|
Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
|
|
||||||||
24.03.2023 |
|
|
Betaine increases testosterone, lowers cortisol after strength training
Supplementation with a few grams of betaine per day changes the hormone balance of strength athletes. You would expect that such a hormonal shift would speed up the build-up of muscle mass.
Study
On the last day of the supplementation period, the researchers got the athletes to do bench presses and leg presses.
The researchers measured the amount of testosterone and cortisol circulating in the subjects' blood just before the supplementation period began. They repeated this measurement on the last day of the supplementation period, once just before the subjects started training and once afterwards.
On another occasion, the researchers repeated the procedure. Then the athletes took a placebo.
Results
Mechanism
The hypothalamus is a gland in the brain that produces control hormones such as GnRH and GHRH. GnRH may stimulate the release of testosterone via the pituitary gland and indirectly inhibit cortisol, the researchers speculate based on this Chinese study.
In the animal study just mentioned, supplementation increased growth hormone release and the pigs retained more protein. The Chinese did not look at effects on testosterone and cortisol.
Source: More: Archives:
|
|
||||||||||||||||
