Background

Betaine, a compound isolated from molasses during sugar beet refinement, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and has been reported to have beneficial effects on hormones associated with nonfunctional overreaching (NFOR; a state in which the balance between training fatigue and recovery skews towards fatigue). As such, betaine supplementation may offset the development of NFOR by mitigating the inflammatory response to chronic strenuous exercise.

The study

In this 14-week randomized controlled trial, 29 professional youth soccer players (mean age of 15 years) took capsules containing either 2 grams of betaine or a placebo.

The outcomes of interest were tumor necrosis factor alpha (a proinflammatory marker), interleukin-1 beta (a proinflammatory marker), interleukin-6 (which has both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties), and complete blood cell count.

The results

After 14 weeks, compared to placebo, betaine supplementation reduced all three inflammatory markers by 24–40%, whereas the placebo did not have any statistically significant effects. Betaine supplementation also prevented an increase in white blood cell count that was observed in the placebo group.

The above changes occurred despite both groups reporting a similar internal workload, consuming similar energy and macronutrients, and having similar levels of fatigue, stress, and sleep.

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This Study Summary was published on July 2, 2021.