Ergogenic effects of supplement combinations on endurance performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Supplements such as caffeine and sodium bicarbonate have been found to exert ergogenic effects on endurance performance. However, little is known about the effects of supplementary combinations on performance parameters. This review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize and analyze studies that investigated the effects of performance-enhancing supplements in combination and isolation on endurance (>35 s).
METHODS: A structured search was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA® statement and PICOS guidelines in the PubMed, Scopus and Dimensions databases in January 2024 without restriction to specific years. Sixteen studies that compared isolated and combined supplementation with placebo in an identical situation and tested their effects on endurance performance (time, distance, power) were included. The studies were all blinded, randomized controlled crossover studies that showed some concerns about risk of bias. Meta-analyses could be calculated for the supplement combinations caffeine (CAF) with sodium bicarbonate (SB) and CAF with beetroot juice (BJ), as sufficient studies were available for these two combinations. For the comparisons of the trials (e.g. placebo (PLA) vs. CAF; PLA vs. BJ; PLA vs. CAF-BJ; CAF-BJ vs. CAF; CAF-BJ vs. BJ), five studies each were included in the meta-analyses. A random-effects model and pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) according to Hedges' g were used for the ergogenic effect.
RESULTS: The results showed no significant…
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