The effects of ASEA on recovery from a single bout of resistance training and subsequent performance

Abstract

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the feeling of discomfort within the skeletal muscle occurring after a bout of unaccustomed exercise.  In an attempt to recover quicker from the effects of DOMS, many individuals turn to supplements and recovery beverages.  The purpose of this study was to determine if the dietary supplement/recovery beverage ASEA could alleviate the pain and discomfort commonly associated with DOMS as well as enhance participants’ recovery performance during three sets of total body weight lifting to failure.  A counterbalanced, double blind, placebo controlled, repeated measures protocol was performed with 7 healthy, college aged, male volunteers.  The protocol consisted of two trials of six lifts (seated up-right bench press, supine hip extension, seated elbow flexion, seated knee extension, seated back row, and prone knee flexion) separated by 24 hrs under one condition.  Six days later, participants repeated the protocol under the other condition.  Effectiveness of ASEA was measured against placebo using: 1) paired samples t-tests (alpha = 0.05), for total number of combined lifts completed; 2) difference of number of lifts from Day 1 to Day 2; 3) subjective ratings of exertion; 4) muscular soreness; 5) and perceived recovery. ASEA was ineffective in improving performance or recovery compared to the placebo in any of the parameters tested: total repetitions on Day 2 (A: 189 ± 31 reps; P: 180 ± 29 reps; p = 0.37); difference in two day number of lifts (A: 16 ± 21 reps; P: 21 ± 9 reps; p = 0.57); session RPE (Day 1: p = 0.77; Day 2: p = 0.69); difference in muscle soreness (Day 1: A: 31 ± 20; P: 34 ± 27; p = 0.73; Day 2: A: 12 ± 11; P: 18 ± 11; p = 0.64); perceived recovery (A: 6 ± 2; P: 5 ± 2; p = 0.26).  The results of this study suggest that ASEA does not alleviate DOMS symptoms or enhance recovery in the manner and population tested in this study.