Ingestible Oxygen Supplementation does NOT Impact Maximal Aerobic Performance Measures

Oxygen supplementation has been used to improve physical performances for decades, most commonly in the form of bottled oxygen. Other forms of inhalable and/or ingestible oxygen have been investigated more recently with mixed results. An ingestible oxygen supplement (Ox66TM) consisting of oxygen molecules contained within an aluminum ion clathrate structure has been shown to increase SaO2 at rest and reduce inflammation in clinical settings. This ingestible oxygen enters through the portal vein rather than the pulmonary system. It is unclear whether this oxygen supplement would have an impact on factors related to maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ergogenic impact of acute Ox66TM ingestion on factors related to maximal aerobic performance. METHODS: 36 apparently healthy, college age participants completed the study (20 men, 16 women). Participants attended three testing sessions separated by at least 72 hours. During the first session, participants were familiarized with the Bruce protocol GXT and baseline measures were taken for VO2max, max blood lactate, max HR, time to exhaustion, max VE and RPE. Participants were then randomly assigned to double-blind placebo or oxygen supplementation during their second and third testing sessions. RESULTS: VO2max was significantly higher among all participants combined in the Ox66TM condition (p=.04). When separated by sex, the difference in VO2max was evident among women (p=.05), with no differences among the men. There were no other differences between placebo and supplement conditions for any other variables. CONCLUSION: Given that VO2max was determined using indirect calorimetry which assumes that VO2 is the difference between inspired and expired oxygen volumes, oxygen not taken in through the pulmonary system would not be measurable. Hypothetically, improvements would more likely be seen in time to exhaustion, blood lactate, heart rate, or RPE. In a post-hoc review, 10 of the 16 women completed the placebo condition first. Motivation to exceed their previous performance could explain improvement. Though statistically significant, the marginal improvement in VO2max among the women with Ox66TM (45.02 v. 45.82 ml*kg-1*min-1) would have little impact on overall aerobic performance

Repeated Maximal Exercise Measures are Very Reliable Among Healthy College-aged Individuals

The most common way to assess cardiovascular fitness is with a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) to determine the maximal rate of oxygen consumption (VO2 max). Maximal exercise efforts during GXT testing have been shown to be quite repeatable among active and sedentary adults, as well as cardiac patients and the elderly. With young, healthy participants, familiarization and motivation could result in improved performance measures with repeated testing. The reliability of maximal exercise measures among healthy college-aged individuals during repeated Bruce Protocol GXT assessments are yet unclear. PURPOSE: To determine how repeatable the VO2max and other maximal exercise indices were with repeated GXT measures among healthy, college-aged adults. METHODS: Thirty-six apparently healthy participants (20 men, 16 women) aged 21.47 ± 0.5 years completed three GXT testing sessions following the Bruce Protocol. The maximal values for VO2, blood lactate, VE, HR and Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) as well as time to exhaustion were recorded at the end of each session. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of the data was conducted using a one-way ANOVA by order of visit and a Tukey post-hoc analysis. With all participants combined, there were no differences in measured variables with one exception. Maximal RPE was higher in Visit 3 compared to Baseline (p=0.02). When men and the women were analyzed separately, there were no differences in RPE values among the men. Women reported a higher Max RPE in both Visit 2 and Visit 3 compared to Baseline. Despite the higher RPE values no other maximal measures were significantly different across testing sessions. CONCLUSION: This research confirms that repeated maximal GXT measures are very reliable among healthy college-aged individuals. The exception being a small but significant difference in self-reported maximal RPE values among women compared to baseline measures. Future studies could address potential reasons for the significant difference in women’s self-reported RPE values

The Effects of Ox66TM Supplementation on Ventilatory Threshold Performance Measures

Ox66TM claims to be the only solid form of oxygen known to be in existence. It is an aluminum hydroxide clathrate that can trap oxygen molecules within its structure and when digested the oxygen molecules can be absorbed into the portal bloodstream. It has previously been implemented in clinical settings to reduce hypoxia related medical conditions. However, it is currently unknown whether Ox66TM has an effect on performance measures at or near the ventilatory threshold during high intensity exercise. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ergogenic impact of acute Ox66TM ingestion on submaximal aerobic performance measures and ventilatory threshold during exercise testing using Bruce protocol. METHODS: 36 college age participants (20 males and 16 females) were recruited to complete this study. Participants attended three testing sessions. During the first session, baseline measurements were acquired and participants were familiarized with the testing procedures. During the second and third tests participants were randomized to receive either a placebo or the Ox66TM supplement. Heart rate, ventilatory threshold, respiratory exchange ratio and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded throughout each test. RESULTS: Overall there were no consistent differences between the placebo and Ox66TM conditions for all participants combined. However, when men and women were evaluated separately, there were a few significant differences. Under the Ox66TM condition men had a slightly higher VO2 (p=0.045) and higher heart rate (p=0.046) at ventilatory threshold. Women had a slightly lower RPE (p=0.047) at ventilatory threshold with the Ox66TM supplement. CONCLUSION: Ox66TM supplementation resulted in small improvements in a few submaximal aerobic performance measures. Although these results are statistically significant, it is unlikely that Ox66TM supplementation actually causes ergogenic performance benefits

Garlic Extract Diallyl Sulfide (DAS) Activates Nuclear Receptor CAR to Induce the Sult1e1 Gene in Mouse Liver

Constituent chemicals in garlic extract are known to induce phase I and phase II enzymes in rodent livers. Here we have utilized Car+/+ and Car−/− mice to demonstrate that the nuclear xenobiotic receptor CAR regulated the induction of the estrogen sulfotransferase Sult1e1 gene by diallyl sulfide (DAS) treatment in mouse liver. DAS treatment caused CAR accumulation in the nucleus, resulting in a remarkable increase of SULT1E1 mRNA (3,200 fold) and protein in the livers of Car+/+ females but not of Car−/− female mice. DAS also induced other CAR-regulated genes such as Cyp2b10, Cyp3a11 and Gadd45β. Compared with the rapid increase of these mRNA levels, which began as early as 6 hourrs after DAS treatment, the levels of SULT1E1 mRNA began increasing after 24 hours. This slow response to DAS suggested that CAR required an additional factor to activate the Sult1e1 gene or that this activation was indirect. Despite the remarkable induction of SULT1E1, there was no decrease in the serum levels of endogenous E2 or increase of estrone sulfate while the clearance of exogenously administrated E2 was accelerated in DAS treated mice

The effect of DAS treatment on serum estrogen.

<p>(A) E2 levels in sera from 4 week old mice treated with vehicle or DAS for 48 hrs are shown. * p<0.05 for vehicle-injected group versus DAS-injected group. (B) Estrone sulfate levels in sera from 8 week old female mice treated with vehicle or DAS for 48 hrs are shown. (C) The clearance of exogenously administered E2 from mice sera was analyzed using DAS treated and vehicle treated ovariectomized mice. Ovariectomized mice were given DAS via gavage and E2 (0.5 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously 42 hrs after the DAS administration. The E2 content in serum was determined by radioimmunoassay and plotted against time after E2 treatment. **, p<0.01 for vehicle-injected group versus DAS-injected group at 3 hrs after E2 treatement.</p

Gene induction time course.

<p>(A) Wild type and <i>Car</i> null mice were given DAS (80 mg/100 g body weight) by gastric gavage. B. Following 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hrs after chemical administration, the expression of <i>Sult1e1</i>, <i>Cyp2b10</i>, <i>Cyp3a11</i>, and <i>Gadd45b</i> genes was analyzed by quantitative PCR as described in the methods section. The relative mRNA amount of each gene was calculated so that wild type vehicle treated samples have one unit of expression. (B) Liver nuclear extracts from DAS treated mice at indicated time after the chemical administration were prepared and CAR protein content was analyzed by western blotting. Anti TATA binding protein (TBP) western blotting is shown as a loading control.</p

Gene activation by DAS.

<p>The expression of <i>Cyp2b10</i>, <i>Cyp3a11</i>, <i>Gadd45b</i> and <i>Cyp1a1</i> genes was analyzed in DAS treated and vehicle treated mice livers. The same RNA samples treated with vehicle or DAS from wild type and <i>Car</i> null mice liver used in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0021229#pone-0021229-g001" target="_blank">FIG. 1A</a> were analyzed to determine the expression of these genes.</p

CAR dependent <i>Sult1e1</i> gene induction.

<p>(A) Wild type and <i>Car</i> null mice were given DAS (80 mg/100 g body weight) or DADS (8 mg/100 g body weight) by gastric gavage. 24 hrs after chemical administration, <i>Sult1e1</i> and <i>Car</i> gene expression was analyzed by quantitative PCR as described in the methods section. The relative mRNA amount of each gene was calculated so that wild type vehicle treated samples have one unit of expression. (B) Left panel; Liver cytosol extracts from the same mice used in (A) were prepared and SULT1E1 protein content was analyzed by western blotting. Recombinant mouse SULT1E1 protein was used as positive control and indicated with R, while V represents vehicle treatment. Anti Hsp70 western blotting is shown as a loading control. Right panel; Estrogen sulfotransferase activities were measured for liver extracts from the same mice used in (A). n.d. stands for no activity detected. (C) Liver nuclear extracts from the same mice used in (A) were prepared and CAR protein content was analyzed by western blotting. Anti Laminβ western blotting is shown as a loading control.</p

Prehospital use of a modified HEART Pathway and point-of-care troponin to predict cardiovascular events.

Clinical trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov (NCT02709135)