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The Physiological and Performance Effects of Actovegin during Maximal Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing: A Randomized,
Dragana Milovanović1, Dragan Radovanović2, Vladimir Živković3,4
1Military Medical Academy, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Background:
Evidence regarding the performance-related effects of Actovegin is limited, despite legislated restrictions being in place for this supplement within sport settings.
Objectives:
Our study examined the effects of Actovegin on physiological responses and performance during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise in collegiate athletes.
Methods:
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental design was adopted. Moderately trained collegiate athletes from various sports were randomly allocated to placebo (n = 8) or Actovegin (n = 8) groups. All athletes consumed three capsules across each day for seven days of loading. Athletes underwent two separate cardiopulmonary exercise tests one week apart. Separate 2 × 2 mixed ANOVAs and effect sizes (ηp2) were used to assess for between- and within-group differences.
Results:
A significant time * group effect (p = 0.036, ηp2 = 0.278) was observed in systolic blood pressure. Significant main effects were only observed for time in several variables, with increases in peak oxygen uptake (VO2) (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.893), peak minute ventilation (p = 0.004, ηp2 = 0.456), ventilatory equivalents for carbon dioxide (p = 0.002, ηp2 = 0.517), oxygen pulse (p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.434), VO2 at first ventilatory threshold (p = 0.002, ηp2 = 0.520), velocity at second ventilatory threshold (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.997), VO2 at second ventilatory threshold (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.628), and peak velocity (p = 0.010, ηp2 = 0.386), and a decrease in respiratory exchange ratio (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.695).
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that although physiological and performance alterations were evident with Actovegin supplementation during cardiopulmonary exercise, no further benefits beyond those obtained with a placebo were attained.
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