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Personalized fluid and fuel intake for performance optimization in the heat.
Cheuvront, SN, Kenefick, RW
Journal of science and medicine in sport. 2021;(8):735-738
Abstract
It is well appreciated that a loss of body water (dehydration) can impair endurance performance and that the effect is magnified by environmental heat stress. A majority of professional sports medicine and nutrition organizations recommend drinking during exercise to replace sweat losses and prevent dehydration, while also avoiding frank over-hydration. Knowledge of sweating rate, which is highest in the heat for any given metabolic rate, is therefore considered key to developing a sound drinking strategy. Exercise duration and the provision of liquid fuel interacts with required drink volumes in important ways that are infrequently discussed but are of utmost practical concern. This review details some challenges related to the optimized coupling of fluid and fuel needs during prolonged exercise in the heat and the need for personalization.
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The Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on the Reduction of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Endurance Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic.
Stedge, HL, Armstrong, K
Journal of sport rehabilitation. 2021;(4):668-671
Abstract
Clinical Scenario: Endurance sports require a great deal of physical training to perform well. Endurance training and racing stress the skeletal muscle, resulting in exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Athletes attempt to aid their recovery in various ways, one of which is through compression. Dynamic compression consists of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices, such as the NormaTec Recovery System and Recovery Pump. Clinical Question: What are the effects of IPC on the reduction of EIMD in endurance athletes following prolonged exercise? Summary of Key Findings: The current literature was searched to identify the effects of IPC, and 3 studies were selected: 2 randomized controlled trials and 1 randomized cross-over study. Two studies investigated the effect of IPC on delayed onset muscle soreness and plasma creatine kinase in ultramarathoners. The other looked at the impact of IPC on delayed onset muscle soreness in marathoners, ultramarathoners, triathletes, and cyclists. All studies concluded IPC was not an effective means of improving the reduction of EIMD in endurance-trained athletes. Clinical Bottom Line: While IPC may provide short-term relief of delayed onset muscle soreness, this device does not provide continued relief from EIMD. Strength of Recommendation: In accordance with the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy, the grade of B is recommended based on consistent evidence from 2 high-quality randomized controlled trials and 1 randomized cross-over study.
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Rehydration during Endurance Exercise: Challenges, Research, Options, Methods.
Armstrong, LE
Nutrients. 2021;(3)
Abstract
During endurance exercise, two problems arise from disturbed fluid-electrolyte balance: dehydration and overhydration. The former involves water and sodium losses in sweat and urine that are incompletely replaced, whereas the latter involves excessive consumption and retention of dilute fluids. When experienced at low levels, both dehydration and overhydration have minor or no performance effects and symptoms of illness, but when experienced at moderate-to-severe levels they degrade exercise performance and/or may lead to hydration-related illnesses including hyponatremia (low serum sodium concentration). Therefore, the present review article presents (a) relevant research observations and consensus statements of professional organizations, (b) 5 rehydration methods in which pre-race planning ranges from no advanced action to determination of sweat rate during a field simulation, and (c) 9 rehydration recommendations that are relevant to endurance activities. With this information, each athlete can select the rehydration method that best allows her/him to achieve a hydration middle ground between dehydration and overhydration, to optimize physical performance, and reduce the risk of illness.
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Looking ahead of 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games: How Does Humid Heat Affect Endurance Performance? Insight into physiological mechanism and heat-related illness prevention strategies.
Lei, TH, Wang, F
Journal of thermal biology. 2021;:102975
Abstract
The combination of high humidity and ambient temperature of the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Game will undoubtfully result in greater physiological strains and thereby downregulates the endurance performance of athletes. Although many research studies have highlighted that the thermoregulatory strain is greater when the environment is hot and humid, no review articles have addressed the thermoregulatory and performance differences between dry and humid heat and such lack of consensuses in this area will lead to increase the risk of heat-related injuries as well as suboptimal preparation. Furthermore, specific strategies to counteract this stressful environment has not been outlined in the current literature. Therefore, the purposes of this review are: 1) to provide a clear evidence that humid heat is more stressful than dry heat for both male and female athletes and therefore the preparation for the Tokyo Summer Olympic should be environmental specific instead of a one size fits all approach; 2) to highlight why female athletes may be facing a disadvantage when performing a prolonged endurance event under high humidity environment and 3) to highlight the potential interventional strategies to reduce thermal strain in hot-humid environment. The summaries of this review are: both male and female should be aware of the environmental condition in Tokyo as humid heat is more stressful than dry heat; Short-term heat acclimation may not elicit proper thermoregulatory adaptations in hot-humid environment; cold water immersion with proper hydration and some potential per-cooling modalities may be beneficial for both male and female athletes in hot-humid environment.
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5.
Carbohydrate Hydrogel Products Do Not Improve Performance or Gastrointestinal Distress During Moderate-Intensity Endurance Exercise.
King, AJ, Rowe, JT, Burke, LM
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2020;(5):305-314
Abstract
The benefits of ingesting exogenous carbohydrate (CHO) during prolonged exercise performance are well established. A recent food technology innovation has seen sodium alginate and pectin included in solutions of multiple transportable CHO, to encapsulate them at pH levels found in the stomach. Marketing claims include enhanced gastric emptying and delivery of CHO to the muscle with less gastrointestinal distress, leading to better sports performance. Emerging literature around such claims was identified by searching electronic databases; inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials investigating metabolic and/or exercise performance parameters during endurance exercise >1 hr, with CHO hydrogels versus traditional CHO fluids and/or noncaloric hydrogels. Limitations associated with the heterogeneity of exercise protocols and control comparisons are noted. To date, improvements in exercise performance/capacity have not been clearly demonstrated with ingestion of CHO hydrogels above traditional CHO fluids. Studies utilizing isotopic tracers demonstrate similar rates of exogenous CHO oxidation, and subjective ratings of gastrointestinal distress do not appear to be different. Overall, data do not support any metabolic or performance advantages to exogenous CHO delivery in hydrogel form over traditional CHO preparations; although, one study demonstrates a possible glycogen sparing effect. The authors note that the current literature has largely failed to investigate the conditions under which maximal CHO availability is needed; high-performance athletes undertaking prolonged events at high relative and absolute exercise intensities. Although investigations are needed to better target the testimonials provided about CHO hydrogels, current evidence suggests that they are similar in outcome and a benefit to traditional CHO sources.
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[Exploiting dietary supplements with antioxidant properties for enhancing physical efficiency at the state of physical fatigue in sports].
Kornyakova, VV, Badtieva, VA, Balandin, MY
Voprosy pitaniia. 2020;(3):86-96
Abstract
The aim of the review was to analyze the current scientific data concerning the dietary supplements (DS) with antioxidant activity to be recommended for using in order to improve physical performance in professional athletes experiencing fatigue. Material and methods. Online publications reviewing has been performed using the PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar databases, eLibrary platform, Cyberleninka. Results. Maintaining an athlete organism various systems functioning at the optimum level is known to be represented enough effective only with application of dietary supplements. The results of comprehensive up-to-date foreign and domestic scientific researches concerning dietary supplements including components with antioxidant activity to be recommended for delaying fatigue onset and improving physical performance in athletes have been analyzed. Application of such dietary supplements is dictated by the necessity to increase antioxidant organism defense, to maintain the normal functioning of a number of enzymes and prevent oxidative stress. The effectiveness of dietary supplements containing such components as vitamins E, A, and C; selenium, succinic and alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, glutathione and other natural sources of antioxidants have been discussed in the review. The analysis of the data presented in the current scientific literature have confirmed the urgency of additional researches with the aim of receiving sufficient pieces of evidences of effectiveness of a number of dietary supplements with antioxidant activity in physical fatigue. Conclusion. For postponing fatigue and improving physical efficiency in sports there appear to be reasonable to use dietary supplements possessing antioxidant properties with effectiveness confirmed by scientific researches.
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Metabolic adaptations to endurance training and nutrition strategies influencing performance.
Earnest, CP, Rothschild, J, Harnish, CR, Naderi, A
Research in sports medicine (Print). 2019;(2):134-146
Abstract
Endurance performance is the result of optimal training targeting cardiovascular, metabolic, and peripheral muscular adaptations and is coupled to effective nutrition strategies via the use of macronutrient manipulations surrounding training and potential supplementation with ergogenic aids. It is important to note that training and nutrition may differ according to the individual needs of the athlete and can markedly impact the physiological response to training. Herein, we discuss various aspects of endurance training adaptations, nutritional strategies and their contributions to towards performance.
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Are low doses of caffeine as ergogenic as higher doses? A critical review highlighting the need for comparison with current best practice in caffeine research.
Pickering, C, Kiely, J
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.). 2019;:110535
Abstract
Caffeine is a popular and widely consumed sporting ergogenic aid. Over the years, the effects of different caffeine doses have been researched, with the general consensus being that 3 to 6 mg/kg of caffeine represents the optimal dose for most people. Recently, there has been increased attention placed on lower (≤3 mg/kg) caffeine doses, with some research suggesting these doses are also ergogenic. However, a critical consideration for athletes is not merely whether caffeine is ergogenic at a given dose, but whether the consumed dose provides an optimized performance benefit. Following this logic, the aim of this review was to identify a potential oversight in the current research relating to the efficacy of lower caffeine doses. Although low caffeine doses do appear to bestow ergogenic effects, these effects have not been adequately compared with the currently accepted best practice dose of 3 to 6 mg/kg. This methodological oversight limits the practical conclusions we can extract from the research into the efficacy of lower doses of caffeine, as the relative ergogenic benefits between low and recommended doses remains unclear. Here, we examine existing research with a critical eye, and provide recommendations both for those looking to use caffeine to enhance their performance, and those conducting research into caffeine and sport.
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9.
Fructose co-ingestion to increase carbohydrate availability in athletes.
Fuchs, CJ, Gonzalez, JT, van Loon, LJC
The Journal of physiology. 2019;(14):3549-3560
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Abstract
Carbohydrate availability is important to maximize endurance performance during prolonged bouts of moderate- to high-intensity exercise as well as for acute post-exercise recovery. The primary form of carbohydrates that are typically ingested during and after exercise are glucose (polymers). However, intestinal glucose absorption can be limited by the capacity of the intestinal glucose transport system (SGLT1). Intestinal fructose uptake is not regulated by the same transport system, as it largely depends on GLUT5 as opposed to SGLT1 transporters. Combining the intake of glucose plus fructose can further increase total exogenous carbohydrate availability and, as such, allow higher exogenous carbohydrate oxidation rates. Ingesting a mixture of both glucose and fructose can improve endurance exercise performance compared to equivalent amounts of glucose (polymers) only. Fructose co-ingestion can also accelerate post-exercise (liver) glycogen repletion rates, which may be relevant when rapid (<24 h) recovery is required. Furthermore, fructose co-ingestion can lower gastrointestinal distress when relatively large amounts of carbohydrate (>1.2 g/kg/h) are ingested during post-exercise recovery. In conclusion, combined ingestion of fructose with glucose may be preferred over the ingestion of glucose (polymers) only to help trained athletes maximize endurance performance during prolonged moderate- to high-intensity exercise sessions and accelerate post-exercise (liver) glycogen repletion.
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Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia in Endurance and Ultra-Endurance Performance-Aspects of Sex, Race Location, Ambient Temperature, Sports Discipline, and Length of Performance: A Narrative Review.
Knechtle, B, Chlíbková, D, Papadopoulou, S, Mantzorou, M, Rosemann, T, Nikolaidis, PT
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania). 2019;(9)
Abstract
Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) is defined as a plasma sodium concentration of <135 mmol/L during or after endurance and ultra-endurance performance and was first described by Timothy Noakes when observed in ultra-marathoners competing in the Comrades Marathon in South Africa in the mid-1980s. It is well-established that a decrease in plasma sodium concentration <135 mmol/L occurs with excessive fluid intake. Clinically, a mild hyponatremia will lead to no or very unspecific symptoms. A pronounced hyponatremia (<120 mmol/L) will lead to central nervous symptoms due to cerebral edema, and respiratory failure can lead to death when plasma sodium concentration reaches values of <110-115 mmol/L. The objective of this narrative review is to present new findings about the aspects of sex, race location, sports discipline, and length of performance. The prevalence of EAH depends on the duration of an endurance performance (i.e., low in marathon running, high to very high in ultra-marathon running), the sports discipline (i.e., rather rare in cycling, more frequent in running and triathlon, and very frequent in swimming), sex (i.e., increased in women with several reported deaths), the ambient temperature (i.e., very high in hot temperatures) and the country where competition takes place (i.e., very common in the USA, very little in Europe, practically never in Africa, Asia, and Oceania). A possible explanation for the increased prevalence of EAH in women could be the so-called Varon-Ayus syndrome with severe hyponatremia, lung and cerebral edema, which was first observed in marathon runners. Regarding the race location, races in Europe seemed to be held under rather moderate conditions whereas races held in the USA were often performed under thermally stressing conditions (i.e., greater heat or greater cold).