Effect of Infusion of Yerba Mate on Oxidative Stress, Physiology, and Performance of Trained Cyclists
Condition: Sports Performance; Sports Nutritional Sciences; Endurance Performance
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This project comes forward with investigations regarding the use of yerba mate infusion in
      sports performance, providing new knowledge about the effects of its consumption on the
      performance of trained individuals, thus elucidating new mechanisms of ergogenic action of
      the plant in characteristics of dietary management indicated for trained individuals, besides
      investigating on the action of the bioactive compounds of the plant in the metabolism and
      performance of athletes and the physiological aspects.
    

Detailed description: 
      In this study, participants will be randomized into three groups: a group with yerba mate
      infusion and carbohydrate meal, a group with only yerba mate infusion, and a group with water
      and carbohydrate. The washout period between treatments will be seven days. The experimental
      protocol will be carried out in the same period of the day (± 3h) to minimize the
      interference of biological variations.

      Before starting the procedures for data collection, the individuals invited to participate in
      the study will be informed about the objectives and methods of the research and then, if
      accepted, they will sign the informed consent form. The study will be divided into four
      stages (baseline and the three different interventions). The baseline period comprises two
      meetings, the first of which is to carry out a questionnaire to identify the participant, to
      carry out blood collection of the intermediate vein of the arm, to make the analysis of body
      composition and to be instructed on the exercise and feeding procedures during the
      experimental protocol. In the second meeting of the baseline period, the participants will be
      submitted to an incremental protocol on the cycle ergometer, and the data from this test will
      be used for the application of the experimental exercise protocol performed later with
      dietary interventions. From the incremental test, the maximum aerobic power, peak oxygen
      volume, maximum heart rate, and lactate thresholds, energy substrate consumption, and
      perceived exertion will be determined. In the three visits following the baseline period,
      according to randomization, interventions will be carried out with the infusion of yerba mate
      and carbohydrate meal, with only the infusion of yerba mate and with water and carbohydrate
      meal. In intervention groups with yerba mate infusion, participants will be asked to ingest
      seven days before the exercise protocol the same amount of yerba mate infusion as the test
      day (250 mL). In this way, individual packages of ultra-refined yerba mate containing 5 g,
      the necessary materials, and guidelines for the proper preparation of the infusion will be
      provided. In groups that receive the carbohydrate meal, participants will be offered, one
      hour before starting the exercise protocol, white bread with corn syrup, which will be
      adjusted to their individual carbohydrate needs, in quantities that make up a total of 1g of
      carbohydrate per kg of bodyweight of the participant, as recommended by the American College
      of Sports Medicine and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada.

      In all visits, participants will be instructed to arrive at the physical effort laboratory of
      the Federal University of Santa Catarina in a 10-hour overnight fast, following the protocols
      of dietary control and physical exercise in which they must maintain their usual pattern of
      exercises and food throughout the study, except for the restriction of the consumption of
      micronutrient food supplements, beverages with antioxidant and stimulating properties already
      known, such as green tea, black tea, and wines, which may interfere with the results of the
      study due to the similarity of bioactive compounds from yerba mate in the composition of
      these drinks. In all these visits in which there will be dietary intervention, the
      participants will assess their body composition and perform the exercise protocol to assess
      their performance.

      In each of the three intervention visits, 60 minutes before the exercise protocol, a
      carbohydrate meal will be offered (for when the individual is randomized to the group in
      which this meal is consumed); 40 minutes before the exercise protocol, the infusion of yerba
      mate or water (250 mL) will be performed; immediately before the exercise protocol, blood
      will be collected from the intermediate vein of the arm to observe the increase in phenolics
      in the blood promoted by the ingestion of the yerba mate infusion. Soon after, it will be the
      realization of the effective exercise protocol to measure performance. During the execution
      of the exercise protocol, blood samples will be collected from the earlobe to check the
      variations of lactate and glucose. At the end of the exercise protocol, a new blood
      collection will be performed in the middle vein of the arm to assess biochemical variations
      that may have been influenced after exercise.
    

Intervention name(s): Yerba mate infusion; Carbohydrate meal
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Yerba mate infusion intervention is characterized by the consumption of the infusion of yerba mate for 7 days preceding the test, with consumption of the infusion right before the exercise protocol test, without consumption of a carbohydrate-based meal, keeping the individual fasted.
Yerba mate and carbohydrate intervention is characterized by the consumption of the infusion of yerba mate for 7 days preceding the test, with consumption of a meal based on carbohydrate right before the exercise protocol test with another infusion of yerba mate.; Carbohydrate meal intervention is characterized by the consumption of a carbohydrate-based meal right before the exercise protocol test, without consumption yerba mate infusion.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: A group with yerba mate infusion and carbohydrate meal, a group with only yerba mate infusion, and a group with water and carbohydrate. The washout period between treatments will be seven days
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: Ilex paraguariensis; Yerba mate; Cycling; Ergogenic aids; Metabolism; Plant-based; Nutrition