Carbs and protein improve muscle glycogen
FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2004The impact of a carb-protein concoction in and around the training period has again come to the fore at the recent annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.
One study, by researchers from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and Yale University School of Medicine in Connecticut, tested a group of elite cyclists.
Two hours after consuming a breakfast of the same nutritional balance and calorie content, six participants cycled as intensely as possible for 60 minutes. Technology was used to measure muscle glycogen before and after exercise.
Cyclists ingested either a carbohydrate-protein drink, a carbs-only drink or a non-caloric placebo at three stages after exercise: immediately, one hour and two hours subsequent. Then six hours after the first session, the cycling was repeated.
While the drinks did not appear to have a significant impact on performance the second time around, it was found that the carb-protein group increased in muscle glycogen resynthesis by 28.6mmol/L compared to 22.2 in the carbs-only group and 18.5mmol/L in the placebo.
However, the carb-protein mix did improve performance in a separate study.
Researchers from St Cloud State University in Minnesota, tested a group of hockey players, producing improvements in skating and reaction time that were rated highly significant.
Five collegiate male hockey players drank 960mL a day of an 8 percent carbohydrate-protein fluid replacement drink during two 90-minute practice days. The drink was then switched for a non-caloric placebo the following training week.
Skaters improved their skating time by 8 percent when the carb-protein drink was ingested (23.2 seconds compared to 25.1 seconds when on the placebo). Skaters scored an average 3.5 shots compared to 3.25 on the placebo. Reaction time for the goalie was measured at 0.126 for both right hand and left hand (when supplemented), and 0.138 and 0.146 (placebo).
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