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Dietary Arginine Supplement
Assists Speed Cyclists Over Age 50
Taking Arginine supplements can improve the
cycling ability of athletes over age 50...
Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s Journal of the International
Society of Sports Nutrition tested a combination of the amino acid and
an antioxidant in sixteen cyclists, inding that it enhanced their anaerobic
threshold, the amount of work done before lactic acid begins to
accumulate in the blood.
A team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles,
USA, carried out the randomized controlled trial. They said “The loss
of exercise capacity with age often results in a reduction in physical
fitness and more rapid senescence. A dietary supplement that increases
exercise capacity might help to preserve physical fitness by optimizing
performance and improving general health and well being, especially
in older people.”
One way in which older people may reduce their exercise capacity revolves
around the signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO), which is involved in many
physiological processes, including those related to working out. Nitric Oxide
production diminishes in quantity and its bio-availability as we age. It is
associated with an increased prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors.
In the body, Nitric Oxide is created from the amino acid Arginine and is
inactivated by oxygen free radicals. By supplementing diet with both the
precursor and an anti-oxidant, the researchers hoped to support the
Nitric Oxide system in the cyclists and thereby enhance performance.
Sixteen cyclists aged between 50 and 73 were randomly assigned to
receive either the supplement or dummy placebo pills. After one week
of study, the anaerobic threshold of the supplement group increased,
while that of the control group did not significantly alter. This increase
in anaerobic threshold was preserved at week three.
According to team of researchers, “We’ve demonstrated a 16.7%
increase in anaerobic threshold. This indicates a potential role of
Arginine and antioxidant supplementation in improving exercise
performance in elderly.”
Journal Reference:
Arginine and antioxidant supplement on performance in elderly
male cyclists: a randomized controlled trial.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2010;
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