Greetings! Jodie and I are off on a short ski trip to da UP of Michigan this weekend. I am excited as I have not been out snowboarding this year and only made it out a pathetic 3 times last winter; so time to kick off this season right! The UP has 70 inches of snow already, but it looks like it may be brutally cold. Current temp as I type this is a super warm 7 degree F. Brrrrrrrrrrrr.
Here is an interesting study from our fine friends in France on the possible mechanism of salbutamol during exercise. It is also known as albuterol and is a short-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonist used for the relief asthma (normally found in common inhalers).
Salbutamol intake and substrate oxidation during submaximal exercise.
Arlettaz A, Le Panse B, Portier H, Lecoq AM, Thomasson R, De Ceaurriz J, Collomp K.
Laboratoire Activité Motrice et Adaptation Psychophysiologique, UFR STAPS, Université d'Orléans, 2, Allée du Château, BP6237, 45062, Orléans Cedex 2, France.
In order to test the hypothesis that salbutamol would change substrate oxidation during submaximal exercise, eight recreationally trained men twice performed 1 h at 60% VO(2) peak after ingestion of placebo or 4 mg of salbutamol. Gas exchange was monitored and blood samples were collected during exercise for GH, ACTH, insulin, and blood glucose and lactate determination.
With salbutamol versus placebo, there was no significant difference in total energy expenditure and substrate oxidation, but the substrate oxidation balance was significantly modified after 40 min of exercise. ACTH was significantly decreased with salbutamol during the last 10 min of exercise, whereas no difference was found between the two treatments in the other hormonal and metabolic parameters.
Conclusion: The theory that the ergogenic effect of salbutamol results from a change in substrate oxidation has little support during relatively short term endurance exercise, but it is conceivable that longer exercise duration can generate positive findings.
