Results (cont’d) Results. Abstract Methods Methods (cont’d) Purpose Conclusions Author: Connie Fair Faculty Sponsor: J. R. Wilson, Ph.D Exercise Science Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX The Effects of an Energy Drink on Performance INTRODUCTION: Athletes and individuals alike are always in search of something to increase their ability to perform. Caffeine is not a new substance to sports and has been shown, in some studies, to help performance. Energy drinks have become a major source of caffeine consumption in recent years. With the increase in consumption come questions as to whether these drinks will actually live up to their claims of increased energy, concentration, performance and reduced reaction time. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine how an energy drink, specifically Red Bull, affects performance as measured by an individual’s rate of perceived exertion, heart rate, blood lactate levels, and distance traveled over time (30 min). METHODS: Three women and three men from the UTA Kinesiology department volunteered to participate in this study (23±1 yrs). Each subject had their body composition assessed utilizing a three site skinfold. The three sites utilized were triceps, suprailiac, and thigh (females) and chest, abdominal, and thigh (males). Each subject then performed a thirty minute bike ride at 70% of their age-predicted heart rate max with either the control beverage (C), Canada Dry Ginger Ale, or the Red Bull energy drink (RB). The subjects had their blood lactate (BLa) measured before and after the test. During the test an initial heart rate (HR) was taken and then HR, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and distance traveled (DT) were recorded every ten minutes for the entirety of the thirty minutes. RESULTS: When looking at the Pre-BLa C (3.55±0.68) versus the Post-BLa C (5.03±0.94) there was a significant difference (p=0.036). There was also a significant difference (p=0.017) between the two conditions for initial HR (RB: 83.50±6.50; C: 95.33±7.33). The difference in RPE between 10 min C (9.83±1.89) and 20 min C (10.50±2.00) was significant (p=0.025) as was the difference in RPE between 20 min C (10.50 ±2.00) and 30 min C (11.50±2.00; p = 0.041). While there was no significant difference between the distance traveled between RB and C, when gender was taken into account the females showed a significant difference (p=0.032) between 30 min DT RB (16.37±2.31) and 30 min DT C (14.43±1.96). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that Red Bull affects some aspects of performance including initial heart rate, rate of perceived exertion, and total distance traveled in females. The purpose of this study was to determine how an energy drink, specifically Red Bull, affects performance as measured by an individual’s rate of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate (HR), blood lactate levels (BLa), and distance traveled (DT) over time (30 min). Participants: Six UTA Kinesiology students volunteered to participate in the study. Three males and three females. Age, height, weight, and percent body fat were assessed. The percent body fat was estimated using the three site skinfold. Men had their skinfolds assessed at the chest, abdominal, and thigh sites while women had their skinfolds assessed at the triceps, suprailiac, and thigh sites. The participants characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Protocol: On the initial visit the participant completed necessary documentation and a caffeine use questionnaire. The participant then had their age, height, weight, and three site skinfold assessed. The participant was randomly assigned either the control “no name energy drink”, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, or the Red Bull energy drink. All participants were told that both beverages were energy drinks though only one, the Red Bull, had caffeine. The participant drank their respective beverage and waited 20 minutes before completing a warm-up of light cycling. Following the completion of the warm-up the first blood lactate (BLa) measurement was taken. The participant then completed a thirty minute bike ride at 70% of their age predicted maximum heart rate. Heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion(RPE), and distance traveled(DT) were collected every ten minutes for the entirety of the thirty minute ride. At the end of the ride the participant had BLa measured again. The participant came back on a second day to complete the bike ride with the opposite beverage than their previous visit so each participant completed the ride with both beverages. At the completion of the study each participant was informed that only one beverage actually had caffeine in it and that the information wasn’t shared with them earlier to prevent any undue bias. Table 1. Participant Characteristics VariableM±SD Age (yrs)23±1 Height (in)69.6±4.08 Weight(kg)82.1±9.70 % Body Fat21.1±4.14 Instrumentation: The instruments utilized in this study were the Monarck Cycle Ergomenter, Polar Heart Rate Monitor, and the Accusport Lactate Analyzer. Statistical Analysis: A t-test was utilized to evaluate the data collected. The means and SD for the performance variables evaluated during the study are summarized in Table 2. Significance (p=0.036) was found when looking at the Pre- BLa C (3.55±0.68) versus the Post-BLa C (5.03±0.94). A significant difference (p=0.017) was also seen between the two conditions for initial HR (RB: 83.50±6.50; C: 95.33±7.33). The difference in RPE between 10 min C (9.83±1.89) and 20 min C (10.50±2.00) was significant (p=0.025) as was the difference in RPE between 20 min C (10.50 ±2.00) and 30 min C (11.50±2.00; p = 0.041). While there was no significant difference between the distance traveled between RB and C, when gender was taken into account the females showed a significant difference (p=0.032) between 30 min DT RB (16.37±2.31) and 30 min DT C (14.43±1.96). This is visually represented in Figure 1. Table 2. Performance Variables For All Participants (Means ±SD) ControlRed Bull BLa (mmol/L) Pre3.55± ±0.61 Post5.03± ±2.77 HR (bpm) Initial95.33± ± min138±2.0138± min138.83± ± min139.33± ±3.44 RPE 10 min9.83± ± min10.50± ± min11.50± ±1.83 DT (km) 10 min4.75± ± min9.45± ± min14.20± ±2.33 From the present research it can be concluded that the energy drink Red Bull does affect some aspects of performance. It is most effective in increasing the total distance traveled in females as seen in the data in Fig 1. The energy drink also most notably affected the RPE. The Red Bull trial elicited a lower RPE in comparison to the control trial.