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The effects of the 5-HT2C agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine on elite athletes with unexplained underperformance syndrome (overtraining)
  1. R Budgett1,
  2. N Hiscock2,
  3. R Arida2,
  4. L M Castell2
  1. 1Olympic Medical Institute, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford, UK
  2. 2Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
  1. Correspondence to: Linda M Castell, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HG, UK; lindy.castell{at}nda.ox.ac.uk

Abstract

A possible link between the neurotransmitter, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), plasma tryptophan, and branched chain amino acids concentration and exercise-induced fatigue is described by the central fatigue hypothesis. 5-HT receptors and neuroendocrine “challenge” tests, using prolactin release as an indirect measure of 5-HT activity were studied by recent investigations. In the present study, the original hypothesis about the role of amino acids in increasing brain 5-HT with a neuroendocrine challenge test on elite athletes diagnosed with unexplained, underperformance syndrome (UUPS) was combined. There was an apparent increased sensitivity of 5-HT receptors in athletes with UUPS compared with fit, well-trained controls, as measured via increased prolactin release following a bolus dose of m-chlorophenylpiperazine , a 5-HT agonist. No changes were observed in plasma amino acid concentrations in either group. There is evidence that well-trained athletes have a reduced sensitivity of 5-HT receptors. The present study suggests that this adaptation may be lost in athletes with UUPS: this might explain some of their observed symptoms.

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.

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