ORAL VANADYL SULFATE DOES NOT AFFECT BLOOD-CELLS, VISCOSITY OR BIOCHEMISTRY IN HUMANS

Vanadyl sulphate (VOSO4) is used to improve performance in weight trai ning athletes. Concerns about its safety have arisen because vanadium compounds may cause anaemia and changes in the leukocyte system. In th is study, the effects of oral VOSO4 (0.5 mg/kg/day) on haematological indices (red and white cell and platelet counts, red cell mean cell vo lume and haemoglobin level), blood viscosity (haematocrit, plasma visc osity and blood viscosity at 10s(-1) and 100s(-1) shear rates) and bio chemistry (lipids and indices of liver and kidney function) were inves tigated in a twelve week, double blind, placebo controlled trial in 31 weight training athletes. Blood viscosity was evaluated at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks and haematological indicts and biochemistry were measure d before and at the end of treatment. Both the treatment group and pla cebo group showed increases in haematocrit (3.3-3.6%) and blood viscos ity (9-11% at 100s(-1) shear; 35-38% at 10s(-1) shear) but there were no significant effects of treatment. Similarly there were no treatment effects on haematological indices and biochemistry. Concerns about th e adverse effects of oral vanadyl sulphate on blood are not supported by the results of this trial.