Download Bio 3B Saddleback College Fall 2011 The Effect of a Lactic Acid R

Bio 3B
Saddleback College
Fall 2011
The Effect of a Lactic Acid Reducer on Human, (Homo sapiens)
George Garcia and Yoon Oh
Department of Biological Science
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, CA 92692.
Abstract
Everyone in the sports community has heard of performance supplements that clam to help
people in their activity by reducing lactate acid level allowing them to work harder and push
more. It was predicted that giving humans a lactic acid reducer well help them finish their
activity quicker. Ten subjects were finger pricked to check lactated level before and after they
ran a flight of stair, and they were also timed running up and down a flight of stair 10 times with
and without Tums® and Cytomax®. There was and no significant difference was found
(p=0.634043, two tailed ANOVA) between the lactate level (mmol•L-1) in Cytomax® (4.8±
0.6246 SEM) versus Tums® (4.46± 0.2903 SEM) versus no supplement (5.09± 0.4113 SEM).
Also no significant difference was found (p=0.711876, two tailed ANOVA) between the time
(min) it took to finish running up and down a flight of stairs (2.847± 0.1987SEM) with no
supplement, (2.81± 0.1474 SEM) with Tums® and (2.993± 0.1427 SEM) with Cytomax®.
Introduction
After some physical activities, we start to breathe faster as we need more oxygen since
oxygen is main source of producing energy through aerobic method. However, our body
sometimes requires more energy production than our bodies can deliver oxygen. Then the
working muscles generate energies anaerobically. The energy comes from glucose through
glycolysis, and glucose is broken down into pyruvate through series of steps. When oxygen is
limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into lactate. This temporary energy source is
good for short term to cover up the energy needs, but it will eventually increase the acidity of the
muscle cells, and it will disrupt other metabolites. That means high lactate level will slow down
the key systems to maintain muscle contraction, and it will give some impact on physical activity
performances. Because high lactate level in muscle cells also increases the acidity, and metabolic
pathway that breaks down of glucose to energy will work poorly in this acidic environment.
Recent studies have shown that the effect of a lactic acid reducer will help to reduce high
lactate level and promote the better performance on humans. Polylactate and bicarbonate are
some compounds that are known to reduce lactic acid levels. Bicarbonate works by lowering the
acidy of blood by lowering the H+ ions in blood reducing lactic acid (Price, et al, 2010;
Achtzehn, et al, 2011). Polylactate works by disposal of lactic acid via oxidation results in
removal of H+ ions buffering lactic acid (Azevedo JL Jr, et al, 2007; Brown, et al, 2010).
Because bicarbonate and polylactate are lactate acid reducing agents, so they will increase the
specimen’s lactate threshold (Artioli, et al, 2011). In theory, increasing the lactate threshold
would allow individuals to do an exercise for a longer period of time and enhance better
performance.
Materials and Methods
Experimentation began on the week of November 4th, 2011 and data was collected at
Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. Lactate analyzers and lactate test strips are
provided by Biological Department of Saddleback College, and Cytomax® and Tums® are
purchased to be tested on human subjects. Ten human subjects are recruited and asked to run up
and down of the stairs located at Math & Science Building at Saddleback College. Experiments
are performed on Friday and Saturday morning for 3 weeks depends on the time availability of
each human subject. The experiments are separated into three tests. The first trial was running up
and down the stair with normal conditions. Each human subject was checked lactate level before
and after run the experiment.
The second trial was running up and down the stairs with consumption of Cytomax®. Each
human subject drank 10-12 fl-oz of water that is mixed with 25g (approximately 1 scoop) of
Cytomax®. After consumption of mixture of Cytomax®, each individual was waited for 30
minutes to be digested then checked the lactate level before and after running up and down the
stairs.
The last trial was running up and down the stairs with consumption of Tums®. Each human
subject took 2 tablets of Tums® (approximately 2000 mg of Calcium Carbonate from total of 2
tablets) and waited for 30 minutes to be digested. Then measured lactate level before and after
running up and down the stairs. Results of each trial were recorded individually with the time
and lactate level. Running time was measured on time watch and lactate level was measured on a
lactate meter, SCOUT®, with test strips.
Results
Lactated is produce during an activity like exercising or anything that cause you to move.
But the rate that it takes to be broken down changes when there is a lot more lactated present
causing a person to feel that burning feeling or cramping when they are in a physical activity.
Lactated was recorded for 10 test subjects who ran up and down a flight of stairs. Lactated levels
was measured prior the activity for no supplement, Cytomax® and Tums® and after the activity
(Table 1). No significant difference (p= 0.6634, two tailed ANOVA) was found between the
measure of lactate between taking no supplement, Tums and Cytomax (Figure 1).
In addition, the time that each subject was able to finish running up and down stairs was
recorded. The time that it took to run up and down stairs 10 times was compared between no
supplements, Tums® and Cytomax® (Table 1). No significant difference (p= 0.7118, two tailed
ANOVA) was found in the time it took to finish the run up and down the flight of stairs when
taking no supplements, Tums® and Cytomax® before the activity (Figure 2).
.
no
supplements
Cytomax
Tums
lactate level
(mmol•L-1)
5.09
run time
(min)
2.847
4.8
4.46
2.993
2.81
Table 1. Table displays the means values for lactated (mmol•L-1) and run times (min) between
no supplements, Cytomax® and Tums®.
Figure 1. There’s no different in the three supplements lactated level (p= 0.6340, two tailed
ANOVA. Error bars are mean ± SEM)
Figure 2. There’s no different in the three run times up and down stairs when taking any of the
three supplements (p= 0.711876, two tailed ANOVA. Error bars are mean ± SEM)
Discussion
In the study, no significant difference was established between the lactated levels and
activity time of the 10 subjects when taking no supplement, Tums® and Cytomax®. Although
the results. Although when taking the Tums® we did see an increase in the subject’s
performance, the results were not significantly different to those without supplements. This
demonstrates that there is no advantages in buy a performance drink like Cytomax® or any other
brand that tell you that it well improve your endurance or performance in a physical activity.
These results did not agree what were expected.
Price and Simons (2010) and artioli, et al (2007) showed the opposite results, showing that
the bicarbonate that in the tums would lower the pH because H+ would be used up by the
bicarbonate allowing the runner to run faster than normal. But in my test it did show that the test
subjects were able to run faster but in was insignificant to be a difference. Also in Fairbrother, et
al (2011) study showed how bicarbonate would lower the lactate level allowing for the test
subject to increase its level of intensity. That I also didn’t see in my experiment propyl because i
didn’t make my test subjects keep a constant intensity. Brown , et al (2010) study did show that
just because you lower the pH of blood doesn’t mean you’re going to get more performance but
you get a longer endurance and we did observed because all the test subjects didn’t look as tiered
as if they didn’t take and lactated reducer supplement.
But we also didn’t see any improvement with the poly-lactated chain that in Azevedo, et al
(2007) and Aydin (2005) study showed that the lactated levels of their test subject got reduce and
were able to performed better and longer. Because the poly-lactated chain would lower H+ and so
increasing the test subject lactated thresh hold allowing them to perform better. We so the
opposite it made them finish their activity longer and it brought up the lactated levels higher even
if the statistical analysis showed that it was insignificant. Although in Achtzehn, et al (2011)
study showed that lowering the H+ ion would allow a person to exercise in a higher intensity and
we did see our some our test subjects run quicker in our experiment even though it shows as an
insignificant.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Professor Steve Teh for his time, help and advice. In addition, we
thank Saddleback College Biological Sciences Department for allowing us to use their facilities
and for loaning the lactate meter, SCOUT® unit, and code 44, 58 test strips used in the study.
Finally, we appreciate the test subjects used in the experiment for the donation of their time and
efforts.
References Cited
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ingestion and high intensity exercise on lactate and H-ion distribution in different blood
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doi:10.1007/s00421-010-1800-4
Artioli, G., Benatti, F., Coelho, D., Gailey, A., Gualano, B., & Lancha Jr., A. (2007). Does
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Aydin, R. (2005). Conjugated Linoleic Acid: Chemical Structure, Sources and Biological
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