A second objective was to assess the effects of short-term ANA supplementation on heart rate and blood pressure. We hypothesized that ANA would attenuate losses in muscular strength and improve the recovery of the hanging joint angle, relaxed arm circumference, and subjective pain ratings due to its potential anti-inflammatory properties. We also hypothesized that ANA supplementation would result in moderate

decreases in blood pressure and small increases in heart rate because of its similar chemical structure to nicotine [14]. Methods Participants Twenty men (mean ± SD age = 22.4 ± 3.0 yrs; body mass = 79.4 ± 15.5 kg; height = 182.9 ± 6.5 cm) volunteered click here to participate in this investigation, which was approved by the university Institutional Review Board for the protection of human participants. Two men consumed less than 70% of the study product and were subsequently considered non-compliant and excluded from

selleck compound data analysis. Therefore, only the data from the 18 compliant men (mean ± SD age = 22.2 ± 3.1 yrs; body mass = 79.7 ± 16.1 kg; height = 182.9 ± 6.5 cm) were analyzed and reported for this study. Prior to any testing at visit 1, participants signed an informed consent form and completed a health history questionnaire. Each participant was free from current or ongoing neuromuscular diseases or musculoskeletal injuries involving the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints. None of the participants had acute infections nor had they engaged in any upper-body resistance training during the 6 months prior

to enrollment. In addition, none of the participants reported smoking, use of smokeless tobacco, or use of creatine within 9 weeks prior to enrollment. All of the participants were instructed to maintain their normal dietary habits and avoid the use of anti-inflammatory or pain medications throughout the duration of the study. Experimental design This study used a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover design (Figure 1). At visit 1, the participants were randomly assigned to either a supplement (anatabine, ANA) or placebo (PLA) condition based on their assigned participant number and corresponding randomization (-)-p-Bromotetramisole Oxalate code. The participants returned to the laboratory for visit 2 seven days (± 1 day) after visit 1, and data were recorded for unilateral maximal voluntary isometric forearm flexion strength, hanging joint angle, relaxed arm circumference, and subjective pain rating. Each of these tests was performed immediately prior to (PRE), immediately following (POST), and 24, 48, and 72 h after the bout of maximal eccentric isokinetic forearm flexion exercise (Figure 1). Following a washout period of 2–4 weeks, participants returned for visit 6 to undergo either the ANA or PLA condition, whichever was not administered during visits 1–5. During the crossover (visits 6–10), the participants performed the same series of tests as visits 1–5.