Three-Day Dietary Manipulation in Multiple Sclerosis: Exercise and Fatigue Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Nutritional Science
• Neurology

Background:

• The impact of nutrition on exercise performance and fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) is not well understood.
• This study investigated the effects of high-fat (FAT) versus high-carbohydrate (CARB) diets on MS patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if a 3-day high-fat diet improves fatigue and exercise performance in individuals with MS compared to a high-carbohydrate diet.
• To assess substrate utilization and cycling endurance in MS patients and healthy controls under different dietary conditions.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled crossover trial involving 12 individuals with mild-to-moderate MS and 12 healthy controls.
• Participants underwent submaximal cycling tests (60% peak oxygen consumption) after adhering to either a FAT or CARB diet for 3 days.

Main Results:

• Neither diet altered cycling time or fatigue levels in the MS group.
• Healthy controls showed increased mental fatigue after the FAT diet and enhanced carbohydrate/fat oxidation with respective diets.
• MS patients did not exhibit similar metabolic adaptations and oxidized significantly less fat during exercise after the FAT diet compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Dietary interventions (high-fat or high-carbohydrate) did not impact submaximal exercise performance or fatigue in individuals with MS.
• The findings suggest that persons with MS may have a reduced capacity to adapt their metabolic response to dietary changes, particularly in fat oxidation.