College of Education

PED 119 SPORTS & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY

Reporters:
Acuyado, Chris Ann Mae
Barrios, Caroline Ann
Ofalla, Geodilene
Course Facilitator:
Prof. Eduardo Diosalan Jr.

TOPIC 4: Nutritional & Pharmacologic Aids to Performance

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
 Define Ergogenic Aids
 Explain each categories of ergogenic aids.
 Discuss the ergogenic aids belong to nutritional and pharmacologic aids.
 Provide examples of person who uses ergogenic aids

INTRODUCTION:
The sports world is filled with special foods, potions, pills and powders that promise to
provide the athlete with a performance edge. Advertisements and testimonials for these products
claim prolonged endurance, faster recovery, increases in muscle mass and strength, losses of body
fat, and resistance to fatigue, illness or infection. Such promises are attractive to athletes and
coaches, especially in elite competition where very small differences separate the fame and fortune
of winning from the anonymity of the rest of the field.
WHAT IS ERGOGENIC AIDS?
Ergogenic is derived from the Greek word "ergon" means work and "genman" meaning to
generate or produce.
The term ergogenic means increasing work or the potential to do work.
ERGOGENIC AIDS are substances and procedures believed to improve exercise capacity,
physiologic function, and athletic performance

5 CATEGORIES OF ERGOGENIC AIDS

1. NUTRITIONAL AIDS- a dietary supplement, food product, or dietary manipulation that
enhances, or is thought to enhance, athletic performance or work capacity. The second broad
category of sports supplements might be termed nutritional ergogenic aids, described by the
following characteristics (Burke & Read 1993):
• contain nutrients or other food components in amounts greater than nutrient RDI levels, or the
amounts typically provided by food;
• propose a direct ergogenic (work-enhancing) effect on sports performance, often through a
pharmacological rather than a physiological effect;
• often rely on theoretical or anecdotal support rather than on documented support from scientific
trials; and

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• are generally not supported by sports nutrition experts, except where scientific trials have
documented a significant ergogenic effect.
EXAMPLE:
• Creatine • Nitrate
• Caffeine • Bicarbonate
• Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB) • Protein Supplements

2. PHARMACOLOGICAL AIDS - substance or compound that can be classified as a drug or

hormonal agent that is used to improve performance such as work output, endurance, or muscular
strength.
EXAMPLE:
• Anabolic Steroids
• Erythropoietia (EPO)
• Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

3. MECHANICAL AIDS- device, such as a piece of equipment or external product that can be used
to improve athletic performance.
EXAMPLES: Lighter running shoes, weight belts or suits, and corked bats in baseball.

4. PHYSIOLOGICAL AIDS- a substance or practice that intends to enhances functioning of the body's
systems, such as cardiovascular output or muscular output, and thus improves athletic performance.
EXAMPLES: Bicarbonate loading, blood doping, oxygen, plyometric training, etc.

5. PSYCHOLOGICAL AIDS- a practice or treatment that enhances physical performance by changing

the athlete's mental state.
EXAMPLES: Imagery and visualization, relaxation techniques.

EXAMPLES OF NUTRITIONAL AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

1. CREATINE- naturally produce and stored in the muscle cell as phospho- creatine (PC). Can be
synthetically administered as creatine monohydrate.
• LEGAL

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Increased PC stores leads to increased energy for ATP-PC system.
Increased maximum and explosive strength.
Reduced fatigue in high intensity activity/ Increased recovery.

RISKS
Increased weight gain
Water retention
Gastro- intestinal problems

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2. CAFFEINE- a stimulant that heightens the central nervous system. Caffeine is the best known member
of the methyl xanthines: a family of naturally occurring stimulants found in the leaves, nuts and seeds of a
number of plants. Major dietary sources of caffeine, such as tea, coffee, chocolate and cola drinks, typically
provide 30–100 mg of caffeine per serve, while some non-prescriptive medications contain 100–200 mg of
caffeine per tablet. The physiological actions of caffeine are well documented and include stimulation of the
central nervous system, cardiac muscle, diuresis, and epinephrine release and activity.
• LEGAL

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Stimulates fat metabolism
Allows glycogen sparing Increased focus and attention
RISKS
Dehydration Gastro-intestinal problems Anxiety/ Insomnia
3. BICARBONATE- an alkaline taken one hour before an event- soda loading.
• LEGAL

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Increased buffering capacity
Increased tolerance to lactic acid
Increased intensity and duration of performance

RISKS
Nausea
Gastro-intestinal problems

4. NITRATES- consumed by eating root vegetables such as beetroot and taking root vegetables.
• LEGAL

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Vasolidation of blood vessels allowing for increased oxygen transport to the working muscles.
Reduced fatigue
Increased intensity and duration of performance
Decreased blood pressure

RISKS
◦ Dizziness/ headaches ◦ Possible carcinogenic risk

5. PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS
- Athletes do require extra protein, but it can come from whole foods.
- Branched chain amino acids may also reduce moderate muscle damage.
- But again, can be consumed by whole foods.
• LEGAL

6. HYDROXYMETHYLBUTYRATE (HMB)
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- Compound produced by the breakdown of essential amino acid leucine
- Decrease protein breakdown while increasing protein synthesis
- May improve muscle recovery by decreasing muscular damage.

EXAMPLES OF PHARMACOLOGIC AIDS TO PERFORMANCE

1. ANABOLIC STEROIDS- synthetic hormones resembling testosterone to promote protein synthesis
and growth.
• ILLEGAL
PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Increased muscle mass and strength
Increased speed recovery
Increased intensity and duration of training

RISKS
Irritability, aggression and mood swings
Liver damage and potential heart failure
Acne and hormonal disturbances

2. ERYTHROPOIETIN (EPO)- naturally produced hormones responsible for the production of red
blood cells.
• ILLEGAL

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Increased RBC’s and hemoglobin
Increased aerobic capacity
Increased intensity and duration of performance before fatigue.

RISKS
Increased blood viscosity
Increased cardiac output
Increased risk of blood clots and heart failure
Decreased natural production of EPO

3. HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE-synthetic product copying naturally produced growth hormones

• ILLEGAL

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
Increased muscle mass and strength
Faster recovery
Increased fat metabolism, decrease fat mass
Increased blood glucose level
Increased sped of recovery
Increased intensity and duration of training

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RISKS
Abnormal bone and muscle development
Enlarged vital organs, potentially leading to organ failure
Developing diabetes

WHO USES ERGOGENIC AIDS?

Athletes
Power Sports: sprinters, football, wrestling, hockey and team sports athletes
Endurance Sports: swimming, cycling and skiing
Body builders
Weight lifters

Accredited: Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP)
Member: Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC)
Agricultural Colleges Association of the Philippines (ACAP)