Ergogenic aids and sport

Substances of phenomena( e.g. hypnosis) that improve an athlete’s performance are reffered to as ergogenic aids. The variety of potential ergogenic aids is immense, and the effects of many ergogenic(work producing) substances are shrouded in myth. Most athletes have received tips about ergogenic aids from a friend or coach and assume that the information is accurate, but this is not always the case. Some athletes experiment with substances, hoping for even a slight performance improvement regardless of possible harmful consequences. In the quest of performance perfection, a concern only with maximizing performance coupled with a lack of knowledge about ergogenic substances can lead an athlete to make unwise decisions.

The list of possible ergogenic aids is long, but the number that actually possess ergogenic properties is much shorter. In fact, some allegedly ergogenic substances or phenomena actually can impair performance. These are usually drugs, and Eichner has termed them ergolytic(work decreasing) drugs. Ironically and sometimes tragically, several ergolytic agents have been promoted as ergogenic aids.

Many athletes indiscriminately take nutritional supplements and ingest drugs and other substances in the belief that they will improve their performance. In one study of 53 Division I university coaches and trainers, 94% provided their athletes with nutritional supplements. This might seem totally harmless; but high percentage of nutritional supplements are contaminated, and some have been found to contained banned substances. Anecdotal stories suggest that anywhere from 20% to 90% of athletes in certain sports are using, or have used, anabolic steroids. Scientific studies, however, suggest a much lower estimate of 6%. Anabolic steroid use has even been reported in the general high school population in the United States, varying from 4% to 11% in boys and up to 3% in girls.

Table below provides a selected listing of substances and agents proposed to have ergogenic properties. This table also lists mechanisms of action by which these ergogenic aids have been proposed to work. These have been studied in sufficient depth to establish their efficacy. Many other substances have been proposed but not adequately researched.

Proposed ergogenic aids and mechanisms through which they might work
Age nt	Influ- ence heart, blood, circula- tion and aerobic endu- rance	Incre- ase oxy- gen deli- very	Supply the fuel for muscle and general muscle function	Act on muscle mass and strength	Result in weight loss or weight gain	Counteract or delay onset or sensa- tion fatique	Counteract central ner- vous system inhibition	Aid in relaxa- tion and stress redu- ction
Pharmacological
1	+					+	+
2	+							+
3	+		+			+
4	+				+
Hormones
5				+	+
6				+	+
Physiological
7						+
8	+	+				+
9	+	+				+
10	+	+				+
11	+	+				+
Nutritional
12	+		+	+	+	+
13			+	+	+	+
14			+			+

1 – amphetamines

2 – beta-blockers

3 – caffeine

4 – diuretics

5 – anabolic steroids

6 – human growth hormone

7 – bicarbonate loading

8 – blood doping

9 – erythropoetine

10 – oxygen

11 – phosphate loading

12 – amino acids

13 – creatine

14 – L-carnitine