Effect of carbohydrate supplementation on walking performance in peripheral arterial disease: a preliminary physiologic study.
OBJECTIVE
In this preliminary study we tested the effect of short-term carbohydrate supplementation on carbohydrate oxidation and walking performance in peripheral arterial disease.


METHODS
Eleven patients with peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication and 8 healthy control subjects completed several weeks of baseline exercise testing, then were given supplementation for 3 days with a carbohydrate solution and placebo. Maximal walking time was assessed with a graded treadmill test. Carbohydrate oxidation during a submaximal phase of this test was measured with indirect calorimetry. At the end of baseline testing a biopsy specimen was taken from the gastrocnemius muscle, and the active fraction of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity was determined.


RESULTS
Carbohydrate supplementation resulted in a significant increase in body weight and carbohydrate oxidation during exercise in patients with intermittent claudication and control subjects. Maximal walking time decreased by 3% in control subjects, whereas it increased by 6% in patients with intermittent claudication (group x treatment interaction, P < .05). There was a wide range of performance responses to carbohydrate supplementation among patients with claudication (-3%-37%). This effect was greater in poorer performers, and was negatively correlated (P < .05) with muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary data suggest that carbohydrate oxidation during exercise might contribute to exercise intolerance in more dysfunctional patients with intermittent claudication and that carbohydrate supplementation might be an effective therapeutic intervention in these patients.
Barker
Glenn A
GA
School of Human Movement Studies, Queensland University of Technology.
Green
Simon
S
Walker
Philip J
PJ
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D011336:Probability; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates