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Ergogenic Aids to Improve Physical Performance in Female Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Nutrients
January 1, 1970
Olga López-Torres et al. (4 authors)
Meta-AnalysisSystematic ReviewJournal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to summarize the effects of ergogenic aids, including beetroot juice, on sports performance in female athletes.

Results Summary

The study found no conclusive effects of beetroot juice in improving aerobic performance in female athletes. More research is needed to determine its efficacy.

Population

Female athletes

Effective Dosage

Not available

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (13)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
caffeine
increase
jumping performance
female athletes
-
helped to improve
#1
caffeine
increase
isometric strength values
female athletes
-
helped to improve
#2
caffeine
increase
number of repetitions until failure
female athletes
-
helped to improve
#3
caffeine
increase
sprint performance
female athletes
-
helped to improve
#4
sodium phosphate
increase
sprint performance
female athletes
-
helped to improve
#5
taurine
increase
aerobic tests
female athletes
-
could be improved
#6
caffeine
increase
aerobic tests
female athletes
-
could be improved
#7
beta-alanine
increase
aerobic tests
female athletes
-
could be improved
#8
beetroot juice
no change
aerobic performance
female athletes
-
No conclusive effects
#9
polyphenols
no change
aerobic performance
female athletes
-
No conclusive effects
#10
creatine
no change
aerobic performance
female athletes
-
No conclusive effects
#11
caffeine
increase
repeated sprint ability
female athletes
-
could help to improve
#12
sodium phosphate
increase
repeated sprint ability
female athletes
-
could help to improve
#13
Abstract

Most intervention studies investigating the effects of ergogenic aids (EAs) on sports performance have been carried out in the male population. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the effects in the existing literature of EAs used by female athletes on performance. A literature research was conducted, and a descriptive analysis of the articles included in the systematic review was carried out. Meta-analyses could be performed on 32 of the included articles, evaluating performance in strength, sprint, and cardiovascular capacity. A random-effects model and the standardized mean differences (SMD) ± 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. The results showed that caffeine helped to improve jumping performance, isometric strength values, and the number of repetitions until failure. Caffeine and sodium phosphate helped to improve sprint performance. Aerobic tests could be improved with the use of taurine, caffeine, and beta-alanine. No conclusive effects of beetroot juice, polyphenols, or creatine in improving aerobic performance were shown. In terms of anaerobic variables, both caffeine and sodium phosphate could help to improve repeated sprint ability. More studies are needed in female athletes that measure the effects of different EAs on sports performance, such as beetroot juice, beta-alanine or sodium phosphate, as the studies to date are scarce and there are many types of EA that need to be further considered in this population, such as creatine and taurine.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansMaleFemaleCaffeineCreatineAthletic PerformanceAthletesAntioxidantsPerformance-Enhancing Substancesbeta-AlaninePhysical Functional PerformanceDietary Supplements
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy30/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations12
Citations/Year4.0
Relative Citation Ratio2.13
NIH Percentile76.4%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score1.61
Normalized Score0.47
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