Background In recent years, the consumption of multi-ingredient supplements in the pre-exercise time period in order to obtain ergogenic benefits has become increasingly popular. Ingesting pre-workout supplement(s) (PWS) is one approach used by athletes and recreational populations to aid performance and maximize training adaptations. Purported benefits include increases in strength, improved f...

Ergogenic aids have been used to alter joint kinematics in an attempt to minimise injury risk, yet the effectiveness of these aids may be compromised following a bout of exercise. This preliminary study aimed to measure the effect of compression garments and Kinesio Tape® on lower extremity joint alignment prior to and following an exercise bout. Eight male athletes (age = 24.1 ± 3.0 years, bod...

Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is involved in protein synthesis, the detoxification of ammonia, and its conversion to glucose as well as being catabolized to produce energy. In addition to these physiological functions, arginine has been purported to have ergogenic potential. Athletes have taken arginine for three main reasons: 1) its role in the secretion of endogenous g...

Certain international sports federations are requesting that glucocorticoids (GCs) be removed from the World Antidoping Agency's list of banned products. Their arguments are based on the fact that GCs are in widespread use in sports medicine and have no demonstrated ergogenic activity. This article shows that there is scientific evidence that GCs mediate ergogenic effects in animals and humans....

Despite the growing popularity of energy drinks, many do not realize the negative effects on the cardiovascular system. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of energy drink ingestion on estimated VO2max, heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP, respectively), rate pressure product (RPP), and RPE at rest and during exercise. Seven healthy adults (age: 24.3 ± 3.5 y...

Ginseng is one of the most popular herbal supplements in the world. Although it is used for the treatment and prevention of many ailments, it is also used to increase work efficiency and is purported to increase energy and physical stamina. Athletes use ginseng for its alleged performance-enhancing attributes. However, many studies examining the pharmacological effects of ginseng on physical pe...

Amphetamine (Amp) increases exercise duration. It is thought to do so by masking fatigue, but there have been very few studies looking at the effect of amphetamine on VO2MAX and running economy. Furthermore, it is unknown if amphetamine's effect on exercise duration occurs in a warm environment. We conducted separate experiments in male Sprague-Dawley rats testing the effect of amphetamine on m...