Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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30.07.2015 |
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Human study: chia seed oil for endurance athletes
Some years ago we wrote that endurance athletes perform well on chia seed. This is not the case for chia seed oil, according to an article in Nutrients by the American sports scientist David Nieman. Nieman tested chia seed oil on long-distance runners but the results were disappointing. We, on the other hand, the ignorant and stubborn compilers of this free webzine, are not yet ready to give up on chia seed entirely.
Chia seed oil
The human body burns alpha-linolenic acid twice as fast as other fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid. [Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2006 Sep;75(3):161-8.] The enzyme carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1, which helps convert fatty acids into energy in the mitochondria, can deal more easily with alpha-linolenic acid than other unsaturated fatty acids.
Study
The athletes were given 7 kilocalories chia seed oil per kg bodyweight. Because the oil consisted of 55 percent alpha-linolenic acid, that meant that the subjects ingested an average of 31 g alpha-linolenic acid.
Results
Conclusion
But...
Nieman put his runners on the treadmill half an hour after they'd ingested the chia. It may have been the case that the runners had finished – or almost finished – running by the time the alpha-linolenic acid entered their bloodstream. Would Nieman have obtained the same results if he'd got his subjects to wait a couple of hours before starting to run?
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