Effects of Energy Drink on Hematological Parameters and Renal Function in Soccer Players

Background: According to the results of some studies, the pressure caused by playing soccer increases creatinine, urea and derivatives of white blood cells (leukocytes, monocytes and granulocytes), red blood cells and nitrates, and as a result, causes dysfunction (1, 5). Increased urea production during exercise indicates an increase in protein catabolism. Elevated serum levels and decreased urinary levels of urea after exercise indicate a decrease in renal function in the excretion of waste products due to strenuous exercise (6). Soccer players are advised to drink beverages before and during matches to reduce fatigue due to dehydration and muscle glycogen utilization (7), and to increase concentration, strength and endurance (8). Hype Energy Drink (HED) is a type of energy drink that is high in taurine and caffeine. Turin, the most abundant amino acid in type 2 muscle fibers, increases athletic strength and muscle hypertrophy (7), and aids in protein synthesis and muscle contraction. Caffeine also has high energy and many physiological effects, including increased plasma epinephrine concentrations, release and reabsorption of calcium by the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and increased muscle contraction (8). Due to the wide and growing market and the proposed benefits of energy drinks, several studies have examined the effect of different types of energy drinks on the quality of performance and functional variables of athletes. During a simulated game, Lara et al. Examined the effect of a caffeinated energy drink on improving the physical performance of female soccer players. The results showed that consumption of caffeinated energy drinks increased jump height, mean peak running speed and total running distance (9). Del Cozo et al. Showed that consuming 3 mg / kg of caffeine as an energy drink increases the speed and physical performance of elite rugby players (10, 11). Arazi et al. Also examined the effect of energy drinks before exercise on performance indicators and blood lactate of elite badminton players. The results showed that aerobic performance in energy drink group significantly improved, while changes in strength, muscle endurance, speed, agility and anaerobic power among energy drink and the placebo groups were not significant (12). Despite emerging evidence about the influence of energy drinks on the quality of athletes' performance, there is little information about their effects on exercise activities-induced damage renal and hematological markers after long-term activities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of hype energy drink (HED) to ameliorate hematological indices and renal function induced by a simulated soccer game. Methods: A total of 22 trained male soccer players were recruited to this study to determine whether HED improve post exercise hematological and renal Parameters. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled with repeated measurement design of HED versus placebo drink. First, a briefing session was held to explain the research protocol. Age, height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were recorded during the briefing session. Twenty-two participants (age 20.36 ± 1.91) performed two experimental conditions, separated by a 14-day washout period. In order to avoid daily effects, both trial sessions were held in the early evening hours. Once, participants consumed HED (2 servings of 250 ml per day) for 5 days before the soccer match, on race day and one day post-race. HED contains 99.1 kcal, carbohydrates (24.8 g), protein and fat (1 g), taurine (1000 mg), caffeine (75 mg), glucuronolactone (600 mg), vitamins (niacin, panthenol), Inositol, B6, B12, flavoring and coloring (caramel, riboflavin). In the latter condition, the placebo drink was prepared by an agri-food expert decaffeinated and taurine-free containing 50 mg / L sodium saccharin and 2.5 mg / L vitamin C powder supplement. It should be noted that both energy drinks and placebos were isocaloric. Players were instructed to drink one serving with breakfast and one with their evening meal. Measurements of hematological (hemoglobin mass, hematocrit percentage and red and white blood cell counts) and renal (urea and creatinine) indices were taken in 4 steps, including at baseline, pre-race, post-race, and 24 hours postrace. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS using two-way repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at the significance level of P=0.05. Results: All 22 players completed the study. At the beginning of the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in age, height, weight and BMI. It was also found that there was no statistically significant difference between the study variables (hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cell, erythrocyte, urea and creatinine) at the beginning of the study (p <0.05).The results showed that there was a significant difference between the levels of urea and creatinine between the two conditions of HED and placebo consumption from post-race to 24 h post-race (p<0.001). Also, consumption of energy drinks reduced all hematological parameters 24 hours after the soccer match. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that there was a significant difference in the variable levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, red and white blood cells between the results of 5 days before - post-test, pre-test - post-test and post-test - follow-up in terms of energy drink. But at other times there was no significant difference. Therefore, it can be concluded that the consumption of energy drinks can significantly reduce the damage caused by physical activity and accelerate the recovery period in soccer players by significantly reducing hematological parameters. Intense and intermittent physical activity causes skeletal muscle damage, weakness and swelling, and subsequently triggers immune responses, particularly changes in white blood cell counts and changes in cytokine activation (23). The cause of muscle damage can be attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS is a major factor in the regulation of cellular and physiological functions that affect different signals or act as a signaling molecule. Intense activity increases skeletal muscle contractile activity and increases ROS production. In this regard, there is evidence that energy drink consumption can reduce immune responses, oxidative stress and ROS caused by exercise (22, 24). However, the mechanism of the effect of energy drink consumption on blood parameters and immune responses is not well understood. The results of the present study also showed that there was a significant difference in the variable levels of urea and creatinine between the results of 5 days before - pre-test, 5 days before - post - test, and post - test - follow-up in terms of energy drinks. But in other times, there was no significant difference, so it can be concluded that the consumption of energy drinks can reduce the damage caused by physical activity by significantly reducing the indicators of kidney damage. Different results have been presented regarding the level of creatinine excretion in the blood after exercise and supplementation. Overall, blood creatinine levels appear to increase after exercise and supplementation. Intense exercise leads to the production of large amounts of lactic acid in the blood, which significantly impairs kidney purification, followed by an increase in creatinine in the blood. Unlike electrolytes, many metabolic waste products, such as urea and creatinine, accumulate in proportion to the number of degraded nephrons in the body. This is because the excretion of substances such as urea and creatinine depend to a large extent on glomerular filtration and the reabsorption of these substances is not as great as the reabsorption of electrolytes (6). In conclusion, the results of this study showed that consumption of hype energy drink reduces the levels of some renal function enzymes such as urea and creatinine and lowers the levels of some hematological variables such as white and red blood cells, hematocrit and hemoglobin, accelerates the recovery period, and improves the performance of soccer players in the 24 hours after the match.