Clinical trial NCT03708185: Beta-alanine Supplementation and High-intensity Interval Training
Official title: Does Beta-alanine Supplementation Augment the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to 8 Weeks of High-intensity Interval Training
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Lead sponsor: University of Exeter
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-10-17
Enrollment: 26
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The present study will seek to quantify whether a period of HIIT alongside β-alanine supplementation will improve the adaptation to training, and therefore performance, more than a period of HIIT alone.

Detailed description: Whilst high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a powerful stimulus to increase endurance exercise performance, there are potential nutritional interventions that can be put in place to further increase performance gains.

Energy for the contraction of muscles is created in the mitochondria. HIIT can improve the function of mitochondria, therefore improving performance.

Β-alanine is a commonly used supplement that can improve exercise performance by increasing the amount of carnosine in muscle. Carnosine has many functions that may help improve exercise capacity.

The present study will seek to quantify whether a period of HIIT alongside β-alanine supplementation will improve the adaptation to training, and therefore performance, more than a period of HIIT alone.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Moderately trained (vo2max: 50 - 60 ml/kg/min).
* Females must be taking an oral contraceptive, or using a contraceptive implant.

Exclusion Criteria:

* A recent history of musculoskeletal injury
* Diagnosed cardiovascular or metabolic disease
* Regular use of beta-alanine supplements

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline work done on a cycle ergometer in a cycling capacity test at 110%VO2max following a period of 4 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation and then 8 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation and high intensity interval training
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: VO2max
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12 of study.
measure: Substrate utilisation
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
measure: Muscle carnosine concentration
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
measure: Muscle enzyme (citrate synthase, hexokinase, β-HAD, PFK) activity
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
measure: Muscle buffering capacity
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
measure: Muscle metabolites (AMP, ADP, ATP, Pi, IMP, PCr, Cr, lactate, pyruvate, NAD+/NADH, glucose, G6P, citrate)
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
measure: Muscle gene expression
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
measure: Plasma metabolites (NEFA, glucose, glycerol, lactate)
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study.
measure: Heart rate
timeFrame: At weeks 0, 4 and 12 of study, and through whole training period (weeks 8-12)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Exeter
country: United Kingdom
facility: School of Sport and Health Sciences
state: Devon
Study officials:
affiliation: The University of Exeter
name: Andrew D Davenport, MSc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: