
Method: Fourteen highly-trained cyclists (mean ± SD; age = 25.4 ± 7.2 yr; mass = 71.1 ± 7.1 kg; V̇O2max = 66.6 ± 5.7 mL.kg-1.min-1) supplemented for 28-days with β-alanine (65 mg.kg-1 body mass each day) or placebo. A maximal four minute bout of cycling was performed pre-supplementation (baseline) and twice post-supplementation: following ingestion of NaHCO3 (300 mg.kg-1 body mass), and ingestion of a placebo using a randomized crossover design with two days between trials. Blood pH and HCO3- concentration were determined pre-loading (post-supplementation trials), pre-test and post-test.
Results: In the acute NaHCO3 loading trials blood pH and HCO3- were elevated from pre-loading to pre-test and the magnitude of the change in HCO3- from pre-test to post-test was significantly greater compared to the acute placebo loading trial (P < 0.001). Average power output in the four minute cycling performance trial was increased in placebo + NaHCO3 (+3.1% ± 1.8%) and β-alanine + NaHCO3 (+3.3% ± 3.0%) compared to baseline (P < 0.05). β-alanine + placebo did not significantly improve average power output compared to baseline (+1.6% ± 1.7%; P = 0.20), however, magnitude based inferences demonstrated that β-alanine+placebo was associated with a 37% likelihood of producing average power improvements.
Conclusions: In trained cyclists β-alanine supplementation did not significantly improve four minute cycling performance; however, there may be a small meaningful improvement in performance. Acute NaHCO3 supplementation significantly improved four minute cycling performance. There appeared to be minimal additive effect of combined β-alanine and NaHCO3 supplementation.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | supplementation, cyclists, performance, highly-trained, cyclist, sodium bicarbonate, ergogenic |
Research Division: | Health Sciences |
Research Group: | Sports science and exercise |
Research Field: | Exercise physiology |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Other health |
Objective Field: | Other health not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Bellinger, PM (Mr Phillip Bellinger) |
UTAS Author: | Howe, ST (Mr Sam Howe) |
UTAS Author: | Shing, CM (Dr Cecilia Kitic) |
UTAS Author: | Fell, JW (Associate Professor James Fell) |
ID Code: | 76112 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 51 |
Deposited By: | Health Sciences A |
Deposited On: | 2012-02-28 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-01 |
Downloads: | 15 View Download Statistics |
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