Carbohydrate-electrolyte ingestion during intermittent high-intensity running

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ingesting a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage or a noncarbohydrate placebo on muscle glycogen utilization during 90 min of intermittent high-intensity running.

Six trained games players (age 24.6 +/- 2.2 yr; height 179.6 +/- 1.9 cm; body mass 74.5 +/- 2.0 kg; VO2max 56.3 +/- 1.3 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1); mean +/- SEM) performed two exercise trials, 7 d apart. The subjects were university soccer, hockey, or rugby players. On each occasion, they completed six 15-min periods of intermittent running, consisting of maximal sprinting, interspersed with less intense periods of running and walking. During each trial, subjects consumed either a 6.9% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (CHO-E: the CHO trial) or a noncarbohydrate placebo (the CON trial) immediately before exercise (5 mL x kg(-1) BM) and after every 15 min of exercise thereafter (2 mL x kg(-1) BM). Drinks were administered in a double-blind, counter-balanced order, and the total volume of fluid consumed during each trial was 1114 +/- 30 mL. Needle biopsy samples were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle before and after 90 min of exercise. Venous blood samples were collected from an antecubital vein at rest and every 30 min during exercise.

Muscle glycogen utilization in mixed muscle samples was lower (P < 0.05) during CHO [192.5 +/- 26.3 mmol glucosyl units (kg x DM(-1))] than CON [245.3 +/- 22.9 mmol glucosyl units (kg x DM(-1))]. Single fiber analysis on the biopsy samples of the subjects during the CON trial showed a greater glycogen utilization in the Type II fibers compared with Type I fibers during this type of exercise [Type I: 182.2 +/- 34.5 vs Type II: 287.4 +/- 41.2 mmol glucosyl units (kg x DM(-1)); P < 0.05). After 30 min of exercise, blood lactate was significantly greater (P < 0.05) and serum insulin concentration lower (P < 0.05) in CON.

In summary, when trained games players ingested a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage, muscle glycogen utilization was reduced by 22% when compared with a control condition.