Ergogênicos nutricionais e desempenho no rugby: revisão sistemática

Abstract

Objective: To present nutritional ergogenic aids investigated by scientific research involving rugby players and their performance in trainings and matches. Methods: A systematic review was carried out through Pubmed database in January 2013 with the following key-words: rugby, supplementation, carbohydrate, protein, amino acid and caffeine isolated and/or combined. In the analyses, only original studies published in the last 10 years were considered. Results: Fifty-three articles were found in the initial search. After screening the title and abstract, 35 papers were excluded. Caffeine and creatine were the most tested supplements and they represented 50% of the papers analyzed. Others supplements, like β-alanine, bicarbonate, carbohydrate, HMB and Tribulus terrestris also were experimented and comprised the others 50% of the analyzed works. Only caffeine and creatine showed positive effects on performance measurements. Conclusion: Both caffeine and creatine can improve performance in rugby players under severe word load. On the other hand, alcohol consumption has ergolytic effect.