Four Weeks of β-alanine Supplementation Improves High-Intensity Game Activities in Water Polo

• Published in: International journal of sports physiology and performance 2018-04, p.1
• Main Authors: Brisola, Gabriel Motta Pinheiro, de Souza Malta, Elvis, Santiago, Paulo Roberto Pereira, Vieira, Luiz Henrique Palucci, Zagatto, Alessandro Moura
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1555-0273

The present study aimed to investigate whether four weeks of β-alanine supplementation improves total distance covered, distance covered and time spent in different speed zones, and sprint numbers during a simulated water polo game. The study design was double-blind, parallel and placebo controlled. Eleven male water polo players participated in the study, divided randomly into two homogeneous groups (placebo and β-alanine groups). The participants performed a simulated water polo game before and after the supplementation period (4 weeks). Participants received 4.8g∙day of dextrose or β-alanine on the first ten days and 6.4g∙day on the final 18 days. Only the β-alanine group presented a significant improvement in total sprint numbers compared to the pre-supplementation moment (PRE=7.8±5.2a.u.; POST=20.2±7.8a.u.; p=.002). Furthermore, β-alanine supplementation presented a likely beneficial effect on improving total distance covered (83%) and total time spent (81%) in zone 4 of speed (i.e., speed≥1.8m∙s ). There was no significant interaction effect (group×time) for any variable. To conclude, four weeks of β-alanine supplementation can slightly improve sprint numbers and had a likely beneficial effect on improving distance covered and time spent in zone 4 of speed in a water polo simulated game.