Tier 2 — strong

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, Jason M Cholewa, Jorge Pérez-Gómez, Alfonso Castillo-Rodríguez
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2021 18(1):42

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 34090451
PubMed Central
PMC8180114
DOI
10.1186/s12970-021-00441-5
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
Duration14 weeks
EndpointsCytokines; Complete blood count

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. Follow-up or treatment period: 14 weeks.

Selected inflammatory cytokine trajectories favored betaine during the season, with some blood-count differences.

The same cohort underlies the related endocrine and performance reports. Biomarker findings do not establish fewer infections or clinical immune benefit. Companion papers describe the same 29-player soccer cohort.

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Key findings

  • Selected inflammatory cytokine trajectories favored betaine during the season, with some blood-count differences.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Cytokines; Complete blood count.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Betaine 2 g/day versus placebo; 14 weeks.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • The same cohort underlies the related endocrine and performance reports. Biomarker findings do not establish fewer infections or clinical immune benefit. 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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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 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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Betaine supplementation fails to improve body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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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