Analysis of Ergogenic Potential and Risks Associated With Acute and Chronic Use of Sulphonylureas on Physical Exercise

June 20, 2020 updated by: Jocelito Bijoldo Martins, Instituto de Cardiologia do Rio Grande do Sul
This study have like aim to examine whether insulin secretagogues have a potential ergogenic effect leading to a better exercise performance and post-exercise recovery in healthy individuals after a resistance training session. METHODS: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. The sample will consist of 44 men. Subjects will be randomly allocated (block randomization, www.randomizer.org) to the following groups: placebo (PFG, n=22) and sulphonylurea (GFS, n=22). The study will consist of 3 visits 7 days apart. On visit 1 the participants will ask to sign an informed consent form and will carry out medical evaluation with anthropometric assessment. At that visit they will perform a one-repetition maximum test of the upper limbs by using the horizontal bench press and of the lower limbs by using the 45º leg press. On visit 2, they will perform a second round of similar 1-RM tests to determine workloads for the study session [sulphonylurea (gliclazide) vs. placebo]. The experimental exercise session will be held on visits 3. Gliclazide modified release 60 mg (Diamicron® MR) or placebo (starch, sodium lauryl sulfate and Aerosil) will be orally administered as matched capsules (same color, flavor, smell and size) 8 hours before the beginning of exercise session, double-blind. In the experimental session, first, warm-up on the bench press and leg press, both with workload at 50% of 1-RM will be carried out. After a 2-minute rest, the resistance training session will be started. It will consist of 4 sets of bench press and leg press exercises at 65% of 1-RM with maximum repetitions until concentric failure. The bench press exercises will be followed by the leg press exercises with no interval between them. A 2-minute interval will allowed after each series of exercises. Measurements for heart rate (HR) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for Pain will be taken before, between each series of exercises and 24 and 48 hours after session. Venous blood samples will be obtained before, immediately after, 24 and 48 hours after, for determining serum levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme MM and lactate dehydrogenase. Capillary blood for glucose determination will be collected from the digital pulp using a glucometer before and immediately after. Resistance training volume will be calculated for each type of exercise as well as total training volume for each session as a product of exercise workload and number of series and repetitions.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

The use of performance-enhancing drugs is a major area of concern for high-performance athletes because it may lead to serious health problems. It is also quite concerning that these substances are also widely used without guidance among non-athletes for faster results and aesthetic reasons. Several substances used for doping in sports have well-established ergogenic and side effects. Studies have shown that insulin is used for its anabolic effects mostly among recreational and professional weightlifters and bodybuilders. Currently, insulin and its analogs are on the WADA list of prohibited substances for their anabolic effects mostly in muscle tissues and side effects. However, a class of drugs known as insulin secretagogues are used by some athletes to enhance performance. Few studies have examined the potential effects of insulin secretagogues, especially sulfonylureas, on exercise performance and post-exercise recovery among athletes as well as their potential side effects. Despite insufficient data supporting the use of insulin secretagogues as ergogenic supplement well as well its associated risks, these substances have been empirically used for both, acute and chronic effects among professional athletes and non-athletes. Thus, the present study have like aim to examine whether insulin secretagogues have a potential ergogenic effect leading to a better exercise performance and post-exercise recovery in healthy individuals after a resistance training session. METHODS: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. The sample will consist of 44 men, young adults, healthy and experienced in strength training and who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria specified. The sample calculation was determined by a pilot study conducted with 10 subjects, with strength performance as the primary outcome, using drug (Gliclazide) or placebo, taking into account a statistical power of 95% and a significance level of 5%. For this purpose, the GPower 3.1was used. Subjects will be randomly allocated (block randomization, www.randomizer.org) to the following groups: placebo (PFG, n=22) and sulphonylurea (GFS, n=22). The study will consist of 3 visits 7 days apart. On visit 1 the participants will ask to sign an informed consent form and will carry out medical evaluation with anthropometric assessment. At that visit they will perform a one-repetition maximum test of the upper limbs by using the horizontal bench press and of the lower limbs by using the 45º leg press. On visit 2, they will perform a second round of similar 1-RM tests to determine workloads for the study sessions [sulphonylurea (gliclazide) vs. placebo]. The experimental exercise session will be held on visit 3. The participants will ask to follow a personalized food intake plan prescribed by a skilled provider in the 24 hours proceeding both sessions. Gliclazide modified release (MR) or placebo will be orally administered as matched capsules (same color, flavor, smell and size) 8 hours before the beginning of exercise session. Gliclazide 60 mg (Diamicron® MR) or placebo (starch, sodium lauryl sulfate and Aerosil) will administered double-blind. Upon arrival at the study site, the participants will consum a pre-workout snack. The experimental protocol will start 30 minutes later. First, warm-up on the bench press and leg press, both with workload at 50% of 1-RM wil be carried out. After a 2-minute rest, the resistance training session will be started. It will consist of 4 sets of bench press and leg press exercises at 65% of 1-RM with maximum repetitions until concentric failure, with the execution speed of 2x2. The bench press exercises will be followed by the leg press exercises with no interval between them. A 2-minute interval will allowed after each series of exercises. Measurements for heart rate (HR) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for Pain will be taken before, between each series of exercises and 24 and 48 hours after session. Venous blood samples will be obtained before, immediately after, 24 and 48 hours after session for determining serum levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme MM and lactate dehydrogenase using a colorimetric enzymatic assay. Capillary blood for glucose determination will be collected from the digital pulp using a glucometer before and immediately after session. At the end of exercise session, a custom will be offered to prevent potential hypoglycemic events. Resistance training volume will be calculated for each type of exercise as well as total training volume for each session as a product of exercise workload and number of series and repetitions. The data will be present as means ± standard deviation (SD). Repeated measures ANOVA Two Way using Bonferroni post-hoc tests will be used for comparisons between the study drug and placebo over time. All data analyses will be carried out using SPSS 23.0 at a significance level of p<0.05.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

44

Phase

  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Rio Grande Do Sul
      • Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil, 90040-371
        • Recruiting
        • Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia/ Instituto de Cardiologia
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 30 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • continuously resistance-trained for 2 years or more
  • minimum frequency of 3 weekly sessions
  • preceding 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • self-reported acute or chronic use of drugs including anabolic androgenic steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers and exogenous insulin for the last 12 months
  • alcohol intake within 72 hours of the study intervention
  • injuries to bones and muscles preventing physical exercise
  • non-adherence to dietary recommendations as instructed by the research team

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Sulphonylurea Group
Gliclazide 60 mg (Diamicron® MR) will be orally administered as matched capsules (same color, flavor, smell and size) 8 hours before the beginning of exercise session.
Both groups will perform the resistance training protocol that will consist of a warm-up on the bench press and leg press, both with workload at 50% of 1-RM. After a 2-minute rest, the resistance training session will be started. It will consist of 4 sets of bench press and leg press exercises at 65% of 1-RM with maximum repetitions until concentric failure, with the execution speed of 2x2. The bench press exercises will be followed by the leg press exercises with no interval between them. A 2-minute interval will allowed after each series of exercises.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Group
Placebo (starch, sodium lauryl sulfate and Aerosil) will be orally administered as matched capsules (same color, flavor, smell and size) 8 hours before the beginning of exercise session.
Both groups will perform the resistance training protocol that will consist of a warm-up on the bench press and leg press, both with workload at 50% of 1-RM. After a 2-minute rest, the resistance training session will be started. It will consist of 4 sets of bench press and leg press exercises at 65% of 1-RM with maximum repetitions until concentric failure, with the execution speed of 2x2. The bench press exercises will be followed by the leg press exercises with no interval between them. A 2-minute interval will allowed after each series of exercises.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Resistance Training Performance
Time Frame: one week
The performance of resistance training will be measured by the volume of training. This measure is obtained by the total load performed by the subject, measured in kilograms (Kg), being a product of the number of repetitions x the number of series and the load lifted by repetition (volume of training (Kg) = workload (Kg) x Repetition (nº) x Series (nº)). (18. Correa CS, Cadore EL, Martins JB, Silva ER, Pinto RS, Oliveira AR, Kruel LFM. The effects of ibuprofen on muscle performance, worload and plasma creatine kinase during strength training session. Medicina Sportiva. 2012;16(1):17-21).
one week
Muscle Recovery Marker 1
Time Frame: one week
Serum levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme MM (CK-MM)
one week
Muscle Recovery Marker 2
Time Frame: one week
Serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
one week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Subjective Perception Pain
Time Frame: one week
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for Pain is a visual scale in which the subject reports how much pain the subject is feeling at the moment. This scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 means no pain and 10 means the greatest pain the subject has ever felt. It will be taken before, between each series of exercises and 24 and 48 hours after each session.The smaller the subjective sensation of pain, in this study, it will mean that recovery was faster and / or more effective.(16. Jensen M, Karoly P, Braver S. The measurement of clinical pain intensity: a comparision of six methods. Pain. 1986;27:117-26).
one week
Blood Glucose Concentration
Time Frame: one week
Capillary blood for blood glucose determination will be collected from the digital pulp using a glucometer (Free Style Optium) before and immediately after each session
one week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

August 1, 2020

Study Completion (Anticipated)

September 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 23, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 20, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

June 23, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 23, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 20, 2020

Last Verified

June 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 5649/19

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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