Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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24.11.2008 |
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More fat burnt in a cardio session with salbutamol
A dose of salbutamol – the active ingredient in medicines for asthma such as Ventolin – doesn't increase the total amount of energy you use during a cardio training session by much, but it does change where you get the energy from. According to a study by sports scientists at the Université d'Orléans, athletes burn more fat if they cycle with a salbutamol capsule in their system.
Study
Results
The number of joules that the cyclists burned rose slightly as a result of the salbutamol, but not by a significant amount. However, when the researchers examined whether the cyclists derived their energy from fat or carbohydrates, they noticed that salbutamol promoted fat burning and reduced carbohydrate burning.
The researchers also measured the levels of insulin, growth hormone and ACTH (the messenger hormone that instructs the adrenal to make the stress hormone cortisol) in the subjects' blood. Salbutamol reduced the production of ACTH. The salbutamol also resulted in a small, not statistically significant rise in the growth hormone level.
Conclusion
Well - we dare to disagree. Substances and methods that stimulate the burning of fat and save carbohydrates are always of interest to endurance athletes, even if the total amount of energy burned does not increase. And perhaps even more so when it comes to the reducing effect on ACTH of salbutamol.
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