Abstract
Glycerol is prohibited as an ergogenic aid by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) due to the potential for its plasma expansion properties to have masking effects. However, the scientific basis of the inclusion of Gly as a “masking agent” remains inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a hyperhydrating supplement containing Gly on doping-relevant blood parameters. Nine trained males ingested a hyperhydrating mixture twice per day for 7 days containing 1.0 g·kg−1 body mass (BM) of Gly, 10.0 g of creatine and 75.0 g of glucose. Blood samples were collected and total hemoglobin (Hb) mass determined using the optimized carbon monoxide (CO) rebreathing method pre- and post-supplementation. BM and total body water (TBW) increased significantly following supplementation by 1.1 ± 1.2 and 1.0 ± 1.2 L (BM, P < 0.01; TBW, P <0.01), respectively. This hyperhydration did not significantly alter plasma volume or any of the doping-relevant blood parameters (e.g., hematocrit, Hb, reticulocytes and total Hb-mass) even when Gly was clearly detectable in urine samples. In conclusion, this study shows that supplementation with hyperhydrating solution containing Gly for 7 days does not significantly alter doping-relevant blood parameters.
Highlights
Hyperhydration or increasing total body water (TBW) above normal is considered a prudent performance-enhancing strategy prior to strenuous exercise in the heat [1,2,3] as it leads to reduced measures of thermal strain such as attenuated core temperature (Tcore), heart rate (HR) and perception of effort during exercise in the heat [4,5]
The main aim of the current study was to determine whether supplementation with a hyperhydrating solution containing Gly, Cr and Glu for 7 days leads to significant differences in plasma volume (PV) and markers of blood manipulation such as hemoglobin concentration (Hb), Hct, tHb-mass, Ret%, OFF-hr score and Hbmr, currently used to identify doping
The current study found that 7-day supplementation or supplementation over 8 h with a hyperhydrating solution containing Gly did not induce differences in Hct (%) or Hb and this is in agreement with previous findings [4,5]
Summary
Hyperhydration or increasing total body water (TBW) above normal is considered a prudent performance-enhancing strategy prior to strenuous exercise in the heat [1,2,3] as it leads to reduced measures of thermal strain such as attenuated core temperature (Tcore), heart rate (HR) and perception of effort during exercise in the heat [4,5]. Recent advances in detection of doping include the development of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) of doping which involves monitoring of biomarkers such as hemoglobin concentration (Hb), reticulocytes (Ret%), and analysis of these markers with the use of statistical models [9]. With this information, athletes can either be sanctioned directly based on their profile or targeted with conventional doping tests [10]. A Gly excretion study, administrating the hyperhydrating solution containing Gly, Cr and Glu over the period of one day, was conducted to relate hematological changes following supplementation with the hyperhydrating solution containing
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