Improved Sprint Performance With Inhaled Long-Acting β2-Agonists Combined With Resistance Exercise

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the impact of twice-daily inhalation of 100 µg of salmeterol (SAL) or 12 µg of formoterol (FOR) in addition to a strength- and power-training program over a 5-wk period on a 30-m sprint, strength, power, mood, stress, and skinfold thickness. Methods: In a randomized, single-blind study, 23 male and 15 female nonasthmatic, recreationally active individuals were recruited (mean [SD] age 26.3 [5.4] y, weight 76.2 [11.5] kg, height 176.9 [8.5] cm). Participants completed 3 standardized whole-body strength- and power-training sessions per week for 5 wk during which they were assigned to an SAL, FOR, or placebo group. Participants used their inhaler twice per day as instructed and completed assessments of sprint, strength, and power at baseline and 1 wk after cessation of the training program. The assessments included a 30-m sprint, vertical jump, 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) bench press, 1RM leg press, peak torque flexion and extension, anthropometric evaluation, and Rest-Q questionnaires. Results: After 5 wk of strength and power training, 30-m sprint time reduced in the FOR (0.29 [0.11] s, P = .049) and SAL (0.35 [0.05] s, P = .040) groups compared with placebo (+0.01 [0.11] s). No significant change was found in other assessments of strength, mood, or skinfold thickness. Conclusions: When strength and power training are combined with the inhalation of FOR or SAL over a 5-wk period, moderately trained individuals experience an improvement in 30-m sprint performance.

Anabolic and lipolytic actions of beta2‐agonists in humans and antidoping challenges

“…The same is the case for salbutamol, which via the inhaled route has been shown to induce lipolysis at therapeutic doses and to increase resting metabolic rate . Lastly, daily inhalation of formoterol (12 μg twice daily) or salmeterol (100 μg twice daily) at therapeutic doses was recently shown to enhance sprint performance more than placebo during a 5‐week period of strength and power training, indicating that the dosing regimens applied were sufficient to induce muscular adaptations. Collectively, the pharmacologic and physiologic data available indicate that inhalation of beta 2 ‐agonist can exert anabolic and lipolytic actions and may be misused for leanness, at least at higher doses.…”

Annual banned‐substance review: Analytical approaches in human sports drug testing 2019/2020

“…A continuously growing body of evidence exists that the aerobic performance does not appear to be acutely affected by the use of β 2 ‐agonists such as terbutaline 126–128 . Conversely, β 2 ‐agonists such as salbutamol and salmeterol can enhance anaerobic performance concerning disciplines such as, for example, sprint 129–131 but not necessarily when used at dosages permitted according to WADA's regulations 132 . These regulations include maximum permitted doses for formoterol, salbutamol, and salmeterol, 10 with corresponding urinary thresholds existing for formoterol and salbutamol, 133 while salmeterol is reported as AAF when exceeding 50% of the MRPL (i.e., 10 ng/ml).…”

The salmeterol anomaly and the need for a urine threshold

“…Early work in athletes suggested that used acutely at therapeutic low doses (50 µg), salmeterol did not enhance running performance, cycling anaerobic power or muscle strength 15,16 . However, more recent work has demonstrated that daily inhaled treatment with salmeterol (100 µg twice daily) enhanced 30 m sprint performance during a period of 5 weeks in combination with a power and strength program 17 . To our best knowledge, no study has been performed in humans that had muscle hypertrophy as an outcome measure, but studies in rodents show that salmeterol possesses anabolic properties.…”