Can Anti-asthmatic Medication Improve Sprint Performance in Healthy Endurance Athletes?

Summary

The prevalence of asthma among athletes is higher than in the normal population and endurance athletes are especially at increased risk. The gold standard for asthma treatment is inhaled glucocorticoids with inhaled beta2 agonists before exercise and as a symptom relief. However, the use of beta2 agonists in sports is debated because of potential performance-enhancing effects and its use is regulated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The potential performance-enhancing effect of beta2 agonists on endurance performance and sprint performance has each been investigated in several studies as it has been suspected that non-asthmatic athletes use beta2 agonists for the purpose of improving performance. In conclusion, beta2 agonists do not improve endurance athletic performance in the doses and methods of use permitted by WADA. When it comes to anaerobic performance, the evidence is currently non-conclusive as studies report conflicting effects. It is therefore conceivable that beta2 agonists can improve the ability to sprint and increase power output during short periods of high energy expenditure during an endurance competition. By testing such anaerobic skills during endurance work in athletes, this study will provide valuable knowledge about whether this drug may affect sports performance and will be of interest to WADA and anyone else interested in fair play in sports.

The purpose of the project is to investigate whether the use of a WADA approved dose of salbutamol (albuterol/Ventoline) has a performance-enhancing effect on sprint performance during and after endurance work on an ergometer bike. Well-trained cyclists who do not have asthma will perform two identical cycling protocols on two different days. The study is designed as a double-blind cross-over study with placebo. Participants will perform multiple 30-second sprints during a standard submaximal effort to investigate the effect of salbutamol on the maximum and average power of these sprints.

Conditions

• Sports Drug Abuse

Interventions

DRUG

Inhaled salbutamol

Participants will inhale 800 μg salbutamol (or placebo) using a standard metered dose inhaler used for asthma treatment, and a standard spacer device will be used to allow optimal delivery of the drug to the lung. The inhaler delivers 100 μg of salbutamol with each actuation (i.e., 8 puffs/actuations gives 800 μg) with inhalation time being approximately \~2 min (10 breaths) and the manufacturer's user instructions will be followed. Although complete uptake of salbutamol cannot be concluded as any salbutamol left in the spacer, mouth or remaining in the lung will be not measured. This dose of Salbutamol is chosen because it is the highest dose permitted by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Julie S Stang, PhD · Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-08-01

Primary Completion

2023-05-30

Completion

2023-12-20