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Background and objectives: Appropriate nutrition is an essential prerequisite for effective improvement of athletic performance, conditioning, recovery from fatigue after exercise, and avoidance of injury. Nutritional supplements containing carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals have been widely used in various sporting fields to provide a boost to the recommended daily allowance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute L-carnitine supplementation on anaerobic threshold and lactate accumulation during incremental exercise. Materials and methods: The study was double-blind, randomized and crossover in design. The subjects were 12 randomly selected active male physical education students, 21.75±0.64 years old, with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.7±0.94, divided into 2 groups. They received orally either 2g of L-carnitine dissolved in 200 ml water plus 6 drops of lemon juice or a placebo (6 ml lemon juice dissolved in 200 ml water) 90 minutes before they began exercise on treadmill. They performed a modified protocol of Conconi test to exhaustion. Plasma lactate concentrations were recorded at rest and immediately after the test. One-way analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that lactate accumulation immediately after exercise in the L-carnitine group (3.870±0.19) was significantly lower (p=0.000) than in the placebo (6.080±0.58) group. In addition, the intervention led to a higher increase (p=0.000) in the maximum oxygen consumption (50.54±1.48), as compared to the placebo group (45.16±1.51). The data also showed that the length of time required to reach the anaerobic threshold was higher in the L-carnitin group (19.14±0.65, vs 16.00±0.28 for the placebo group). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to the respiratory exchange ratio. Conclusion: L-carnitine supplementation seems to cause a reduction in the blood lactate accumulation and delay anaerobic threshold in an incremental exercise, resulting in improved performance.

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Background and Objectives: Long-term endurance training improves the rheological parameters during the rest and exercise time. Increased blood fluidity as a result of consuming garlic can boost these beneficial effects, and therefore, can increase endurance performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of consuming garlic supplement on aerobic performance in non-athlete men. Materials and Methods: 20 healthy, non-athlete men were randomly selected and divided into two groups: supplement (mean age, 24.2 ± 1.2 years) or placebo (mean age, 23.6 ± 2.1 years). Subjects in both groups completed the Cooper Test. Then one group received garlic supplement (in the form of capsules, 500 mg, Nature Made, America) (n=10), and the other group received placebo ((in the form of capsules, 500 mg of glucose) (n=10 ). Next they were asked to take capsules after each breakfast and dinner for 7 days. On the eighth day, the subjects performed the Cooper Test again. In order to analysis the data, the researcher used t-test. In all tests, the significance level was considered as p < 0.05 . Results: The results showed that means of subjects' running distance of the two groups before supplementation were not significantly different (p=0.91) But after taking garlic supplements or placebo for 7 days, a significant difference was observed (p=0.007) as well as, Supplementation with garlic supplements for 7 days resulted in a significant difference in peak oxygen consumption compared with that of the placebo group (p=0.007). Conclusion: In conclusion, according to the findings of this study, it seems short-term consumption of garlic has a significant effect on aerobic performance in non-athlete men. Keywords: Non-athlete men, Maximum consumed oxygen, Garlic, Exercise performance