title: Carbohydrate ingestion and soccer skill performance during prolonged intermittent exercise.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ingesting a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution, during the 90-min Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test, on soccer skill performance. Seventeen male soccer players ingested either a 6.4% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution or placebo solution equivalent to 8 ml . kg(-1) body mass before exercise and 3 ml . kg(-1) body mass after every 15 min of exercise, in a double-blind randomized cross-over design, with the trials separated by 7 days. The evening before the main trial, the participants performed glycogen-reducing exercise on a cycle ergometer (80 min at 70%[Vdot]O(2max)) and were then fed a low-carbohydrate meal. After a 12-h overnight fast, they performed The Loughborough Soccer Passing Test before and after every 15 min of exercise. Analysis of the combined skill test data showed a significant time effect (P = 0.001) with differences between 0-45 and 75-90 min (P < 0.05). There was a 3% reduction in skill performance from before to after exercise in the carbohydrate-electrolyte trial, whereas in the placebo trial the decrease was 14% (P = 0.07). In conclusion, skill performance during the simulated soccer activity appeared to deteriorate in the last 15-30 min of exercise. However, providing 52 g . h(-1) carbohydrate during exercise showed a tendency to better maintain soccer skill performance than a taste-matched placebo.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ajmol
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Clyde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D050528:Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates