Table 2. Main ergogenic aids in swimming, effect and dosing.

Ergogenic Aid	Effect	Posology
Caffeine	Stimulator of the central nervous system, enhancer of the muscle contractility and reducer of the perceived exertion	≥3mg/kg 1 h before to the competition
Creatine	Improve the resynthesis of ATP through the high energy phsophagens system	3g/day during at least 4 weeks*
Sodium Bocarbonate	Acid-base balance regulator at a extracellular level	300 mg/kg 1–2 hour prerace
β-alanine	Acid-base balance regulator at a intracellular level, improving the activation of the myosin ATPase, sensibility to calcium on the muscle fibers and antioxidant function	6.4g/day in 4-8 takes of 0.8-1.6g in intervals of 1.5-3 hours
Nitrate	Precursor of the nitric oxide, improving the blood flow and the mitochondrial respiration	6-8mmol of nitrate (contained in betroot juice) in the 150-180 previous minutes to the competition and training*
Vitamin D	Bone remodelling, immune function and muscular contraction and new protein synthesis regulator	10μg/day*
Bovine Colostrum	Improvement of immune function	20g/day*
HMB	Anti-catabolic effect and precursor of the cholesterol and coenzyme A synthesis	3g/day during high intensity training sessions and/or during short periods of recovery in between training sessions*

*Recommendations adapted from other sports modalities