The goal of this clinical trial is to compare betaine supplementation to placebo in firefighters undergoing live burn training regarding thermoregulation and inflammation. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does betaine supplementation mitigate rises in core temperature during firefighter live burn training? * Does betaine supplementation decrease inflammation from firefighter training? * Does betaine supplementation increase total body water stores? Participants will supplement with betaine for 1 month and complete: * Total Body Water measures * Body Composition measures * Live Burn training with Core Temperature Measurements * Provide Salivary samples
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
17
3 grams per day for \~4 weeks
3 grams per day for \~4 weeks
Institute of Sports Science and Medicine
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Thermoregulation
Core temperature (Degrees C), skin temperature (Degrees C)
Time frame: 10 minutes before the live burn, during the ~15 minute live burn, 10, 20, and 30 minutes after the live burn.
Stress (enzyme linked immunoassays)
Salivary expression of Testosterone, Cortisol, interleukin-8, and interleukin 6 will be measured.
Time frame: before, immediately after, 10 minutes, and 20 minutes after live burn
Stress (respiration efficiency)
Air tank pounds per square inch (PSI) will be recorded
Time frame: immediately before and immediately after the completion of the live burn
Sweat Rate
Changes in body weight in kg will be used to find loss of sweat in L
Time frame: immediately before and immediately after the completion of the live burn
Sweat Content
Tegaderm patches will be worn during the live burn to analyze sodium concentration in sweat.
Time frame: immediately before and immediately after the completion of the live burn
Subjective measures
Visual analog scales will be given to participants for subjective thermal sensation, rate of perceived exertion, and thirst
Time frame: immediately before and immediately after the completion of the live burn
Chronic Stress (enzyme linked immunoassays)
Saliva will be analyzed for testosterone, cortisol, uric acid, and c-reactive protein
Time frame: Before supplementation and after 4 weeks of supplementation
Chronic Stress (vitals) professional firefighters.
Resting blood pressure in mmHg and heart rate in beats per minute will be measured.
Time frame: Before supplementation and after 4 weeks of supplementation
Fluid Compartment Volumes (Bioelectrical Impedance Spectrocopy) professional firefighters.
Intracellular fluid volume (L), extracellular fluid volume (L), plasma volume (L), total body water (L)
Time frame: Before supplementation and after 4 weeks of supplementation
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