[Fasting and physical endurance capacity]

Fasting, or zero calorie diets are used not only by overweight people as a means of losing weight, but by athletes too. Their use is then explained on philosophical grounds, with the aim of even enhancing sports performance. The purpose of this investigation consisted of quantifying the effects of a 10-day fast on maximum performance capacity and endurance (as measured on a bicycle ergometer) of 12 female students of physical education of normal weight. The measurements included resting and exercise metabolism determinants, as well as weight and lean body mass. The main results show that after the diet period the maximum ergometric performance was lower in absolute terms as well as in relation to weight or lean body mass. Performance capacity for submaximal exercise was also reduced. Fat combustion was enhanced both at rest and during exercise. The reduction of maximum performance and endurance capacity may be explained by an enhanced muscle breakdown, an efficiency drop of muscular work, and an inadequate glycogen content of the acting muscles. Shorter fasting periods of 24-36 hours also lead to a lower performance level for exercise bouts extending from several minutes to 1-3 hours. An enhancement of fat combustion was always conspicuous. One may conclude that optimal physical performance is dependent on full hepatic and muscle glycogen stores. Glycogen concentration in the liver decreases sharply as a matter of fact after merely one day of carbohydrate shortage. Zero calorie or low carbohydrate diets are thus at variance with an optimal physical work capacity.