Phosphate loading and exercise performance - Texas A&M University (TAMU) Scholar

The dietary supplementation of phosphorus has been a common nutritional strategy employed by athletes in an attempt to improve exercise performance over 70 years. Reports have suggested that the short-term supplementation of phosphate may: 1) elevate extracellular and intracellular phosphate concentrations promoting a phosphate-stimulated glycolysis; 2) attenuate anaerobic threshold; 3) increase the availability of phosphate for oxidative phosphorylation and creatine phosphate synthesis; 4) enhance 2,3-DPG synthesis promoting a reduced oxyhemoglobin affinity at a given oxygen tension; 5) affect myocardial and cardiovascular responses to exercise; 6) increase peripheral extraction of oxygen; 7) increase anaerobic threshold and maximal oxygen uptake; and 8) improve endurance exercise performance and/or efficiency. However, many of the proposed physiological responses to short- term phosphate supplementation have not been consistently reported in the literature. The purpose of this review is to critically examine the literature with respect to the effects of phosphate loading on exercise performance in order to evaluate the potential ergogenic value of phosphate supplementation in asymptomatic and symptomatic populations.

Phosphate loading and exercise performance Academic Article