Geriatrics Institute, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Bruce W. Carter Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA.
Nutrition. 2012 Mar;28(3):225-9. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2011.10.009. Epub 2011 Dec 20.
Ergogenic dietary aids might be useful adjunctive therapy to enhance the effects of exercise in the elderly, who lose physical function with age. Many such aids have been tested in athletes and untrained younger persons in laboratory and athletic performance settings, with positive results, although not all studies have demonstrated benefit. Some substances have been tested in the elderly, including creatine, caffeine, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, ubiquinone, and carnitine. The published medical evidence for the use of these substances is considered in this review article. All studies have involved a few subjects for a short period. Studies of creatine alone or together with exercise in old persons have yielded mixed results. These studies have confirmed that creatine in older individuals, as in younger individuals, can increase the short-term capacity to perform quick, repeated episodes of intense activity. An investigation of caffeine has suggested that in older as in younger individuals, caffeine increases endurance but may not improve other parameters of exercise capacity. Evidence has implied β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate can increase the ability to perform certain short-term activities requiring strength, but not others. Carnitine has been reported to decrease fatigue and increase endurance in older persons. An investigation of ubiquinone has shown no benefit. Further testing has involved the combinations of agents, such as creatine and caffeine, and combinations of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, showing some small improvements in physical function. Future research with these and potentially other combinations over a longer duration will be needed to establish the safety and efficacy of ergogenic dietary aids.
运动营养补剂可能是一种有用的辅助疗法，可以增强老年人的运动效果，因为老年人随着年龄的增长会失去身体机能。许多这样的补剂已经在运动员和未经训练的年轻人身上进行了实验室和运动表现环境的测试，结果是积极的，尽管并非所有研究都表明有益。一些物质已经在老年人中进行了测试，包括肌酸、咖啡因、β-羟基-β-甲基丁酸、泛醌和肉碱。本文综述了这些物质的使用的已发表的医学证据。所有研究都只涉及少数短期研究对象。单独使用肌酸或与运动一起在老年人中进行的研究得出的结果喜忧参半。这些研究证实，肌酸在老年人中的作用与在年轻人中一样，可以增加短期快速、重复剧烈活动的能力。对咖啡因的研究表明，在老年人和年轻人中，咖啡因都可以提高耐力，但可能不会改善运动能力的其他参数。有证据表明，β-羟基-β-甲基丁酸可以提高进行某些需要力量的短期活动的能力，但不能提高其他能力。有报道称，肉碱可以减少老年人的疲劳并提高耐力。对泛醌的研究表明没有益处。进一步的测试涉及联合使用药剂，如肌酸和咖啡因，以及β-羟基-β-甲基丁酸的联合使用，显示出在身体机能方面有一些微小的改善。需要进行更长时间的这些和潜在其他组合的进一步研究，以确定运动营养补剂的安全性和有效性。
