Clinical prescription and use of opioids is a clear problem in large parts of the world and has the recent years received an increasing publicity in sports. This is in particular due to the World Anti-Doping Agency monitoring list, which reveal that endurance athletes utilize the opioid Tramadol frequently with the aim to enhance performance according to anecdotal evidence. Studies investigating the effect of tramadol on exercise performance in healthy humans is limited to one study in moderate trained subjects. However, this effect may be different in highly trained subjects due to the effects of chronic exercise. Furthermore, ingestion of tramadol may impact motor-cognitive performance and it remains unknown whether tramadol can be detected in highly trained subjects following exercise. In the present study the investigators apply a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled counterbalanced cross-over design to investigate whether tramadol treatment improves a preloaded cycling time trial performance, whether it affects motor-cognitive performance and whether it is detectable following exercise.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
16
Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
Copenhagen, Denmark
Power output
Mean power output during a 15-km time trial
Time frame: 30 minutes
Motor-cognitive performance
The motor-cognitive performance evaluated by mathematical calculations combined with the ability to pinch a certain force with the thumb and index finger
Time frame: 1 hour
Detection rate
The detection rate of tramadol following the exercise intervention measured before, immediately after as well as 6 and 24h after treatment
Time frame: 1 day
pH
The response of blood pH to exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Lactate
The response of blood lactate to exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Bicarbonate
The response of blood bicarbonate to exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Glucose
The response of blood glucose to exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Potassium
The response of blood potassium to exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Sodium
The response of blood sodium to exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Oxygen uptake
The response of systemic oxygen uptake during exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Pulmonary ventilation
The response of pulmonary ventilation during exercise performance.
Time frame: 90 min
Respiratory exchange ratio
The response of respiratory exchange ratio during exercise performance, calculated as the ratio between system oxygen uptake and systemic carbon monoxide production. The unit of measure is arbitrary.
Time frame: 90 min
Rate of Perceived Exertion
Measurement of the rate of perceived exertion by questionnaire during exercise performance using "The borg scale of perceived exertion", which range from 6 (minimum value) to 20 (maximum value). Higher values represent a higher perceived exertion.
Time frame: 90 min
Leg Pain
Measurement of the leg pain by questionnaire during exercise performance using the "10-point pain scale", which range from 0 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). Higher values represent a higher pain.
Time frame: 90 min
Heart rate
The response of heart rate to exercise performance
Time frame: 90 min
Power output during preload
Mean power output during a 60-min cycling exercise
Time frame: 60 min
Power output during time trial
The power output measured for each km of the time trial
Time frame: 30 min
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