Effect of carbohydrate and vitamin B6 on fuel substrates during exercise in women

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate is an essential co-factor for glycogen phosphorylase and certain enzymes in the alanine-glucose cycle. Glycogen phosphorylase is also proposed as a storage reservoir for vitamin B6. To examine the effect of vitamin B6 and carbohydrate on fuel substrates during exercise, 5 young/trained, 5 young/un-trained, and 5 post-menopausal/un-trained women were alternately fed four diets (varying carbohydrate and B6 level) over a 7-wk period. Subjects were exercised at the end of each dietary period at 80% VO2max for 20 min on a cycle ergometer. Blood was drawn pre-, post-, post-30, and post-60 min of exercise and analyzed for plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, glucose, free fatty acid, and lactate. ANOVA showed no difference among groups or diets for lactate, although lactate was significantly different over time (P less than 0.0001) on all diets. ANOVA showed significant time x group x diet inter-actions for free fatty acid (P less than 0.05) and significant diet x time (P less than 0.04) and time x group (P less than 0.03) inter-actions for glucose. Supplementation and/or increased carbohydrate resulted in lower free fatty acid during exercise in all groups. ANOVA showed no difference in pyridoxal 5'-phosphate for groups with respect to diet or time, but did show a significant increase from pre- to post-exercise and a significant decrease from post- to post-60 min of exercise. These results indicate that a high-carbohydrate diet and/or supplemental vitamin B6 can alter plasma fuel substrates during exercise in women; however, the effect depends on age and level of training.