The effect of guarana versus caffeine on fat oxidation in healthy college students

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The effect of guarana versus caffeine on fat
oxidation in healthy college students

• Corrine A., Christine C., Veronica G., Jacqueline
  J., Lauren M., Emily S., Tim W.

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Guarana (Paullinia Cupana)

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Background

• Traditionally used as a tonic for
• Heat fatigue
• Migraine
• Diarrhea
• Hypertension
• Currently used as a supplement for
• Stamina
• General stimulant

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Guaranine Caffeine

• Guaranine / Guarana
• Caffeine / Coffee
• Theine / Tea
• contains 5-10 naturally occurring caffeine
• guaranine is modified by other components of
  guarana

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Guarana

• guarana contains threophylline theobromine
• guarana is rich in seed fiber, tannins and
  saponins
• These compounds are said to be released slowly
  over 6 hours
• Guarana toxic at doses _at_ 10 grams

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Hypothesis

• Due to the synergistic effect of guaranas main
  constituents, we speculate that an equivalent
  dose of guaranine will fat oxidation for a
  longer amount of time than caffeine

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Purpose

• To determine if supplementation with guarana will
  increase fat oxidation for a greater amount of
  time than caffeine in healthy inviduals in a
  resting state.

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Methods

• Controlled clinical trial
• Crossover design
• 6 subjects (1 male 5 females)
• Similar breakfast consumed before study
• RER measured w/ Metabolic Cart
• Baseline RER measured

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Methods

• 250 mg capsule of guarana (90 mg caffeine)
• 200 mg No Doz split in half (90 mg caffeine)
• RER measured every hour for 5 hours
• No food or drink (except water)
• Mean and standard deviation calculated

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Results
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Results
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Discussion

• 4 out of the 6 subjects demonstrated the expected
  results, although to only a small degree
• Insufficient evidence to conclude that guarana
  encourages fat metabolism for a longer time than
  caffeine
• No difference between guarana caffeine OR poor
  study design?

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Limitations

• Small sample size
• Subjects not blinded
• Study not long enough
• Food as a confounder
• dinner the night before
• breakfast
• fast
• Residual caffeine from decaf coffee

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Limitations

• Purity of guarana capsule
• Additives in No Doz
• Menstrual cycle as possible confounder
• Differences in lean body mass
• Habitual caffeine use
• Movie induced giggling / stress

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Conclusions

• A large difference between guarana and caffeine
  was not observed
• A more controlled trial could provide more
  reliable results
• More time required to observe trends

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Thank you!

• Questions???