Table 3.

Effects of KAEAAs and BCKAs on ammonia in exercise.

Study Design	Results	Reference
Male patients with McArdle’s disease; BCAAs or BCKAs prior to start cycling exercise.	After BCAAs: deterioration of exercise performance and ↑ in ammonia. After BCKAs: improved exercise performance and smaller ↑ in ammonia.	[24]
Rats; AA+KAEAAs (0.3 g/kg) or saline orally 1 h before exercise.	Attenuated increase in ammonia; ↓ urea.	[75]
Cyclists; ketogenic diet for 2 days before experiment, AA+KAEAAs or lactose orally 1 h before cycling (2 h).	Attenuated increase in ammonia induced by exercise.	[76]
Male untrained volunteers; α-KG or BCKAs (0.2 g/kg/d) for 4 weeks during endurance training (running).	α-KG or BCKAs improved training effects and recovery state.	[77]
Patients with type 2 diabetes; training on cycle ergometer and mixture of α-KG and BCKAs (0.2 g/kg orally) for 6 weeks or placebo (glucose, sodium and calcium salts).	Positive effects on physical training (higher VO2max, endurance capacity, and power output).	[78]
Cyclists; ketogenic diet for 2 days before experiment, AA+KAEAAs or lactose, cycling session (2 h) followed by a maximum test.	↑ (~70%) ammonia in placebo, not in AA+KAEAAs group. No difference in physical or cognitive performance.	[79]
Cyclists, ketogenic diet for 2 days before experiment, AA+KAEAAs or lactose orally 1 h before cycling (2 h).	↑ ammonia, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and AST in placebo group. No significant changes in AA+KAAAs group.	[80]

AA + KAEAAs, mixture of amino acids and ketoanalogues of essential amino acids.