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Effects of diet interventions, dietary supplements, and performance-enhancing substances on the performance of CrossFit-trained individuals: A systematic review of clinical studies.

Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)
February 1, 2021
Marcus V L Dos Santos Quaresma et al. (3 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine the effects of sodium bicarbonate (SB) ingestion on exercise performance and aerobic capacity in CrossFit practitioners.

Results Summary

The study found that sodium bicarbonate supplementation improved CrossFit performance, though methodological limitations such as small sample size and short intervention duration may have influenced outcomes.

Population

CrossFit athletes

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (9)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
caffeine supplementation
neutral
exercise performance
CF practitioners
-
evaluated the effects
#1
high- or low-carbohydrate
neutral
performance and other parameters
CF practitioners
-
evaluated
#2
multi-ingredient supplementation
neutral
CF-specific performance and body composition
CF practitioners
-
verified the effects
#3
protein supplements
neutral
performance and body composition
CF practitioners
-
compared the intake
#4
green tea and (-)-epicatechin
neutral
performance and other parameters
CF practitioners
-
assessed the effect
#5
nitrate supplementation
neutral
exercise performance
CF practitioners
-
evaluated the effects
#6
betaine supplementation
neutral
body composition and muscle performance
CF practitioners
-
investigated the effect
#7
sodium bicarbonate (SB) ingestion
neutral
exercise performance and aerobic capacity
CF practitioners
-
examined the effects
#8
SB supplementation
increase
CF performance
CF practitioners
-
improved
#9
Abstract

CrossFit (CF) is characterized as a constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement training program, performed with little or no rest between bouts, combining strength and endurance exercises, such as running, cycling, rowing, Olympic weightlifting, power weightlifting, and gymnastic-type exercises. Several nutritional strategies are used to improve sports performance of CF practitioners; however, most of them are empirical and lack scientific evidence. Thus, the aim of this review was to determine the effects of diet intervention, dietary supplements, and performance-enhancing substances on exercise-performance parameters of CF practitioners. MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS, SciELO, and Scopus databases were searched using specific Medical Subject Headings and keywords for clinical studies that enrolled CF athletes in an intervention using diet, dietary supplements, or performance-enhancing substances. Athletic performance was considered as the primary outcome. No other filters were applied. Including grey literature search, 219 studies were identified; however only 14 studies met the eligibility criteria. Two studies evaluated the effects of caffeine supplementation on exercise performance; five studies evaluated high- or low-carbohydrate effects on performance and other parameters. One study verified the effects of multi-ingredient supplementation on CF-specific performance and body composition. One study compared the intake of protein supplements on performance and body composition. Two studies assessed the effect of green tea and (-)-epicatechin on performance and other parameters. One study evaluated the effects of nitrate supplementation on exercise performance. One study investigated the effect of betaine supplementation on body composition and muscle performance. Finally, one study examined the effects of sodium bicarbonate (SB) ingestion on exercise performance and aerobic capacity. Only SB supplementation improved CF performance. These outcomes may have been obtained due to methodological limitations such as small sample size, lack of control over influencing variables, short period of exercise intervention. Despite the popularity and growing evidence about CF, little is known about the relationship between performance-enhancing substances or dietary interventions and CF performance. Given the lack of scientific evidence, new studies with potential ergogenic supplements, a better methodological model, and practical application are required.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AthletesAthletic PerformanceCaffeineDietDietary SupplementsHumansPerformance-Enhancing Substances
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy80/10
Quality65/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations13
Citations/Year3.3
Relative Citation Ratio1.96
NIH Percentile73.9%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.23
Normalized Score0.65
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