During sustained exercise, BCAAs are taken up by the muscles HDAC inhibitor and their plasma concentration decreases. Decreased plasma BCAAs levels may lead to an increased plasma free tryptophan/BCAAs ratio, thus favoring the transport of tryptophan into the brain and consequently the synthesis of 5-HT. The subsequent production of serotonin could be responsible for the feeling of fatigue during and after sustained exercise. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that BCAAs supplementation during prolonged

exercise may decrease central fatigue via reduced tryptophan uptake and 5-HT synthesis in the brain [4]. Indeed, because BCAAs and free tryptophan are GANT61 transported into the brain by the same carrier system, BCCAs supplementation during exercise would decrease the plasma free tryptophan/BCAAs ratio. This would i) dampen the transport of tryptophan into the brain, ii) impede the subsequent synthesis and release of 5-HT, and consequently iii) reduce or delay the feeling of fatigue during and Blebbistatin after sustained exercise

Caffeine ingestion might also affect central fatigue [38]. Human experiments have revealed that caffeine induces increases in central excitability, maximal voluntary activation, maximal voluntary force production and spinal excitability (for review, see Kalmar and Cafarelli [23]). The effect of caffeine on the central nervous system could be via its action on the blockage of adenosine receptors at concentrations in the micromolar range [23]. Stimulation of adenosine receptors induces an inhibitory effect on central excitability. The present results show that concomitantly, CHOs, BCAAs and caffeine supplementation reduce central fatigue and RPE. Nevertheless, it is impossible in the present case to distinguish the individual contribution of each of them (CHOs, BCAAs and caffeine) in the positive effect of the sports drink on central fatigue and RPE. The decrease in %VA (%VA changes were considered as indexes of central fatigue) is similar

to the deficit observed in previous studies involving running exercises of comparable duration [39] and was only slightly, although significantly improved by the energy drink. The moderate influence on %VA could be explained by the fact that at least part of the decrease in %VA after prolonged running exercise has been second attributed to the inhibitory effect if afferent fibers [40]. In particular, this could be due to reduced motoneurone excitability or to presynaptic inhibition, probably resulting from thin afferent fiber (group III-IV) signaling which may have been sensitized by the production of pro-inflammatory mediators produced during prolonged running exercise (e.g. [41]). Group III-IV afferent fibers may also contribute to the submaximal output from the motor cortex [42]. It is not known whether SPD had an effect on inflammation in the present study since no pro-inflammatory markers were assessed.