A 1% change in average speed is enough to affect medal rankings in intense Olympic endurance events lasting ~45 s to 8 min which for example includes 100 m swimming and 400 m running (~1 min), 1,500 m running and 4000 m track cycling (~4 min) and 2,000 m rowing (~6-8 min). To maximize the likelihood of winning, athletes utilizes legal supplements with or without scientifically documented beneficial effects on performance. Therefore, a continued systematic evidence based evaluation of the possible ergogenic effects is of high importance. A meta-analysis was conducted with a strict focus on closed-end performance tests in humans in the time domain from 45 s to 8 min. These test include time-trials or total work done in a given time. This selection criterion results in a high relevance for athletic performance. Only peer-reviewed placebo controlled studies were included. The often applied and potentially ergogenic supplements beta-alanine, bicarbonate, caffeine and nitrate were selected for analysis. Following a systematic search in Pubmed and SportsDiscuss combined with evaluation of cross references a total of 7 (beta-alanine), 25 (bicarbonate), 9 (caffeine), and 5 (nitrate) studies was included in the meta-analysis. For each study, performance was converted to an average speed (km/h) from which an effect size (ES; Cohens d with 95% confidence intervals) was calculated. A small effect and significant performance improvement relative to placebo was observed for caffeine (ES: 0.41 [0.15–0.68], P = 0.002) and bicarbonate (ES: 0.40 [0.27–0.54], P < 0.001). Trivial and non-significant effects on performance was observed for nitrate (ES: 0.19 [−0.03–0.40], P = 0.09) and beta-alanine (ES: 0.17 [−0.12–0.46], P = 0.24). Thus, caffeine's and bicarbonate's ergogenic effect is clearly documented for intense endurance performance. Importantly, for all supplements an individualized approach may improve the ergogenic effect on performance.

Purpose To examine the degree of neuromuscular fatigue development along with changes in muscle metabolism during two work-matched high-intensity intermittent exercise protocols in trained individuals. Methods In a randomized, counter-balanced, crossover design, 11 endurance-trained men performed high-intensity intermittent cycle exercise protocols matched for total work and including either multiple short-duration (18 × 5 s; SS) or long-duration (6 × 20 s; LS) sprints. Neuromuscular fatigue was determined by preexercise to postexercise changes in maximal voluntary contraction force, voluntary activation level and contractile properties of the quadriceps muscle. Metabolites and pH were measured in vastus lateralis muscle biopsies taken before and after the first and last sprint of each exercise protocol. Results Peak power output (11% ± 2% vs 16% ± 8%, P < 0.01), maximal voluntary contraction (10% ± 5% vs 25% ± 6%, P < 0.05), and peak twitch force (34% ± 5% vs 67% ± 5%, P < 0.01) declined to a lesser extent in SS than LS, whereas voluntary activation level decreased similarly in SS and LS (10% ± 2% vs 11% ± 4%). Muscle [phosphocreatine] before the last sprint was 1.5-fold lower in SS than LS (P < 0.001). Preexercise to postexercise intramuscular accumulation of lactate and H+ was twofold and threefold lower, respectively, in SS than LS (P < 0.001), whereas muscle glycogen depletion was similar in SS and LS. Rate of muscle glycolysis was similar in SS and LS during the first sprint, but twofold higher in SS than LS during the last sprint (P < 0.05). Conclusions These findings indicate that, in endurance-trained individuals, multiple long-sprints induce larger impairments in performance along with greater degrees of peripheral fatigue compared to work-matched multiple short-sprints, with these differences being possibly attributed to more extensive intramuscular accumulation of lactate/H+ and to lower rates of glycolysis during multiple long-sprint exercise.

Objectives. To examine the influence of hydrostatic pressure on fractional flow reserve (FFR) in vivo.Background. Systematic differences in FFR values have been observed previously in the left anterior descending artery (LAD), left circumflex artery (LCX), and right coronary artery (RCA). It has been suggested that as the hydrostatic pressure variations caused by the height differences between the catheter tip (mean aortic pressure (Pa)) and pressure-wire sensor (mean distal intracoronary pressure (Pd)) are small, intracoronary pressure need not be corrected.Methods. Resting Pd/Pa and FFR values in 23 patients (27 lesions) were measured and compared in supine and prone positions. These values were corrected by hydrostatic pressure influenced by height levels and compared. Height differences between Pa and Pd were calculated using coronary computed tomography angiographies.Results. In LAD, resting Pd/Pa and FFR values were significantly higher in the prone position than in the supine position (0.97 ± 0.05 vs 0.89 ± 0.04,P<0.001(resting Pd/Pa); 0.81 ± 0.09 vs 0.72 ± 0.07,P<0.001(FFR)). Conversely, in LCX and RCA, these values were significantly lower in the prone position (LCX: 0.93 ± 0.03 vs 0.98 ± 0.03,P<0.001(resting Pd/Pa); 0.84 ± 0.05 vs 0.89 ± 0.04,P<0.001(FFR); RCA: 0.91 ± 0.04 vs 0.98 ± 0.03,P=0.005(resting Pd/Pa); 0.78 ± 0.07 vs 0.84 ± 0.07,P=0.019(FFR)). FFR values corrected by hydrostatic pressure showed good correlations in the supine and prone positions (R2 = 0.948 in LAD;R2 = 0.942 in LCX;R2 = 0.928 in RCA).Conclusions. Hydrostatic pressure variations due to height levels influence intracoronary pressure measurements and largely affect resting Pd/Pa and FFR, which might have caused systematic differences in FFR values between the anterior and posterior coronary territories.

Running economy (RE), which is evaluated at an exercise intensity below the lactate threshold (LT), is recognized as the most important physiological variable for estimating running performance. However, middle-and long-distance athletes run above LT intensity during their competitive events. This study elucidates the relation between 1,500-m running performance and physiological variables, including RE measured at intensities below and above the LT. The study included 34 male distance runners (1,500-m velocity: 22.2 ± 0.8 km·h −1 , equivalent to race times of 4′03″2 ± 8″5). RE was calculated at four running velocities selected to provide intensities of 90%LT and 95%LT below LT (REbLT) and 105%LT and 110%LT above LT (REaLT). RE was determined from aerobic energy metabolism, calculated from oxygen uptake and the respiratory exchange ratio, combined with anaerobic energy metabolism, calculated from the change in blood lactate concentration. Results show that the 1,500-m velocity was not related to maximal oxygen uptake (V ・ O 2 max) or LT intensity (r = 0.19 and 0.10, respectively). This velocity correlated with both REaLT and REbLT, with the correlation coefficient being higher for REaLT (r = −0.65 and −0.71 vs −0.56 and −0.58). Furthermore, the coefficient of determination for 1,500-m velocity determined from V ・ O 2 max, LT intensity and REaLT was higher than that determined from V ・ O 2 max, LT intensity and REbLT (R 2 = 0.603 and 0.640 vs 0.415 and 0.543). These results suggest that RE measured at an intensity above LT intensity may be better than other physiological variables for estimating 1,500-m running performance.