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This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study aims to evaluate the potential synergistic effect of beta-alanine (BA) and sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation, compared to their separate administration or placebo (PL), on physical performance and selected blood biochemical markers in highly trained female basketball players.
Beta-alanine (BA) and sodium bicarbonate (SB) are commonly proposed as ergogenic aids due to their potential to enhance intracellular (BA) and extracellular (SB) buffering capacities, thereby improving physical performance. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding their potential synergistic effects, particularly in female athletes. Existing studies have primarily focused on male participants, despite emerging evidence suggesting sex-specific physiological responses to supplementation. Furthermore, research shows that females exhibit a high willingness to participate in scientific studies, underlining the importance of including female cohorts in sports supplementation research. To date, no randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have examined the combined and separate effects of BA and SB using a four-arm design (BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, PL1+ PL2). Only one study to date has focused on chronic SB supplementation, whereas the majority have used acute protocols. Additionally, there is a notable lack of data on the use of BA and SB in team sports such as basketball, where repeated high-intensity efforts are dominant. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the chronic effects of BA and SB supplementation (administered individually or in combination) on physical capacity and selected blood biochemical markers in highly trained female basketball players, using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA and SB supplementation (first group) | Experimental |
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| BA and PL2 supplementation (second group) | Experimental |
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| PL1 and SB supplementation (third group) | Experimental |
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| PL1 and PL2 supplementation (fourth group) | Placebo Comparator |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA and SB supplementation | Dietary Supplement | Assigned Interventions:
Description: • Participants receive beta-alanine and sodium bicarbonate Intervention list & supplementation details:
Rationale: • This group tests the combined effects of BA and SB |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in anaerobic capacity during Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) | Assessment of peak power (PP), average power (AP), minimum power (MP), power drop (PD) [W (Watts)] using the Monark 894E ergometer (measured before and after incremental cycling test (ICT)) before and after supplementation (BA - beta-alanine; SB - sodium bicarbonate; PL - placebo; with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in Countermovement Jump (CMJ) performance | Assessment of three consecutive countermovement jump (CMJ) heights [cm (centimetres)] using the Microgate system, measured at rest and after the entire exercise procedure, both before and after supplementation. | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in aerobic capacity during incremental cycling test (ICT) | Assessment of time to exhaustion [s (seconds)] during an incremental cycling test (ICT) using Ergoline E100P-K, measured before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in blood bicarbonate, base excess, anion gap, and lactate concentrations | Assessment of bicarbonate, base excess, anion gap, lactate [mmol/L] measured in capillary blood at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in hydrogen ion concentration | Assessment of hydrogen ion concentration [nmol/L] measured in capillary blood at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis of dietary energy intake | Assessment of energy intake [kcal (kilocalories)], before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | 48 h before the first study visit and the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Analysis of dietary macronutrient intake |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jakub Adamczewski, MSc | Contact | +48 66 317 56 06 | adamczewski@awf.poznan.pl | |
| Krzysztof Durkalec-Michalski, PhD | Contact | +48 61 835 51 65 | durkalec-michalski@awf.poznan.pl |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Krzysztof Durkalec-Michalski, PhD | Department of Sports Dietetics, Poznan University of Physical Education Poznań | Study Chair |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Sports Dietetics, Poznan University of Physical Education Poznań | Recruiting | Poznan | Wielkopolska | 61-871 | Poland |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7154893 | Background | Borg GA. Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1982;14(5):377-81. | |
| 10600658 | Background | Jeukendrup AE, Vet-Joop K, Sturk A, Stegen JH, Senden J, Saris WH, Wagenmakers AJ. Relationship between gastro-intestinal complaints and endotoxaemia, cytokine release and the acute-phase reaction during and after a long-distance triathlon in highly trained men. Clin Sci (Lond). 2000 Jan;98(1):47-55. |
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Shared data will be exclusively related to the level of recorded indicators, without personal data. The data obtained will be attached to scientific publications, depending on the requirements of the journal.
De-identified individual participant data (IPD), including timepoint-specific values of primary and secondary outcome measures (e.g., performance results, hematological and physiological parameters), will be shared. Data will be made available upon reasonable request to qualified researchers for non-commercial academic purposes, following publication of the primary results. Requests should be directed to the corresponding author via institutional email. A data use agreement may be required.
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| BA and PL2 supplementation | Dietary Supplement | Participants in this intervention group will undergo chronic supplementation with beta-alanine (BA) and an inert placebo (PL2) matched to the sodium bicarbonate (SB) protocol.
This group allows for evaluation of the isolated effects of BA supplementation when combined with a placebo comparator to SB |
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| PL1 and SB supplementation | Dietary Supplement | Assigned Interventions:
Description: • Participants receive only sodium bicarbonate as the active compound and placebo capsules matching the BA protocol. Intervention list & supplementation details:
Rationale: • This group tests the isolated effects of SB |
|
| PL1 and PL2 supplementation | Dietary Supplement | Assigned Interventions:
Description: • Participants receive two matched placebos. Intervention list & supplementation details:
Rationale: • This serves as the control group for comparison with all active intervention arms. |
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| During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
Assessment of macronutrients intake (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) [g (grams)], before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). |
| 48 h before the first study visit and the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in rate of perceived exertion | The Borg RPE Scale ranges from 6 (no exertion at all) to 20 (maximal exertion). Higher scores indicate greater subjective perceived physical effort. The scale will be administered in accordance with the original methodology described by Borg (1982). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in heart rate | Assessment of heart rate (HR) [bpm (beats per minute)] during the entire exercise procedure, measured before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in gastrointestinal symptoms | Assessment of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms using the adapted and validated Gastrointestinal and Related Complaints Questionnaire, via a self-reported symptom severity scale [0-10], administered at rest and after the exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). The questionnaire assesses 19 symptoms: stomach problems, nausea, dizziness, headache, flatulence, urge to urinate, urge to defecate, belching, heartburn, bloating, stomach cramps, intestinal cramps, urge to vomit, vomiting, diarrhoea, left side ache, right side ache, muscle cramps, and cold shivering. Each symptom is rated from 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (severe symptoms). Higher scores indicate greater gastrointestinal symptom severity. The scale will be administered in accordance with the methodology described by Jeukendrup et al. (2000). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in body mass, fat-free mass and fat mass | Assessment of body mass, fat-free mass and fat mass [kg (kilograms)] at rest, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in total body water content | Assessment of total body water, extracellular and intracellular water [% (percentage)] at rest, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, red blood cells and platelets | Assessment of blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (LYM), monocytes (MON), granulocytes (GRA), red blood cells (RBC) and platelets (PLT) [count/L] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in platelets distribution width and platelets large cell ratio | Assessment of platelets distribution width (PDW) and platelets large cell ratio (PLCR) [%] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration | Assessment of hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [mmol/L] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in hematocrit | Assessment of hematocrit (HCT) [L/L] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in mean corpuscular volume, mean platelet volume, red blood cell distribution width | Assessment of hematological markers [fL] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation. The analysis will include mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean platelet volume (MPV), read blood cell distribution width (RDW) [fL], before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in mean corpuscular hemoglobin | Assessment of mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) [fmol] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase | Assessment of alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) [U/L] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in urea and magnesium | Assessment of urea and magnesium (Mg) [mmol/L] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in creatinine | Assessment of creatinine concentration [μmol/L] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in iron and unsaturated iron binding capacity | Assessment of iron and unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC) [μg/dL] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2) | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in transferrin | Assessment of transferrin [g/L] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in ferritin | Assessment of ferritin [μg/mL] will be performed in capillary blood collected at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in potassium, sodium, ionized calcium, chloride, osmolality | Assessment of potassium (cK⁺), sodium (cNa⁺), ionized calcium (cCa²⁺), chloride (cCl-), osmolality (mOsm.c) [mmol/L] measured in capillary blood at rest, after warm-up, and after the entire exercise procedure, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in urine specific gravity | Assessment of urine specific gravity (USG) measured in urine at rest, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in protein, glucose, ketones, urobilinogen, bilirubin | Assessment of protein (PRO), glucose (GLU), ketones (KET), urobilinogen (UBG), bilirubin (BIL) [mg/dL] measured in urine at rest, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in pH | Assessment of pH measured in urine at rest, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in urine erythrocytes and leukocytes | Assessment of erythrocytes (BLD), leukocytes (LEU) [cells/μL] measured in urine at rest, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |
| Changes in urine luteinizing hormone and nitrite | Assessment of luteinizing hormone (LH) and nitrite (NIT) [positive/negative] measured in urine at rest, before and after supplementation (with BA+SB, BA+PL2, PL1+SB, or PL1+PL2). | During the first study visit on the first day and during the second study visit after 28 days of intervention. |