Search

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of fluid ingestion on pacing strategies and performance during intermittent-sprint exercise in the heat. Nine male rugby players performed a habituation session and 2 × 50-min intermittent-sprint protocols at a temperature of 31°C, either with or without fluid. Participants were informed of a third session (not performed) to ensure that they remained blind to all respective conditions. The protocol consisted of a 15-m sprint every minute separated by self-paced bouts of hard running, jogging, and walking for the remainder of the minute. Sprint time, distance covered during self-paced exercise, and vertical jump height before and after exercise were recorded. Heart rate, core temperature, nude mass, capillary blood haematocrit, pH, lactate concentration, perceptual ratings of perceived exertion, thermal stress, and thirst were also recorded. Sprint times (fluid vs. no-fluid: 2.82 ± 0.11 vs. 2.82 ± 0.14) and distance covered during self-paced exercise (fluid vs. no-fluid: 4168 ± 419 vs. 3981 ± 263 m) were not different between conditions (P = 0.10-0.98) but were progressively reduced to a greater extent in the no-fluid trial (7 ± 13%) (d = 0.56-0.58). There were no differences (P = 0.22-1.00; d = <0.20-0.84) between conditions in any physiological measures. Perceptual ratings of perceived exertion and thermal stress did not differ between conditions (P = 0.34-0.91; d ≤0.20-0.48). Rating of thirst after exercise was lower in the fluid trial (P = 0.02; d = 0.62-0.73). The present results suggest that fluid availability did not improve intermittent-sprint performance, however did affect pacing stategies with a greater reduction in distance covered of self-paced exercise during the no-fluid trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine whether rates of total fat and carbohydrate oxidation and endurance capacity during running conducted in the fasted state are influenced by the glycaemic index (GI) of high carbohydrate diets consumed over 5 days. Nine healthy males performed three treadmill runs to exhaustion at 65% of maximum oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O2max): after a habitual diet (control trial), after 5 days on a high carbohydrate/high glycaemic index diet, and after 5 days on a high carbohydrate/low glycaemic index diet in randomized counterbalanced order. No significant differences in rates of fat and carbohydrate oxidation, concentrations of plasma insulin, glucose, non-esterified fatty acids and glycerol, or time to exhaustion were observed between the high carbohydrate/high glycaemic index and high carbohydrate/low glycaemic index trials. Compared with the control trial, the concentration of plasma glycerol and rate of fat oxidation were lower (P < 0.05) and the rate of carbohydrate oxidation higher (P < 0.05) in both the high carbohydrate/high glycaemic index diet and high carbohydrate/low glycaemic index trials during the run to exhaustion. In conclusion, the extent by which a high carbohydrate diet consumed over 5 days reduces rate of fat oxidation during subsequent running exercise in the fasted state is not influenced by the glycaemic index of the diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]