Influence of the Cold Buster (Trademark) Sports Bar on Heat Debt, Mobilization and Oxidation of Energy Substrates,

Abstract : In a recent study, we have shown that the commercially available Cold Buster(TM) Sports bar, purported to improve cold resistance, did not do so in our subjects exposed to a relatively severe cold test. (Vallerand, Tikuisis, Ducharme and Jacobs, In Review). One possible explanation for our conflicting results is that our metabolic rate (M) was too high for the possibly small thermogenic effect of the bar to be measurable. The goal of this study was therefore to re-evaluate, under milder conditions, the influence of the Cold Buster(TM) on heat balance (heat debt = heat production - heat losses) and body temperatures. Eight semi-nude fasted subjects were exposed to the cold (3h at rest, 10 deg C, much much less 0.4 m.s-1 wind) on two occasions following the ingestion of either a placebo (100 ml water) or a Cold Buster(TM) (all feedings at min 0 and 90). As a result of the cold, M, dry heat losses and heat debt (S) increased whereas mean skin temperature decreased (P much much less 0.05). Rectal temperature remained unchanged due to the mild cold. In all of the above parameters, there were no differences between treatments. Ingestion of the Cold Buster(TM) significantly increased carbohydrate oxidation at min 150 compared to the placebo (P much much less 0.05). However, this was without impact on M, since it occurred entirely at the expense of fat oxidation (n.s.). Interestingly, the Cold Buster(TM) increased plasma glucose levels after 2h into the cold (P much much less 0.05), a phenomenon which appears to have triggered a large increase in insulinemia (P much much less 0.05).... Body temperatures, Carbohydrate metabolism, Heat balance, Heat production, Rectal temperature.