Cameron Brewer and PHD candidate from UWA is doing a trial on the effects of a supplement – Sodium Phosphate.  I have copied the information sheet below but to summarise here is my take on what you would be in for:

There are two types of tests involved.  A 1000kJ TT and a VO2 max test.   You also get to do a Dexa scan which gives you your body fat % and lean muscle mass numbers (normal cost $190 per scan).

The TT takes about an hour.  You sit on a stationary bike and pound out the TT which takes about an hour of solid effort.

The VO2 max is also on a stationary bike – you go up in increasing wattage steps until you blow.

The basic protocal is that you do the TT one day, and then come back and do the VO2max two days later.  The supplement is taking for six days before you do the testing.

So in essence, supplement for six days – TT – two days later VO2max.  This is done 3 times over the course of a couple of months.

So far I’ve done the basline tests for each type of test and after my holiday coming up I will start doing the supplement tests.

All I can say so far – is that, if nothing else, this is really good training.  The TT is solid – a battle against yourself.  Good stuff.

Cameron needs about 10 more well trained cyclists for the study.  He his a nice guy (perhaps slightly sadistic), and is very flexible with times.  So if you can do your testing morning, night, midday etc is fine.

To be eligible you need to be probably Main 1 or Fast.

If you are interested read below and get in touch with Cam – or ask me for some more info when you see me.

Cheers,

Toby aka Quadzilla

Repeatability of Performance Gains in a 1000 kJ Cycling Time Trial Following Sodium Phosphate Supplementation (Study 1)

 

~ Information Sheet ~

 

 

Purpose of the Study

To gain an edge over their competitors, athletes often seek natural, legal supplements to improve their exercise performance. Sodium phosphate is a supplement that has been previously reported to benefit athletic performance in endurance based aerobic exercise. However, whether this beneficial effect is consistent and repeatable remains to be determined. Therefore, the aim of this study is to test whether sodium phosphate supplementation can repeatedly improve cycling time trial performance when the cycle test is repeated over two separate time periods, or if the supplement has less effect with subsequent use.

 

What Does the Study Involve?

You will be asked to visit the School of Sports Science, Exercise and Health at the University of Western Australia on 9 different occasions. During the first visit you will be familiarised with the cycling time trial procedure in order to become accustomed to the cycling equipment and practice your pacing strategy for the future trials. The time trial involves the completion of a 1000 kJ of work (equivalent to 40 km/60 min) on a stationary cycle ergometer in the shortest time possible. In addition, a full body DEXA scan will be conducted to measure your body composition (i.e. the amount of fat and lean muscle in your body). This is necessary so that appropriate amounts of sodium phosphate can be prescribed, based on the amount of lean muscle mass in your body. The DEXA scan will take about 10 minutes and require you to lie still on a scanning bed with light clothing, while a low dose x-ray is administered to determine the amount of fat and muscle mass in the body.

 

Six days after the familiarisation session, another 1000 kJ cycling time trial will be completed. This test will be considered your baseline performance and will be undertaken without any supplementation. Forty eight hours later, a baseline O_2max test will be completed. This will involve cycling on the same stationary cycle ergometer for approximately 20 minutes while breathing through a mouthpiece to allow for the collection of your expired air for analysis. The resistance on the cycle ergometer will be increased every 3 minutes, until voluntary exhaustion is achieved (i.e. you can’t continue any longer).

 

Following these baseline tests, you will complete three separate loading phases (6 days each), with performance tests at the end of each phase. The term ‘loading’ refers to the regular ingestion of a supplement. Two of the loading phases will involve supplementation with sodium phosphate, while the other loading phase will involve supplementation with a placebo (glucose/ sugar). The order of loading phases will be random and blinded so that you will not be aware which supplement you are taking at which time to minimise any conscious alterations in exercise performance. During the loading phase, you will consume 50 mg/ kg of muscle mass of either sodium phosphate (tri-sodium phosphate dodecahydrate) or the placebo (glucose) four times daily in equal doses for a period of six days. After the six days of loading, you will complete another 1000 kJ cycling time trial followed 48 hours later by another O_2max test to see how your performance is changed. In addition, resting venous blood samples (8mL) will be taken from an antecubital vein on 6 occasions (twice for each loading phase, prior to the first day of loading with the supplement and after the sixth day of loading) in the crease of the elbow by a trained phlebotomist. Also, 35 μL capillary blood samples will be obtained from the finger tip before, during and after each exercise performance test. This blood is necessary to measure blood lactate levels to determine whether supplementation has an effect on your anaerobic threshold.

 

Between each loading phase, there will be a 14 day washout period in which no supplementation will take place. Following the washout period, you will switch supplementation regimes, repeating the same protocol, (starting with the six days of loading and then performance tests). Following the second washout period, you will load for a third time and the same protocol will be repeated (i.e. 6 days of loading prior to performance tests). All time trials will be undertaken at the same time of the day to minimise any effects of circadian rhythms. No food and/ or caffeine intake will be permitted for two hours prior to all exercise testing. Food and training diaries will be recorded throughout the testing periods to ensure consistency between tests.

Benefits

This study will provide you with information about your body composition, including levels of muscle and body fat. In addition, O_2max tests will provide you with information about your aerobic fitness levels and anaerobic thresholds. By participating in this study, you may see improvements in your exercise performance from sodium phosphate supplementation. This may possibly result in better exercise performance results during competition.

 

Risks

There is minimal risk of bruising and slight discomfort at the site of venous sampling. In addition, you may experience slight discomfort when completing the O_2max test and cycling time trials, as this type of exercise testing is designed to push you to your maximum performance. It is important to note that both the exercise testing and blood collection procedures are commonly performed in our laboratory. Also, the DEXA machine that measures the amount of muscle and fat in your body uses a small amount of radiation, so there is minimal risk. The DEXA tests involve the use of a low dose x-rays about equal to one thousandth of the background radiation you would receive in one year living in Perth.  The total background radiation in Western Australia is about 2mSv per year.  The radiation dose from cosmic rays from flying in a jet from Perth to London is approximately 0.1 mSv.  You will be able to withdraw at any time and will be reminded of this at every visit.

 

Confidentiality

All data collected from the participants will be stored in a locked filing cabinet accessible only to the chief investigators and the research student (Cameron Brewer) involved in the study.

 

Participant Rights

Participation in this research is voluntary and you are free to withdraw from the study at any time without prejudice. You can withdraw for any reason and you do not need to justify your decision. If you withdraw from the study we may wish to retain the data that we have recorded from you, but only if you agree, otherwise their records will be destroyed. Your participation in this study does not prejudice any right to compensation that you may have under statute of common law.

 

If you have any questions concerning the research, please feel free to ask the researcher who has contacted you about your concerns. Further information regarding this study may be obtained from Cameron Brewer (0416200744 or email: brewec01@student.uwa.edu.au), Winthrop Professor Brian Dawson (6488 2276), Associate Professor Karen Wallman (6488 2304) and Assistant Professor Kym Guelfi (6488 2602).