Effect of carbohydrate feedings during high-intensity exercise.
To determine the upper limits of steady-state exercise performance and carbohydrate oxidation late in exercise, seven trained men were studied on two occasions during prolonged cycling that alternated every 15 min between approximately 60% and approximately 85% of VO2max. When fed a sweet placebo throughout exercise, plasma glucose and respiratory exchange ratio (R) declined (P less than 0.05) from 5.0 +/- 0.1 mM and 0.91 +/- 0.01 after 30 min (i.e., at 85% VO2max) to 3.7 +/- 0.3 mM and 0.79 +/- 0.01 at fatigue (i.e., when the subjects were unable to continue exercise at 60% VO2max). Carbohydrate feeding throughout exercise (1 g/kg at 10 min, then 0.6 g/kg every 30 min) increased plasma glucose to approximately 6 mM and partially prevented this decline in carbohydrate oxidation, allowing the men to perform 19% more work (2.74 +/- 0.13 vs. 2.29 +/- 0.09 MJ, P less than 0.05) before fatiguing. Even when fed carbohydrate, however, by the 3rd h of exercise, R had fallen from 0.92 to 0.87, accompanied by a reduction in exercise intensity from approximately 85% to approximately 75% VO2max (both P less than 0.05). These data indicate that carbohydrate feedings enable trained cyclists to exercise at up to 75% VO2max and to oxidize carbohydrate at up to 2 g/min during the later stages of prolonged intense exercise.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015444:Exercise; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005990:Glycerol / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000187:drug effects
D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D005990:Glycerol