Combined effects of caloric restriction and branched-chain amino acid supplementation on body composition and exercise performance in elite wrestlers

Twenty-five competitive wrestlers restricted their caloric intake (28 kcal . kg(-1). day(-1)) for 19 days, using a hypocaloric control (hC, n=6), hypocaloric high-protein (hHP, n=7), hypocaloric high-branched-chain amino acid (hBCAA, n=6), hypocaloric low-protein (hLP, n=6) diet to determine the effects of caloric restriction on body composition and performances versus control diet (C, n=6). Anthropometric parameters (weight, percent body fat) and adipose tissue (AT) distribution measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained before and after diet, were compared. A significant highest body weight loss (-4 kg, p<0.05) and decrease in the percent of body fat (-17.3%, p<0.05) were observed for subjects of the hBCAA group. Subjects of the hBCAA group exhibited a significant reduction (-34.4%, p<0.05) in abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT). There was no change in aerobic (VO(2)max) (p>0.75) and anaerobic capacities (Wingate test) (p>0.81), and in muscular strength (p>0.82). We conclude that under our experimental conditions, the combination of moderate energy restriction and BCAA supplementation induced significant and preferential losses of VAT, and allowed maintainance of a high level of performance.