Metabolic and Body Composition Changes in Ice Hockey Players Using an Ergogenic Drug (Cytoflavin)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Performance in sports is determined by technical, tactical, psychological, and social factors and physiological characteristics of an athlete. Hockey players’ anthropometric indicators such as the ideal level of muscle mass and body fat of athletes correlate with their performance. In team sports, the use of ergogenic drugs for recovery is relevant to avoid athletes’ overtraining. The aim of the work was to assess the effect of Cytoflavin consumption on body composition and aerobic performance in professional ice hockey players. The results of the study showed that Cytoflavin exerts a positive effect on performance parameters. Our research can contribute to changing the approach to improving and maintaining the effectiveness of sports training and achieving maximum per-formance in physical activity. ABSTRACT: Background and objectives: In ice hockey, the major physical workload comes from acceleration in all planes of motion and transitions between skating trajectories. Hockey players’ anthropometric characteristics correlate with performance. In team sports, the use of ergogenic drugs for recovery is relevant to avoid athletes’ overtraining. It is very important to protect athletes’ health and allow them to maintain high-performance levels. Cytoflavin is an ergogenic drug whose action is based on the combined effects of its active ingredients (succinic acid, inosine, nicotinamide and riboflavin), which are naturally occurring metabolites that stimulate tissue respiration. The study aimed to assess the 6-week Cytoflavin consumption effects on body composition (body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage and bioimpedance phase angle) and aerobic performance. Methods: This study included 60 male professional hockey players (aged 19 to 36 years) divided into two groups of 30 subjects: group I (body weight 87.90 ± 7.44 kg, BMI 25.86 ± 2.04 kg/m(2)) and group II (body weight 87.04 ± 6.22 kg, BMI 25.52 ± 2.38 kg/m(2)). Athletes in group I received Cytoflavin, whereas athletes in group II did not. Results: In group I, statistically significant reductions in body weight and body mass index were not observed until 14 and 35 days, respectively. In contrast, in group II, both body weight and BMI significantly decreased both times. Aerobic performance significantly increased in both groups, with significantly greater increases in group I. Conclusions: Cytoflavin can be considered an ergogenic drug that improves body composition parameters, especially in the control of weight reduction and improvement in aerobic performance.