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Abstract

A small increase in performance is often the difference between winning and losing for athletes, and energy supplements are marketed to give them a competitive edge. One such supplement is XSAlt 0174 Energy Drink which contains B vitamins, caffeine, taurine, and an herbal adaptogen blend. XSAlt 0174 Energy Drink is primarily designed and marketed as an alertness stimulus; however, it is also marketed to athletes as a performance enhancing supplement. We hypothesized that the consumption of XSAlt 0174 Energy Drink before exercise would increase aerobic capacity (an increase in Vo2max) and time to fatigue, and would decrease time for recovery from the exercise bout. Twelve 18-24 year old athletes performed two Vo2max tests following a modified Ellestad Treadmill protocol before each of which either the energy supplement or the placebo was administered using a double-blind cross-over method. We found no significant differences with XSAlt 0174 Energy Drink: Vo2max (p=0.99), time to muscle fatigue (p=0.48), maximum heart rate (p=0.66), VEmax (p=0.10), time at which R is greater than 1 (p=0.50), or recovery time to one half Vo2max (p=0.67). We found the second trial to be significantly longer than the first (p=0.01) likely due to the desire to improve exercise time or to familiarization with the testing procedures. Our results show no physiological effects of XSAlt 0174 Energy Drink; however, we have not eliminated the possibility of psychological advantage. Supported by a Wright State University undergraduate research fellowship and a Wright State University Honors Program grant to KMS.

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