NAC Supplementation and Soccer Specific Performance

University of Thessaly

Status: Completed

Conditions: Antioxidant Status; Exercise-induced Aseptic Inflammation; Skeletal Muscle Performance; Skeletal Muscle Damage

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: N-acetylcysteine; Dietary Supplement: Placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04523675

NAC-SOCCER-2016

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this investigation the investigators utilized NAC supplementation to boost GSH availability during an one-week-microcycle consisting of three soccer games, in order to test the hypotheses that: i) antioxidant supplementation may enhance the recovery of performance and physiological stress variables following multiple match-plays and ii) redox status perturbations are critical in regulating the inflammatory response and repair in skeletal muscle, following repetitive exercise-induced muscle injuries.

Full description

After exercise-induced muscle microtrauma the thiol/disulfide couple of reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) is a key regulator of important transcriptional pathways that control the inflammatory response and recovery of skeletal muscle.

The objective was to examine how thiol-based antioxidant supplementation affects the muscle damage, oxidative stress, inflammatory and immune responses, as well as the level of post-game fatigue and muscle's recovery kinetics in response to three soccer games within a week. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: i) Experimental-NAC [EXP-NAC, N=10, participated in daily training sessions and three games and received NAC (20 mg/kg/day)], ii) Experimental-Placebo (EXP-Pla, N=10, participated in daily training sessions and three games and received Placebo), iii) Control-NAC [CON-NAC, N=10, participated in daily training sessions only and received NAC(20 mg/kg/day)] and iv) Control-Placebo (CON-Pla, N=10, participated in daily training sessions only and received Placebo). Blood samples were collected at baseline, post-games and daily during recovery. Performance was assessed at baseline and daily during recovery.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 28 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participation at elite level (top three division leagues) of soccer competition for at least five years
• Abstained from consumption of performance-enhancing supplements, antioxidant supplements and medications (for at least 6 months before and during the study)
• Participation in at least six two-hour training sessions and one match per week
• Non-smokers

Exclusion criteria

• A known NAC intolerance or allergy
• A recent febrile illness
• History of muscle lesion
• Lower limb trauma
• Metabolic diseases

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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40 participants in 4 patient groups

EXP-NAC

Experimental group

Description:

Participated in daily training sessions and three games, and supplemented daily with N-acetylcysteine, orally in three daily dosages (morning-midday-evening),for seven consecutive days.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: N-acetylcysteine

EXP-Pla

Experimental group

Description:

Participated in daily training sessions and three games, and supplemented daily with Placebo, orally in three daily dosages (morning-midday-evening), for seven consecutive days.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Placebo

CON-NAC

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participated in daily training sessions only and supplemented daily with N-acetylcysteine, orally in three daily dosages (morning-midday-evening),for seven consecutive days.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: N-acetylcysteine

CON-Pla

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participated in daily training sessions only and supplemented daily with Placebo, orally in three daily dosages (morning-midday-evening), for seven consecutive days.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Placebo