Publication Date
2008
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
David Goldstein (Committee Member), Mark Mamrack (Committee Member), Roberta Pohlman (Advisor)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a nutritional supplement, Mass FX, on muscular strength, body composition, and blood chemistries in resistance-trained adult males. Eight subjects, mean age 25 +/- 3.02 years, were randomly assigned to two groups (n=4). Each group was given either Mass FX or a Placebo in a double-blind manner to be taken orally for six weeks (4caps/day regardless of bodyweight). For the duration of the study, both groups were following the same training program and a diet customized to each subject's bodyweight in conjunction to the supplementation. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with a Bonferroni correction resulting in a family-wise level of significance of α = 0.05, to avoid inflation of the Type I error. To confirm results, an independent samples t-test using a Bonferroni correction with a family-wise level of significance of α=0.05 was performed. Using ANCOVA, the groups were significantly different for the Bench Press outcome; whereas using the independent samples t-test, the two groups were significantly different for Bench Press and Free Testosterone. The results of this study indicate that supplementation with Mass FX induced better improvements than Placebo in muscular strength as measured by the bench press (p<0.05). Other measures in muscular strength, body composition, and free testosterone showed improvements, but were not statistically significant (p>0.05). No adverse effects on selected clinical health markers: complete blood count with differential, hepatic (AST, ALP, ALT), lipids (TC, TGs, LDL, VLDL), and renal (creatinine, BUN) were observed from Mass FX supplementation (Group significance p>0.05). Mean difference (Post-Pre) in total and free testosterone concentrations exhibited apparent increases in the Mass FX group, in contrast to Placebo in which reductions in both mean difference total and free testosterone concentrations were observed. Lack of significance in the remaining variables of interest could be attributed to low power because of the small sample size used in this study. Thus, due to limitations in terms of sample representation and size, this study should be considered a pilot study. Future studies need to investigate these parameters using larger sample sizes.
Page Count
135
Department or Program
Department of Biological Sciences
Year Degree Awarded
2008
Copyright
Copyright 2008, all rights reserved. This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.
