The effect of food ration bar enriched with beta-alanine, L-arginine, and Nigella sativa on performance and inflammation following intense military training: A double-blind randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Background There are growing interests in using dietary supplements to improve athletic performance. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the food ration bar enriched with beta-alanine, L-arginine, and Nigella sativa on athletic performance and inflammation following intense military training. Methods This double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted on 54 new cadets. Eligible participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive food ration bars enriched with arginine (2 g/day), beta-alanine (2 g/day), and Nigella sativa (2 g/day) or nonenriched food ration bars during a 2-week military training. Aerobic and anaerobic performances were evaluated by the Cooper and RAST tests, respectively. Results A significant increase in anaerobic powers (min, mean, and max) and a significant reduction in fatigue index were observed in the intervention group as compared to the control group, even after the adjustment for confounding factors. Also, increased levels of hs-CRP and TNF-alpha following military training were significantly lower in the intervention group as compared to the control group (hs-CRP: 0.55 +/- 0.1 versus 2.43 +/- 0.1 mg/L; p-value: 0.01; TNF-alpha: 0.12 +/- 0.04 versus 0.62 +/- 0.04 pg/ml; p-value: 0.03). No significant changes were observed in VO2 max in both groups. Conclusions Our results showed that the combination of beta-alanine, L-arginine, and Nigella sativa can improve anaerobic performance and reduce inflammation following intense physical activities. Further studies with long-term duration are needed to confirm the cumulative/synergic effects of these ingredients in trained and nontrained subjects.