Authors
Mourier A. Bigard AX. de Kerviler E. Roger B. Legrand H. Guezennec CY.
Institution
Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches de Medecine Aerospatiale, Departement de
Physiologie Systemique, Bretigny-sur-orge, France.
Title
Combined effects of caloric
restriction and branched-chain amino acid supplementation on
body composition and exercise performance in elite wrestlers.
Source
International Journal of Sports Medicine. 18(1):47-55, 1997 Jan.
Abstract
Twenty-five competitive wrestlers restricted their caloric
intake (28 kcal.kg-1.day-1) for 19 days, using a hypocaloric
control (hC, n = 6), hypocaloric high-protein (hHP, n = 7),
hypocaloric high-branched-chain amino acid (hBCAA, n = 6),
hypocaloric low-protein (hLP, n = 6) diet to determine the
effects of caloric
restriction on body composition and performances versus
control diet (C, n = 6). Anthropometric parameters (weight, percent body fat)
and adipose tissue (AT) distribution measured by magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) obtained before and after diet, were compared. A significant highest
body weight loss (-4 kg, p < 0.05) and decrease in the percent of body fat
(-17.3%, p < 0.05) were observed for subjects of the hBCAA group. Subjects of
the hBCAA group exhibited a significant reduction (-34.4%, p < 0.05) in
abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT). There was no change in aerobic
(VO2max) (p > 0.75) and anaerobic capacities (Wingate test) (p > 0.81), and
in muscular strength (p > 0.82). We conclude that under our experimental
conditions, the combination of moderate energy restriction
and BCAA supplementation induced significant and preferential losses of VAT,
and allowed maintainance of a high level of performance.