Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate whether a protein hydrolysate enriched in branched chain amino acids and antioxidants, trace and mineral elements, and vitamins would affect performance and fatigue. Eighteen sportsmen underwent testing before and after 28 days supplementation with either treatment in protein hydrolysate or placebo. Testing included exhaustive aerobic and anaerobic exercises with determination of blood lactate concentration through exercise and recovery and antioxidant status, but also measurements of maximal oxidative capacity (V·max) and citrate synthase activity (CS) from a resting muscle biopsy. Protein hydrolysate resulted in a significant decrease in fatigue indices, without affecting performances. A significant increase in enzymatic antioxidant and a decrease in oxidative damage were observed at rest after treatment but not with a placebo. Decrease in maximal blood lactate and improvement of blood lactate removal were only observed after protein hydrolysate treatment. Furthermore, CS increased significantly, whereas no change was observed in V·max. In conclusion, this protein hydrolysate treatment induced adaptations that may promote a decrease in fatigue during exercises, potentially explained by changes in parameters used to represent oxidative damage and antioxidant status at rest and changes in lactate metabolism.