Ergogenic Aids

Introduction

These are nutritional substitutes that are used by athletes to improve or supposedly improve athletic performance and help build muscle.

They have been utilized for centuries to enhance athletic performance although research

Ergogenic Aids

supporting their use for this purpose frequently has been lacking. Many of these ergogenic aids are nutritional in nature, some of them are beneficial while others are not and some may even be harmful. Most ergogenic aids are used for endurance exercise or for building muscles and losing body fat.

Nutritional ergogenic aids have an advantage over other foods or dietary supplements in being able to make factual claims without making disease or drug claims, in that physical performance is not considered a disease or abnormal condition.(Driskel 2002).

Ergogenic aid-Glutamine

Article of source: Mahoney CR, Castellani J, Kramer FM, Young A, Lieberman HR. (2007) Tyrosine supplementation mitigates working memory decrements during cold exposure. Physiol Behav.; 92(4): 575–582.

Enhancement of performance

Glutamine is a common component of amino acids naturally produced in the body but can also be produced as an ergogenic aid; it is required in large quantities by the body when one is under great physical strain thus at such times it maybe in short supply. Most of this component is naturally found and stored in muscles though traces can be located in the lungs where most of it is produced.

Glutamine enhances performance by substituting exhausted skeletal muscles which are worn out as a result of exhaustion; this is especially with athletes or sports people whose muscles are depleted due to high activity levels.

Ergogenic Aids

Another aspect brought in by use of glutamine is immunity; glutamine is said t o increase immunity of an individual which increases performance as these individuals spend less time on treatment of diseases that are kept through use of glutamine.

Study and results

The study carried on glutamine indicates that it is effective in enhancing performance, immunity, other effects of glutamine that have been found are its increased effect on people with cancer as it is said they have very low levels of glutamine thus use of the ergogenic aid supplements the low levels helping these individuals. Other effects that they have include suppression of appetite, and improvement of HIV infected people.

Appropriateness of information

A review of the information and the testing procedures indicate a comprehensive process that may be used to conclude that the test was appropriate, it is also this that the credibility of the results is passed, thus a strong reliance on the in formation released on glutamine.

Besides the study is superbly designed and structured to help discuss and evaluate the hypothesis stated on effectiveness of glutamine.

Students posting

Ergogenic Aids

Among t he postings is one that a students wonders how long it would take to realize the effectiveness of glutamine, dependent on the information given this would take a very short time as the aid is directly absorbed in the body and in to the skeletal muscles which are reenergized and dependent on the level of activity the effects may be immediately felt.

References

Driskel J and Worinski I (2002) Nutritional ergogenic aids.GRC Press LLC, New York.