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Short-term (-)-hydroxycitrate ingestion increases fat oxidation during exercise in athletes
Kiwon Lim1, Sungpil Ryu, Yasuyuki Ohishi
1Institute of Elderly Health, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea. kwlim21@hotmail.com
Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology
|August 13, 2002
Summary
Short-term (-)-Hydroxycitrate (HCA) supplementation boosts endurance exercise performance in athletes. This enhancement is linked to increased fat oxidation and reduced carbohydrate use, sparing glycogen during moderate-intensity workouts.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Sports Science
Background:
- (-)-Hydroxycitrate (HCA) inhibits malonyl CoA accumulation during endurance exercise.
- Previous studies indicate HCA enhances endurance performance in animal models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of short-term HCA administration on athletic endurance exercise performance.
- To determine HCA's impact on substrate utilization during exercise in human athletes.
Main Methods:
- Athletes received either 250 mg of HCA or a placebo daily for 5 days.
- Exercise protocol involved cycling at 60% VO2max for 60 minutes, followed by 80% VO2max until exhaustion.
- Metabolic parameters were assessed via blood collection and expired gas analysis.
Main Results:
- A significantly lower respiratory exchange ratio was observed in the HCA group.
- HCA administration led to significantly increased fat oxidation and decreased carbohydrate oxidation during exercise.
- Exercise time to exhaustion was significantly prolonged in the HCA trial compared to the placebo.
Conclusions:
- Short-term HCA supplementation enhances endurance performance in athletes.
- The ergogenic effect is attributed to increased fat utilization, sparing muscle glycogen during moderate-intensity exercise.