The Effects of Betaine Supplementation on Strength and Power Performance

Effects of short-term betaine supplementation on muscle endurance and indices of endocrine function following acute high-intensity resistance exercise in young athletes

Objective

This study examined the effects of short-term betaine supplementation on muscle endurance, plasma lactate, testosterone and cortisol levels, and the testosterone to cortisol (T/C) ratio in response to acute resistance exercise (RE).

Method

Using a double-blind, crossover study design, 10 handball players (age ± SD = 16 ± 1 yrs) without prior-structured RE experience performed a high-intensity RE session (leg press followed by bench press; 5 sets to volitional fatigue using 80% baseline 1 repetition maximum (1RM)), before and after 14 days of either placebo (maltodextrin) or betaine (2.5 g·d⁻¹) supplementation. A 30-day washout period separated each treatment. 48 h prior to testing sessions, participants recorded their food intake and did not perform strenuous exercise. Venous blood was sampled before supplementation, and before and after each RE session.

Results

After betaine supplementation, participants performed more repetitions (p < 0.001) during the leg press (Betaine: 35.8 ± 4.3; Placebo: 24.8 ± 3.6, Cohen’s d = 2.77) and bench press (Betaine: 36.3 ± 2.6; Placebo: 26.1 ± 3.5, Cohen’s d = 3.34). Betaine resulted in lower post-exercise cortisol (Betaine: 7.6 ± 1.7; Placebo: 13 ± 3.4 µg.dL⁻¹, p = 0.003, generalized eta squared (ηG2) = 0.49) and lactate (Betaine: 5.2 ± 0.3; Placebo: 6 ± 0.3 mmol.L⁻¹, p < 0.001, ηG2 = 0.96) and higher total testosterone (Betaine: 15.2 ± 2.2; Placebo: 8.7 ± 1.7 ng.mL⁻¹, p < 0.001, ηG2 = 0.87) and T/C ratio (Betaine: 0.21 ± 0.05; Placebo: 0.07 ± 0.02, p < 0.001, = 0.82).

Conclusions

Two weeks of betaine supplementation improved upper- and lower-body muscle endurance and influenced indices of endocrine function following an acute session of high-intensity RE in adolescent handball players.

The Effects of Creatine and Related Compounds on Cardiovascular System: From Basic to Applied Studies

Beneficial effects of creatine were firstly shown in sport, where itself has been recognized as an ergogenic substance, increasing exercise endurancе, muscle strength and lean body mass. Creatine supplementation is very interesting, due to the fact that creatine supplementation have been reported to be beneficial for wide spectrum of diseases and conditions referring neuro-degenerative, rheumatic diseases, myopathies, cancer, type 2 diabetes. Creatine is a principle component of the creatine kinase/phosphagen system. In cardiomyocytes, it plays an important role in the buffering and transport of chemical energy to ensure that supply meets the dynamic demands of the heart. Studies in mice proved that elevated creatine protects the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury. A natural precursor of creatine, guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), plays an important role as an energy carrier/mediator in the cell. GAA is formed in the first step of creatine synthesis. Supplementation with GAA might be of great significance in some circumstances where biosynthesis of GAA is limited like deficient diet, kidney failure, renal insufficiency, exercise-related GAA depletion. Betaine is a neutral compound in the form of zwitterion. Betaine supplementation is associated with improved cognition, neuroprotection, cardioprotection and exercise physiology. Betaine insufficiency represents increased risk for secondary heart failure and acute myocardial infarction. This mini-review outlines the evidence in support of creatine and creatine related compounds (GAA and betaine) elevation and examines the pharmacological approaches that are currently available. Since data from the available studies, regarding cardioprotection are inconsistent, this review might help clarifying the benefits of creatine, GAA and betaine supplementation on cardiovascular system.

Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2cost of walking and running: a placebo-controlled study

Dietary supplementation with beetroot juice (BR) has been shown to reduce resting blood pressure and the O2cost of submaximal exercise and to increase tolerance to high-intensity cycling. We tested the hypothesis that the physiological effects of BR were consequent to its high NO3−content per se, and not the presence of other potentially bioactive compounds. We investigated changes in blood pressure, mitochondrial oxidative capacity (Qmax), and physiological responses to walking and moderate- and severe-intensity running following dietary supplementation with BR and NO3−-depleted BR [placebo (PL)]. After control (nonsupplemented) tests, nine healthy, physically active male subjects were assigned in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design to receive BR (0.5 l/day, containing ∼6.2 mmol of NO3−) and PL (0.5 l/day, containing ∼0.003 mmol of NO3−) for 6 days. Subjects completed treadmill exercise tests on days 4 and 5 and knee-extension exercise tests for estimation of Qmax(using31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy) on day 6 of the supplementation periods. Relative to PL, BR elevated plasma NO2−concentration (183 ± 119 vs. 373 ± 211 nM, P < 0.05) and reduced systolic blood pressure (129 ± 9 vs. 124 ± 10 mmHg, P < 0.01). Qmaxwas not different between PL and BR (0.93 ± 0.05 and 1.05 ± 0.22 mM/s, respectively). The O2cost of walking (0.87 ± 0.12 and 0.70 ± 0.10 l/min in PL and BR, respectively, P < 0.01), moderate-intensity running (2.26 ± 0.27 and 2.10 ± 0.28 l/min in PL and BR, respectively, P < 0.01), and severe-intensity running (end-exercise O2uptake = 3.77 ± 0.57 and 3.50 ± 0.62 l/min in PL and BL, respectively, P < 0.01) was reduced by BR, and time to exhaustion during severe-intensity running was increased by 15% (7.6 ± 1.5 and 8.7 ± 1.8 min in PL and BR, respectively, P < 0.01). In contrast, relative to control, PL supplementation did not alter plasma NO2−concentration, blood pressure, or the physiological responses to exercise. These results indicate that the positive effects of 6 days of BR supplementation on the physiological responses to exercise can be ascribed to the high NO3−content per se.

The betaine content of sweat from adolescent females

Background

This study was developed to establish whether betaine was present in the sweat of females and to determine any correlations with other sweat components.

Methods

Sweat patches were placed on eight trained adolescent Highland dancers (age = 13.6 ± 2.3 yr), who then participated in a dance class for 2 hours. Patches were removed, and the sweat recovered via centrifugation. The sweat was subsequently analyzed for betaine, choline, sodium, potassium, chloride, lactate, glucose, urea and ammonia.

Results

Betaine was present in the sweat of all subjects (232 ± 84 μmol·L^-1), which is higher than typically found in plasma. The concentration of several sweat components were correlated, in particular betaine with most other measured components.

Conclusion

Betaine, an osmoprotectant and methyl donor, is a component of sweat that may be lost from the body in significant amounts.

Effect of betaine supplementation on power performance and fatigue

Background

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of 15 days of betaine supplementation on muscle endurance, power performance and rate of fatigue in active college-aged men.

Methods

Twenty-four male subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group (BET; 20.4 ± 1.3 years; height: 176.8 ± 6.6 cm; body mass: 77.8 ± 13.4 kg) consumed the supplement daily, and the second group (PL; 21.4 ± 4.7 years; height: 181.3 ± 5.9 cm; body mass: 83.3 ± 5.2 kg) consumed a placebo. Subjects were tested prior to the onset of supplementation (T1) and 7 (T2) and 14 days (T3) following supplementation. Each testing period occurred over a 2-day period. During day one of testing subjects performed a vertical jump power (VJP) and a bench press throw (BPT) power test. In addition, subjects were required to perform as many repetitions as possible with 75% of their 1-RM in both the squat and bench press exercises. Both peak and mean power was assessed on each repetition. On day two of testing subjects performed two 30-sec Wingate anaerobic power tests (WAnT), each test separated by a 5-min active rest.

Results

No differences were seen at T2 or T3 in the repetitions performed to exhaustion or in the number of repetitions performed at 90% of both peak and mean power between the groups in the bench press exercise. The number of repetitions performed in the squat exercise for BET was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than that seen for PL at T2. The number of repetitions performed at 90% or greater of peak power in the squat exercise was significantly greater for BET at both T2 and T3 than PL. No differences in any power assessment (VJP, BPT, WAnT) was seen between the groups

Conclusion

Two-weeks of betaine supplementation in active, college males appeared to improve muscle endurance of the squat exercise, and increase the quality of repetitions performed.