Clinical Studies

CLINICAL STUDY: NiteWorks

Arginine and antioxidant supplement on performance in elderly male cyclists: a randomized controlled trial

Steve Chen, Woosung Kim, Susanne Henning, Catherine Carpenter, Zhaoping Li;  UCLA Center for Human Nutrition

What was the study about?  This study enrolled 16 very fit male cyclists, aged 50-73,  to see if NiteWorks would have any effects on their exercise performance.

What did the study attempt to find out?  The researchers wanted to see if NiteWorks would increase the anaerobic threshold in these subjects.  This is a point in exercise where the body produces more lactate (a normal product of metabolism) than it can clear from the bloodstream, which makes it harder to continue with exercise.  If people can increase their anaerobic threshold, then they can exercise longer.

What did the study subjects have to do?  The subjects were divided into two groups and the subjects in the groups took either a serving of NiteWorks or a placebo (look-alike, taste-alike) powder every night for three weeks.  Before they started taking the powder, they exercised on an exercise bike until they were exhausted, and then they were tested again three weeks later. 

What happened?  In the men taking the NiteWorks, the anaerobic threshold increased by 16.7 percent after one week, and remained increased, at 14.2 percent, at week three. The men in the placebo group had no increase in their anaerobic threshold.

Have the results been published yet?  Yes, the study was published in March, 2010, in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 

NOTE: The study, conducted at UCLA and funded by Herbalife, used Herbalife's original formula Niteworks. The current product has a slightly different formula, although no changes were made to the active ingredients.

Niteworks was created  based on research conducted by Lou Ignarro, Ph.D., who received the Nobel Prize in 1998 for his work on nitric oxide. Ignarro is a member of the company's Scientific and Nutrition Advisory Boards.