Clinical Reviews
By Bill Campbell, Ph.D., Exercise and Performance Nutrition Laboratory, University of South Florida
 Ingestion of a Pre-Exercise Energy Supplement Enhances Exercise Performance
 "...if you are currently ingesting a pre-workout supplement like H-Blocker™, it's money well spent! And if not, you may be pleasantly surprised once you start." Hoffman JR., Ratamess NA., Ross R., et al. Effect of a pre-exercise energy supplement on the acute hormonal response to resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2008 May;22(3):874-82.
Are you taking a pre-exercise energy drink before your workouts? If not, after reading this research summary, you may want to reconsider your approach. Researchers from the College of New Jersey studied the effects of a pre-exercise energy sport drink on training volume during a lower body squat workout. In addition, the researchers also looked at the anabolic hormone response (growth hormone, testosterone, and insulin) resulting from the ingestion of the pre-exercise energy drink and workout.
Ten minutes following ingestion of the pre-workout drink, resistance-trained subjects performed six sets of no more than 10 repetitions of the squat exercise at 75% of their one-repetition maximum with two minutes of rest between sets. Following the squat workout, it was reported that consuming the pre-workout energy drink 10 minutes before exercise tended to enhance the exercise performance by increasing the number of repetitions performed (~6%) and the total volume of exercise (~7%). Additionally, the enhanced exercise performance resulted in a significantly greater increase in both growth hormone and insulin concentrations, indicating an augmented anabolic hormone response to this pre-exercise energy supplement.
The research is beginning to accumulate on the benefits of ingesting pre-workout supplements. So, if you are currently ingesting a pre-workout supplement, it's money well spent! And if not, you may be pleasantly surprised once you start.
Surprise Finding—Creatine and Protein Work!
 "We have known for years that creatine and protein is effective in young athletes, now we are beginning to see that these benefits are manifested in older individuals who participate in resistance training programs as well." Candow DG, Little JP, Chilibeck PD, et al. Low-dose creatine combined with protein during resistance training in older men. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 40(9): 1645-1652, September 2008.
OK. The title was a joke. There are virtually hundreds of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of creatine supplementation on increasing lean body mass, muscular strength, and repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise. But because this amazing sports supplement is so effective and common, it is easy to overlook just how beneficial it is.
This particular study, which is hot off the press, looked at the effectiveness of low-dose creatine and protein supplementation during resistance training in older men. This is a very practical study since aging is associated with a decrease in muscle mass and strength (a condition referred to as sarcopenia). During the ten-week study, the older men participated in a resistance training program (targeting the upper- and lower-body) three days per week. The subjects were divided into three groups: a creatine + protein group (supplying approximately 8 grams of creatine and 25 grams of protein); a creatine-only group (supplying approximately 8 grams of creatine), and a placebo group.
Rather than give the nutrition supplements to the older subjects each day throughout the ten-week program, the subjects only ingested the supplements on training days.
Some of the variables that were assessed included: lean tissue mass, muscle strength, and muscle breakdown as measured by 3-methylhistidine. At the end of the 10-week study, there were significant increases in lean tissue mass in all three groups (which can be explained by the training program), with the creatine plus protein group gaining the most lean tissue mass (7 pounds), followed by the creatine only group (4.5 pounds). The placebo group only gained about one pound of lean tissue mass.
Further, the creatine plus protein group significantly outperformed the creatine only and placebo groups in relation to bench press strength, achieving a 25% increase in this variable as compared to 12-13% increases in the creatine only and placebo groups. There were no differences between the three groups in relation to leg press strength and muscle protein breakdown.
We have known for years that creatine and protein is effective in young athletes, now we are beginning to see that these benefits are manifested in older individuals who participate in resistance training programs as well.
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