Effect of High-Dose, Short-Duration b-Alanine Supplementation On Circulating IL-10 Concentrations During Intense Military Training
Publication:
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 15 May 2018
DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002625
Author(s):
Jay R. Hoffman, Yfatch Gepner, Mattan W. Hoffman, Hila Zelicha, Shachar Shapira, and Ishay Ostfeld
Quansys Products Used:
Human HS Demo 4 Chemiluminescent Q-Plex ELISA Kit
Abstract:
This study examined the effect of b-alanine as a potential anti-inflammatory agent during intense military training. Twenty soldiers (20.1 +/- 0.6 years) from an elite combat unit were randomly assigned to either a b-Alanine (BA) or placebo (PL) group. Soldiers were provided with 12 grams per day of either BA or PL for 7 days between 2 intensive periods of navigational training and restricted sleep. During the initial training period, soldiers navigated on average 27.8 km per day with; 50% of their body mass in their packs for 5 days. Soldiers returned to base and began a 7-day supplementation program before departing for an additional period of intense field training. During the second period of field training, soldiers navigated 10 km per day for an additional 5 days, carrying similar loading as the initial week, performed tactical missions, and slept approximately 5 hours per day. Blood samples were obtained after the initial training period and after the second training period and analyzed for IL-10. Magnitude-based inferences that were used to provide inferences on the true effect BA may have had on IL-10 concentrations compared with PL, calculated from 90% confidence intervals. Data analysis indicated that changes in circulating IL-10 concentrations (mean difference 0.86 pg per ml) were possibly greater (57%) for BA than PL. Results of this study suggest that 1 week of high-dose BA ingestion may enhance the anti-inflammatory response during intense military training, suggesting a potential therapeutic role of BA during intense training