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The effects of 14-week betaine supplementation on endocrine markers, body composition and anthropometrics in professional youth soccer players: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Hadi Nobari, Mehdi Kargarfard, Vazgen Minasian, Jason M Cholewa, Jorge Pérez-Gómez
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2021 18(1):20

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 33663545
PubMed Central
PMC7934563
DOI
10.1186/s12970-021-00417-5
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized controlled trial
ModelHuman participants
Sample29 professional youth soccer players
InterventionBetaine 2 g/day versus placebo during the competitive season
Duration14 weeks; later anthropometric follow-up
EndpointsHormones; Body composition; Growth

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2021, this source examined exercise performance and body composition. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Sample/model: 29 professional youth soccer players. The exposure or intervention was Betaine 2 g/day versus placebo during the competitive season. Follow-up or treatment period: 14 weeks; later anthropometric follow-up.

Testosterone and the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio showed treatment-by-time differences. Lean mass, body fat, growth hormone and IGF-1 did not show clear additional improvements.

Adolescent athletes in a small single cohort; companion inflammation and performance papers report the same trial, not new independent cohorts. Companion papers describe the same 29-player soccer cohort.

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Key findings

  • Testosterone and the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio showed treatment-by-time differences.
  • Lean mass, body fat, growth hormone and IGF-1 did not show clear additional improvements.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Hormones; Body composition; Growth.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Betaine 2 g/day versus placebo during the competitive season; 14 weeks; later anthropometric follow-up.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Adolescent athletes in a small single cohort; companion inflammation and performance papers report the same trial, not new independent cohorts. Companion papers describe the same 29-player soccer cohort.
  • 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.

Related papers in the corpus

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Effects of 14-weeks betaine supplementation on pro-inflammatory cytokines and hematology status in professional youth soccer players during a competition season: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Hadi Nobari et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2021
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Effects of chronic betaine supplementation on performance in professional young soccer players during a competitive season: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Hadi Nobari et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2021
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Effects of chronic betaine supplementation on exercise performance: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Emilia Zawieja et al. · Journal of sports sciences · 2024
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Effects of betaine supplementation on endurance exercise performance: a systematic review
Marie Stella Louise Perreras et al. · Physical activity and nutrition · 2025
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Betaine supplementation fails to improve body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Damoon Ashtary-Larky et al. · The British journal of nutrition · 2022
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Betaine Supplementation Improves 60 km Cycling Time Trial Performance and One-Carbon Metabolism in Cyclists During Recovery
David C Nieman et al. · Nutrients · 2025

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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