Tier 2 — strong

Effect of N-acetylcysteine on cycling performance after intensified training

Katie May Slattery, Ben Dascombe, Lee Kenneth Wallace, David J Bentley, Aaron James Coutts
Med Sci Sports Exerc 2014 46(6):1114-1123

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 24576857
DOI
10.1249/MSS.0000000000000222
Funding
Funding disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full funding statement.
Competing interests
Competing-interest disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full declaration.

Study snapshot

DesignDouble-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial
ModelHuman
Sample10 well-trained triathletes enrolled; 8 completed both conditions
InterventionOral NAC 1,200 mg/day during 9 days of intensified training
Duration9 days per condition
EndpointsCycling sprint performance; Oxidative stress; Inflammatory markers

What the study showed, in plain terms

Performance trial in well-trained triathletes testing short-term oral NAC during intensified training.

Key findings

NAC improved sprint-performance measures after intensified training and favorably changed selected oxidative and inflammatory markers.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Very small crossover sample; short-term intensified-training model and limited generalizability to chronic daily use.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology