Fair Haven, NJ (PRWEB) June 17, 2013
A new study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine showed that caffeinated energy shots differ in their ability to provide energy. Caffeinated energy shots represent one of the fastest growing consumer categories, with 2012 sales estimated at over $1.2 billion. In the first controlled double-blind study conducted on this popular product category, researchers from Montana State University compared a caffeine-based supplement (5-hour Energy®), a supplement containing caffeine, carbohydrate and protein (Body Glove SURGE®), and flavored water, to determine their effect on muscle fatigue and mental alertness.
The study showed the caffeine, carbohydrate, protein supplement was significantly more effective in extending endurance and speeding reaction time than the caffeine supplement. The investigators found that the caffeine supplement was no more effective than flavored water.
The study, designed to mimic exercise and performance in a ‘real life’ situation, was conducted with cyclists using a double-blind crossover design. During three, two-hour exercise bouts, the subjects blindly ingested the caffeine supplement, the caffeine, carbohydrate, protein supplement or flavored water. Response time, power output (endurance) and ratings of perceived exertion were measured.
“Our study showed that ingestion of a caffeine, carbohydrate, protein supplement during exercise can synergistically impact central and muscle fatigue,” said Dr. John Seifert, Associate Professor in Health and Human Performance at Montana State University, and the primary investigator. “The caffeine, carbohydrate, protein supplement, compared to the caffeine supplement, improved muscular endurance by 6.5%, while simultaneously decreasing central or brain fatigue by 5.7%, measured by faster reaction times.”
“Surprisingly, we saw no performance differences between the caffeine supplement and the flavored water placebo. This may be due to the fact that the caffeine supplement also contained taurine, an amino acid whose primary action is to increase the absorption of fat. Studies have shown that inclusion of taurine in a caffeinated drink may minimize the effects of caffeine.”
“These results show that a caffeine, carbohydrate, and protein combination, such as Body Glove SURGE is extremely effective at reducing both muscle and brain fatigue and this combination would be useful for both athletes and non-athletes alike,” added Dr. Seifert.
More information on the study can be found on the attached PDF (Vol. 45 No. 5 Supplement S204(2013) from the Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine) and online at http://acsmannualmeeting.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Thursday-Abstracts.pdf
Abstracts #1106 and #1107
Montana State University’s Movement Science /Human Performance Lab (MSL) is a teaching and research lab within Montana State University’s department of Health & Human Development. The lab specializes in the study of applied physiological and biomechanical studies of the Human body during all types of work and exercise performance.