Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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16.12.2013 |
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Paracetamol improves sprint series performance
What's the chance of paracetamol ending up on the list of doping substances? It could happen, you're likely to think after reading the study that sports scientists at the University of Bedfordshire, England are about to publish in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. The Brits discovered that paracetamol probably improves team players' explosiveness and speed, and may help endurance athletes to speed up their final sprint.
Study
Results
Without paracetamol the subjects produced an average of 372 Watt per sprint. With paracetamol the figure was 391 Watt – almost 5 percent more.
The figure above explains how athletes can generate more power during their sprints after taking paracetamol. During the last sprint in the series the subjects' heartbeat rose, indicating that their exertion was greater.
Conclusion
The researchers are not sure how paracetamol inhibits pain stimuli during exertion. One possibility is that paracetamol enhances the effect of serotonin in the brain, they theorise. They think that once this mechanism is understood, scientists will learn how athletes can enhance their performance.
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