EFEITO DO CONSUMO AGUDO DO TERERÉ (Ilex paraguariensis) NO DESEMPENHO ANAERÓBIO DE ATLETAS COM DEFICIÊNCIA MOTORA: UM ESTUDO CLÍNICO RANDOMIZADO

Abstract

Introduction: The evolution of Paralympic sports has raised the level of competition, leading athletes, coaches, and researchers to seek alternatives for a competitive advantage. Athletes with disabilities face additional challenges due to reduced muscle mass and power, and in some cases, impaired posture, balance, and certain physical capacities. Tereré, a traditional beverage from Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraguay, has yerba mate as its main ingredient, which has ergogenic potential due to its considerable caffeine content. However, its effects have never been tested in athletes with disabilities. Objective: To evaluate the acute effects of Tereré (yerba mate) ingestion on the anaerobic performance of athletes with physical disabilities. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, crossover (with a 7- to 14-day washout period), placebo-controlled study approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee. Five male athletes were selected, with conditions including T11-T12 spinal cord injury (1), T3-T6 spinal cord injury (1), lower limb amputation (1), myelomeningocele (1), and cerebral palsy (1). The athletes competed in swimming, wheelchair basketball, canoeing, and amputee football. Participants were at least 16 years of age, actively participated in competitions (regional and national) for at least one year, and trained a minimum of three sessions per week. Data collection occurred on the same day of the week and at the same time. In the first visit (V1) at the Maria Aparecida Pedrossian University Hospital, participants' weight and height were measured, an anamnesis was conducted, they were familiarized with the test, received instructions about participating in the study, and were given a standardized food kit. In the second and third visits, conducted at the school gym, participants were randomly allocated to ingest either Tereré TrrEX or a placebo TrrPL. Data on food intake and caffeine consumption were collected via a 24-hour dietary recall and a questionnaire, respectively. After a two-hour fast (from food and water), the athletes underwent clinical assessments (blood pressure and heart rate) followed by the administration of the beverages (TrrEX or TrrPL). Sixty minutes after ingesting the beverage, participants performed a medicine ball throw test for three attempts. They then completed a 30-second adapted Wingate anaerobic test on an arm ergometer. Five minutes after the test, the athletes answered a mood questionnaire and provided their opinion on the condition they had consumed. Results: Ingestion of TrrEX did not lead to a statistically significant change in peak power (p= 0.96), mean power (p= 0.97), minimum power (p= 0.78), fatigue index (p= 0.27), or the distance of the medicine ball throw (p= 0.98) when compared to TrrPL. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the acute ingestion of Tereré did not have ergogenic effects on the anaerobic performance of athletes with physical disabilities.