EVALUATING THE ERGOGENIC POTENTIAL OF KOLA NUT IN AMATEUR SPRINT ATHLETES

The purpose of the study was to find out how certain body physical and physiological response variables will be affected due to Kola nut consumption of amateur sprinters. Quasi experimental research of the randomized control group pre-test post-test research design was adopted, in which there were two groups, one control and the other experimental. The experimental group was further sub divided into three groups with each administered with different quantities of Kola nut, in the order of (i) 100mg.kg-1 of body weight, (ii) 150mg.kg-1 of body weight, (iii) 200mg.kg-1 of body weight. All the four sub-groups were subjected to pre-test and post-test performance of 50m race during the pre-test and post-test exercises. The sample for the study was made up of 16 male students who were athletes and had trained at least three times in a week. They were selected using simple random sampling technique from the population of non-habitual kola nut eater. They were of the age range of 19 – 30 years. Thirty pieces of red colour kola nuts (Kola nitida) were bought from the market at Okene in Kogi State, Nigeria. The descriptive statistic of mean, standard deviation and range, and the dependent t-test inferential statistics at 0.05 alpha level were used to analyze the results. The findings show that there were differences in speed test and body responses to kola nut ingestion; it was therefore recommended that athletes and their handlers should be careful in consuming kola nut when in sport competition, and the general public should know that kola nut affect some physiological processes of the body.