Tier 2 — strong

Effect of betaine supplementation on cycling sprint performance

J Luke Pryor, Stuart As Craig, Thomas Swensen
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012 9(1):12

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 22471891
PubMed Central
PMC3353850
DOI
10.1186/1550-2783-9-12
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: Competing interestsJLP and TS declare that they have no competing interests and will not benefit from the results of the present study. SASC is an employee of DuPont Nutrition & Health. Publication of these findings should not be viewed as endorsement by the investigators, Ithaca College, the University of Connecticut, or the editorial board of the Journal of the International Society of Sport Nutrition.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized crossover controlled trial
ModelHuman participants
Sample16 recreationally active adults; 7 women and 9 men
InterventionBetaine about 2.5 g/day in a sports beverage versus placebo
Duration7 days per treatment; 3-week washout
EndpointsCycling sprint power

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2012, this source examined exercise performance and body composition. Design: Randomized crossover controlled trial. Sample/model: 16 recreationally active adults; 7 women and 9 men. The exposure or intervention was Betaine about 2.5 g/day in a sports beverage versus placebo. Follow-up or treatment period: 7 days per treatment; 3-week washout.

Repeated cycling-sprint peak and mean power were approximately 3-4% higher than placebo.

Small short crossover experiment; task-specific power changes do not establish broad endurance or long-term training benefits.

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Key findings

  • Repeated cycling-sprint peak and mean power were approximately 3-4% higher than placebo.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Cycling sprint power.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Betaine about 2.5 g/day in a sports beverage versus placebo; 7 days per treatment; 3-week washout.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Small short crossover experiment; task-specific power changes do not establish broad endurance or long-term training benefits.
  • An individual controlled trial must be interpreted alongside its comparator, sample size, endpoint selection and independent replication. It does not validate a different commercial formulation or a general longevity claim.
  • Source basis: Accessible full-text extract plus indexed bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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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