Betaine Supplementation Improves 60 km Cycling Time Trial Performance and One-Carbon Metabolism in Cyclists During Recovery
Study Details
This new study recruited 21 male and female cyclists to a crossover design study where they supplemented with…
1️⃣ Betaine (3 g/day)
2️⃣ Placebo
After 2-weeks supplementation, cyclists performed a 60-km cycling time trial ⏱️
Gut permeability and plasma metabolite changes were also assessed 🔍
Here is what they found ⬇️
Key Findings
Compared to placebo, betaine significantly improved time-trial performance (-1.41 min) ⏰
Alongside significant increases in plasma metabolites including…
👉 dimethylglycine
👉 sarcosine
👉 methionine
👉 S-adenosylhomocysteine
👉 alpha-ketoglutaramate
👉 5’methylthioadensone
Plus decreases in plasma carnitine and numerous acylcarnitines 📉
Gut permeability was unaffected by betaine ❌
Conclusion
Betaine supplementation modestly improves 60-km cycling performance ✅
This appears to be due to adaptations in the one-carbon metabolism pathway 🧬
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40944155/
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