N-acetylcysteine infusion alters blood redox status but not time to fatigue during intense exercise in humans

Abstract

Infusion of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reduces fatigability in electrically evoked human muscle contraction, but due to reported adverse reactions, no studies have investigated NAC infusion effects during voluntary exercise in humans. We investigated whether a modified NAC-infusion protocol (125 mg·kg-1·h-1 for 15 min, then 25 mg·kg-1·h-1) altered blood redox status and enhanced performance during intense, intermittent exercise. Eight untrained men participated in a counterbalanced, double-blind, crossover study in which they received NAC or saline (control) before and during cycling exercise, which comprised three 45-s bouts and a fourth bout that continued to fatigue, at 130% p..