Effects of Carbohydrate Feeding before and during Prolonged Exercise on Subsequent Maximal Exercise Performance Capacity

The study examined the effect of carbohydrate ingestion on exercise performance capacity. Nine male cyclists performed two separate trials at 70% for 60 min followed by a maximal ride for 10 min. During trials subjects were fed either an 8% glucose solution (CHO) or a placebo solution (PL), which were administered at rest and during and immediately after submaximal exercise. Statistical analyses indicated that glucose levels at rest increased significantly 15 min after the ingestion of CHO compared to PL. At 30 and 60 min during submaximal exercise, plasma glucose levels decreased significantly in the CHO but not in the PL trial. Following the performance ride, glucose levels increased significantly only during the CHO test trial. Free fatty acids did not change significantly during testing trials. The maximal performance ride results showed that in the CHO trial, a significantly greater external work load was accomplished compared to the PL trial. It is concluded that CHO ingestion improves maximal exercise performance after prolonged exercise.