Branched-chain amino acids, arginine, citrulline improve exercise performance in 2 consecutive days

What is it about?

Fatigue during exercise comes from peripheral (mostly muscles) and central (the brains) systems. Most of the studies focus on the peripheral fatigue, while the central nervous system has rarely been investigated. The central fatigue, the feeling of tiredness, less motivated, loss of concentration, delayed reaction, mistakes in judgement, and so on, are as much important as the speed, power, and strength in winning the competitions. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, is considered to be one of the factors that lead to central fatigue. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) supplementation can reduce the synthesis of serotonin in the brain by competing with its precursor, tryptophan, for entering into the brain. However, BCAA supplementation also increases ammonia production during exercise. Ammonia can also enter the brain and lead to central fatigue, thus neglects the beneficial effect of BCAA. In this study, we combine BCAA with arginine and citrulline to remove excess ammonia by increasing nitric oxide that increases blood flow and waste removal, and by increasing urea cycle to convert ammonia into harmless urea. After the supplementation, the 20 m sprint time on the second day of 2 consecutive days of handball games is significantly improved by 1.34% in the first half and 1.68% in the second half, compared to day 1, whereas it was deteriorated by 0.5% in the placebo group in the second half on the second day. The supplementation helped make the handball players feel the same degree of tiredness while running faster, meaning the prevention of central fatigue. Although the improvements may not seem much, bear in mind that these are well-trained athletes who are dedicated to perform at their best. These small but significant improvements in repeated sprints may be the difference in winning or losing the game. The athletes who need to compete or train on consecutive days may be benefited by this combination of amino acids.

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Why is it important?

This is the first study to use the combine BCAA, arginine, and citrulline to improve exercise performance in 2 consecutive days. The 2 consecutive days of competitions is common for many athletes but seldom investigated. This study not only shows the ergogenic effect of this combination of amino acids, but also represent the broad application in athletes and exercise enthusiastics who compete or train in consecutive days.

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