Nitric oxide (NO)可促進血管舒張，前驅物為精胺酸，運動期間增加的NO合成可促進運動期間的血管擴張。乳酸與氨的累積是造成疲勞的原因之一，補充精胺酸可能可以減少運動期間氨的堆積。本研究目的為探討於休息期間補充精胺酸與支鏈胺機酸對後續跆拳道運動表現的影響，並探討測試期間受質利用的改變。本研究採用交叉實驗設計，每位受測者進行3次測試，共8名男性跆拳道選手，在2次休息期間，分別攝取醣類 1 g/kg (CHO trial)、醣類 1 g/kg、0.1 g/kg arginine and 0.1 g/kg BCAA (leucine:isoleucine:valine = 2:1:1) (CHO+AA trial)、醣類1.2 g/kg (CHO+CHO trial)。CHO+AA trial在3次運動測試期間總做功顯著高於其他2 trials，CHO+CHO trial的總做功亦高於CHO trial。CHO+AA trial 血糖曲線下面積顯著低於其他2 trials，胰島素濃度曲線下面積則顯著高於其他2 trials。本研究顯示，補充精胺酸與支鏈胺機酸可增加對後續跆拳道運動的表現，可能機轉為精胺酸與支鏈胺機酸增加胰島素反應，增加肝醣恢復。
Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent endothelium-derived vasodilator synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) using arginine as the precursor. Exercise-induced NO production could result in improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation. The accumulations of lactate and ammonia have been shown to be involved in the development of muscular fatigue due to the increased muscular acidity. The acute oral supplementation of arginine could also decrease exercise-induced ammonia. The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of arginine and BCAA supplementations during recovery period on subsequent exercise bouts after high-intensity intermittent exercise in Taekwondo athletes. The substrate utilization during the period was also examined. This study uses a randomized and cross-over design. Each subject underwent 3 trials, separated by a 2-week wash-out period. Each trial contained 3 exercise tests with a 2-hr recovery period between each exercise test. Eight male Taekwondo athletes were recruited. In each of the 2 recovery periods, the subjects consumed 1 g/kg body weight carbohydrate (CHO trial), 1 g/kg carbohydrate plus 0.1 g/kg arginine and 0.1 g/kg BCAA (leucine:isoleucine:valine = 2:1:1) (CHO+AA trial), or 1.2 g/kg carbohydrate (CHO+CHO trial, isocaloric to CHO+AA trial). CHO+AA trial showed significantly higher accumulated work during the 3 test periods than the other 2 trials. CHO+CHO trial also had significantly higher accumulated work than CHO trial. The area under the curve (AUC) of plasma glucose during the entire study period was significantly lower in CHO+AA trial, compared to the other 2 trials. CHO+AA trial also showed significantly higher AUC of plasma insulin during the entire period than the other 2 trials. The results of this study suggested that supplementation of arginine and BCAA, in combination with glucose, could improve intermittent high-intensity exercise performance. One of the potential mechanism is better glucose recovery as CHO+AA trial had higher insulin response and lower plasma glucose during the entire study period.