Open AccessEffect of a therapeutic dose of pseudoephedrine on swimmers’ performance
Author(s) -
PJ-L Gradidge,
D Constantinou,
S-M Heard,
C King,
H Morris-Eyton
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
south african journal of sports medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2078-516X
pISSN - 1015-5163
DOI - 10.17159/2078-516x/2013/v25i2a374
Subject(s) - sprint , anaerobic exercise , medicine , placebo , pseudoephedrine , heart rate , ingestion , aerobic exercise , therapeutic effect , anesthesia , physical therapy , blood pressure , ephedrine , alternative medicine , pathology
Background. The potential performance-enhancement effect of pseudoephedrine (PSE) use has led to its prohibition in competition sports (urine concentrations >150 μg/ml). Data are, however, scarce regarding whether therapeutic PSE use enhances swimming performance.Objective. To investigate the effect of therapeutic PSE use on performance in aerobic and explosive sprint swimming events.Method. A double-blinded cross-over study design was used. Participants in the control group initially received a placebo and those in the experimental group received a divided PSE dose of 90 mg/d. Anaerobic power (50 m sprint) and aerobic (2 000 m) swimming testing was conducted at (i) baseline; (ii) after ingestion of a placebo or PSE; and (iii) after the groups were crossed over, following a wash-out period of 4 days, to determine changes in performance between trials.Results. The participants (mean age 44 years; N=7) were competitive masters swimmers with normal resting heart rates (68 beats per minute (bpm); standard deviation (SD) ±14) and blood pressures (BPs) (171 (SD ±27)/83 (SD ±16) mmHg). The use of PSE during the anaerobic swim test showed only a trivial chance (68%) of improvement, with a likely enhancement in systolic BP (86%). The aerobic swim test did not affirm performance enhancement as measured by time to completion (52% chance of a positive effect; 41% chance of a negative effect), nor did any other physiological variable of interest (peak heart rate and exercising BP) differ significantly from baseline results.Conclusion. The use of a therapeutic amount of PSE in short and endurance swimming trials did not appear to have any major ergogenic effect on performance.