Tier 2 — strong

Acute L-arginine alpha ketoglutarate supplementation fails to improve muscular performance in resistance trained and untrained men

Wax B, Kavazis AN, Webb HE, Brown SP
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012 9(1):17

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 22510253
PubMed Central
PMC3428651
DOI
10.1186/1550-2783-9-17
Funding
Funding and material details are reported in the open-access article.
Competing interests
The study concerns AAKG and should not be used as direct evidence for Ca-AKG.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial.
ModelResistance-trained and untrained healthy men.
Sample16 men: 8 resistance-trained and 8 untrained.
InterventionSingle 3 g dose of AAKG 45 minutes before resistance testing versus placebo.
DurationAcute crossover with one-week separation.
EndpointsBench-press 1RM; Leg-press 1RM; Repetitions to failure; Total load volume; Heart rate

What the study showed, in plain terms

This negative AAKG trial balances the positive chronic AAKG performance study already represented in the related-form evidence.

A single 3 g dose of AAKG did not improve bench-press or leg-press strength or endurance in either trained or untrained men.

It reinforces that AAKG evidence is mixed and, regardless, cannot be transferred directly to Ca-AKG.

Key findings

  • Acute 3 g AAKG did not improve upper- or lower-body 1RM.
  • AAKG did not improve repetitions to failure or total load volume.
  • Training status did not change the null supplementation result.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Acute single-dose study.
  • AAKG is not Ca-AKG.
  • Small male-only sample.

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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