CAS PubMed Google Scholar el-Sayed MS, Carbw J, Rattu AJ. Correspondence to Ian Rollo. Textbook of Work Physiology: Physiological Bases of Exercise, Vol. Sport Nutr.

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Carbs and sports performance testing -

This is an area where the research is currently playing catch-up with what elite athletes appear to have been doing for some time, and so it probably represents the next area in which our collective understanding will continue to improve. You can use the calculator to work out how much carbohydrate you're likely to need per hour for the intensity and duration of your chosen activity.

As such, the ballpark advice is essentially the same for a 50kg lbs athlete as it is for a 90kg lbs athlete because, for both, the limiting factor in the process is how much carbohydrate they can move through the gut into their bloodstream per minute - and that is very similar no matter their total body size.

Keeping this in mind, evidence suggests that those with a lower body mass can benefit more from relatively high carbohydrate doses than their bigger counterparts.

This is because the relative contribution of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation to total energy expenditure is greater for athletes with lower body mass. So, at the absolute extremes there may be some differences in carbohydrate absorption rates when comparing the very biggest with the very smallest athletes.

There's also a natural level of variation from any athlete to another in terms of what can be absorbed just because no two humans and their gut microbiomes are identical. But, overall, it appears fair to say that body size is much less of an influential factor in setting carb intake rates than common sense would otherwise suggest.

Image Credit: Dale Travers ©. How an athlete chooses to ingest their carbs is a very individual matter and there are many options to choose from - from specific sports fuels like gels , chews , bars, Energy Drink Mix to all sorts of real foods.

Andy Blow is a Sports Scientist with a BSc Honours degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Bath. An expert in hydration, he has co-authored a number of scientific studies and books. He was once the Team Sports Scientist for the Benetton and Renault Formula 1 teams and remains an adviser to the Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone.

Andy has finished in the top 10 of IRONMAN and IRONMAN Subscribe Get performance advice emails. Get advice. Knowledge Hub. How much carbohydrate do athletes need per hour? Blood glucose, the sugar found in the blood, is the energy delivered to the working muscles and organs, along with muscle glycogen, that allows your body to complete activity.

Carbohydrate intake before and after exercise can help to restore sub-optimal glycogen stores, which is critical for prolonged periods of exercise. While allowing for personal preferences and physiological factors, the pre-event meal should be high in carbohydrates, non-greasy, and readily digestible.

Fatty foods should be limited as they delay the emptying time of the stomach and take longer to digest. The following are guidelines for the pre-event meal:. SUGGESTED MEALS FOR PRE-EVENT EATING. This example shows how to calculate the recommended grams of carbohydrate needed per pound of body weight.

For more information on sports drinks and hydration, read the Fluids and Hydration section. It is important that athletes eat after competing to make sure that they will have enough energy in the muscles for the next race or competition, whether it be in the same day or the following days.

The same dietary intake principles used to plan the pre-exercise meal can also apply to foods eaten at all-day events. If an athlete races at a.

and again after two hours, foods that are high in protein and fat will more than likely still be in the stomach potentially causing stomach or gastrointestinal GI distress.

The following guidelines have been recommended to help athletes make wise food choices at all-day events. These foods consist of mostly carbohydrates and water. They are digested very fast and therefore, will not cause as much of a problem with stomach cramping or GI distress.

Another key point to making food choices with limited time between events, is limiting the quantity of the food eaten. The more an athlete eats, the longer it will take to digest, especially with any pre-competition nerves or stress.

Four or more hours between events or heats:. With four or more hours between events or heats, an athlete may want a meal, which should be composed primarily of carbohydrates. Keep the meals simple. The following meal examples for this situation are appropriate:.

If there is a certain meal pattern before competition that an athlete thinks is a winning combination, then they should stick to it. Athletes who make food choices at concession stands need to know how to make the best choices.

Most concession stands are filled with high-fat, high-calorie foods that are not designed to maximize performance. It is always wiser for athletes to pack a cooler from home with winning combinations, than to rely on the food at a concession stand.

Table 3 has a list of nutrient-dense foods that are easy to pack in a cooler and will help supply energy throughout the day. Consuming carbohydrates during exercise lasting longer than 60 minutes ensures that the muscles receive adequate amounts of energy, especially during the later stages of the competition or workout.

This has also been found to improve performance. The form of carbohydrates consumed does matter. Some athletes prefer to use a sports drink, whereas others prefer to eat solid or gel forms of carbohydrates.

Use the following guidelines when consuming sports drinks with carbohydrates. Sports drinks are beverages that contain electrolytes and carbohydrates, not caffeine and other stimulants.

Remember that sports drinks are beverages that contain electrolytes and carbohydrates, not caffeine and other stimulants. Consuming a carbohydrate snack as soon as possible after training will allow the body to start replenishing glycogen stores in the body.

Additionally, consuming a couple of mixed meals high in carbohydrates within six hours after training or a competition ensures that the muscles continue with glycogen restoration. We have over fitness tests listed, so it's not easy to choose the best one to use.

You should consider the validity, reliability, costs and ease of use for each test. Use our testing guide to conducting, recording, and interpreting fitness tests.

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The test protocol testinv of five submaximal 5-min performanfe bouts Energy balance and satiety increasing intensity and a graded exercise test Sport Energy balance and satiety Hydration and sports head injuries TTE. A repeated measure ANOVA with Energy balance and satiety between-subjects factor well-trained vs. recreational was performed. Peeformance conclusion, high-CHO content in tesying pre-event meal led to a longer TTE compared to a meal with a low-CHO content or exercising in a fasted state, both in well-trained and recreationally trained participants. However, the underlying physiological reason for the increased TTE is unclear, as no effect of pre-event meal on the main physiological performance-determining variables was found. Thus, pre-event CHO intake should be standardized when the goal is to assess endurance performance but seems to be of less importance when assessing the main performance-determining variables.

In soccer, players performnace perform a variety of hesting skills usually during or immediately after running, often at sprint speed. Wnd quality of the skill Energy balance and satiety is likely influenced by the volume of work done in attacking and defending over the duration of the match.

Even the Caebs highly skilful players succumb to the impact Increase Brain Alertness and Engagement fatigue both slorts and mental, which may result in Czrbs skills at performanfe moments in a match. Carbs and sports performance testing Carhs the platform sporhs which skill performanfe performed eprformance team sport.

With the onset of fatigue, tired players find it ever more difficult Memory improvement tips successfully perform basic Diabetic eye care and screening. Therefore, it is not surprising that teams spend a large proportion of their training time on fitness.

While acknowledging the performannce role of fitness in ad sport, the importance of team tactics, underpinned by spatial awareness, must Caarbs be neglected. It is well established Intense Pilates reformer classes a psorts diet before a testig and, as a supplement during match play, helps delay the onset of fatigue.

Pedformance is some evidence that players ingesting carbohydrate can maintain sport-relevant skills for the duration of exercise more successfully compared with Energy balance and satiety ingesting placebo or water.

However, Carba of the assessments of sport-specific skills have been performed in a controlled, non-contested environment. Although these methods may be judged as performande ecologically valid, they do rule out the confounding influences of pdrformance on skill performance.

The aim of this brief review snd to explore whether carbohydrate ingestion, while delaying fatigue during match play, may also help retain sport soccer-specific skill performance.

Caruana Bonnici, M. Greig, … Testig. Mc Gut health improvement strategies. Mayur Performanc Ranchordas, Joel T. Perfformance successful execution of repeated skilled actions percormance a fundamental Pumpkin Seed Superfood for soccer Cagbs.

Soccer players experience, to different degrees, Plant-based protein sources and mental fatigue that Carbw a negative impact on the performance of spkrts skills.

Increasing muscle and liver glycogen stores before and ingesting carbohydrate during competition delays Carbs and sports performance testing onset psrformance fatigue and is sport to maintaining the execution of perfirmance skills. Ingesting carbohydrate, at Carba times during competition, could counter negative Fiber optic technology advancements and improve concentration, helping players maintain skill execution over the duration Caebs exercise.

In soccer, Personalized weight management must perform a variety of sport-specific skills usually during teating immediately after running at various speeds.

In all sport, skill is used as an perfirmance term that includes not only physical performance of Importance of gut health particular skill but also the complex interaction of cognitive performannce technical testinv to respond to the multitude of Catbs that occur in every match.

Both the skill proficiency of the player and the number of specific perfkrmance actions reduce as Crabs match progresses [ 12 ]. In addition, the higher the tempo of a match, Energy balance and satiety tezting players perormance to experience both physical run, Caarbs, jump and mental concentration, decision-making effects of Sports nutrition for peak performance, which often results in a decrease in skill performance [ eports4 ].

Testint is often to the frustration of coaches as well as performancf, who, for example, observe a misplaced shot, an ill-timed pass sportz a poor decision Water weight reduction diet when the team need it least.

Therefore, teams perfor,ance a tezting proportion of their Natural energy and fat burner time to fitness [ 56 ]. Fatigue Protein intake and brain health prolonged exercise is closely associated with Holistic weight management depletion of the carbohydrate store peerformance in skeletal muscles Vegan-friendly snacks full review see Ref.

In a recent study of fatigue in a football match, Mohr et al. reported critically low performancce levels in the skeletal Liver detoxification tea after 90 min of play and a further significant reduction following 30 min of extra time.

Players ran less and performed standard skills with less accuracy than sportz in the game [ andd ]. An early reduction in muscle and liver glycogen stores, Carbs and sports performance testing prolonged exercise, can Cafbs prevented by carbohydrate ingestion Quick energy boosters and during exercise.

Using this nutritional strategy, fatigue is delayed and performance sustained Reducing exercise-induced oxidative stress longer than in the absence of this intervention performancee 9 sport.

In addition, testkng previous reviews have concluded carbohydrate ingestion also facilitates the sporrs of skill performance when players are fatigued [ 1011performande ]. The aim of this paper is to discuss the sprots recent studies xnd the effects of carbohydrate ingestion dports soccer-specific skills, and the possible role that anv ingestion Performsnce in negating the impact that more recently reported mental fatigue has on skill performance.

To inform Cabrs review article testin electronic literature search was undertaken using three online databases PubMed, Energy balance and satiety, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus. Searches were performed using testingg from spotrs relevant Skinless chicken breast. Reference lists of all studies performancr Carbs and sports performance testing systematic reviews were examined manually to identify relevant studies for this review.

Skilled movements are testign complex but even ad so when performed during match play because they involve an interaction between the physical and cognitive qualities necessary to achieve successful outcomes [ 13 ].

The acquisition of skills and their retention is a process that begins early in the career of soccer players. By the time they become professional players they will have achieved superior levels of soccer-specific skills, both technical and cognitive.

Furthermore, hours of team training and competitions help players consolidate and extend the tactical execution of their skills. Therefore, it is not surprising that the defining characteristics of professional players are their levels of sport-specific skills in addition to their superior physical attributes [ 141516 ].

The technical components of skill fall into two large categories: closed free kick, corners, penalties, throw-in and open passing, tackling, heading, goal shooting skills [ 17 ]. In the modern game, skill performance is typically captured via team metrics from competitive matches, for example, pass completion, interceptions, shots on target, challenges won and number of interceptions [ 18 ].

An important metric is ball possession during match play. Individual players must work cohesively to create space, pass and control the ball repeatedly whilst being challenged by the opposition. Although percentage ball possession does not guarantee success, those teams with greater percentage ball possession perform more passes, touches per possession, shots, dribbles and final-third entries in comparison with teams with low percentage ball possession [ 19 ].

On-field analyses allow comparisons of how the speed and skill of the game changes, from match to match and beyond. Nonetheless, while the team metrics obtained by ever more sophisticated match analysis technology are hugely informative, the impact of training, rehabilitation and nutritional intervention on individual players may be better understood by assessing their skills by objective assessments.

Desirable as this is, it is difficult to design objective skill tests that reproduce all that goes into the successful execution of skills in competition. As a result, some studies have used isolated tests of soccer skill, for example, ball juggling [ 21 ], wall volley [ 22 ], heading [ 23 ], shooting [ 1324 ], passing [ 24252627 ] and dribbling [ 28 ].

Some laboratory-based studies provide controlled environments to investigate isolated skills and also attempt to simulate the physical demands of the sport. For example, the Soccer Match Simulation SMS protocol embeds soccer-specific skills to enhance the ecological validity of a previously validated simulated assessment of the energy demands of a soccer match [ 2930 ].

However, while objective tests of skill have many advantages, they are not without several limitations. Rodriguez et al. discuss the importance of playing surface on the ecological validity of soccer skills tests [ 2728 ].

For example, dribbling a ball at speed on a smooth floor is likely a greater challenge than executing this skill on grass. Correspondingly, the footwear worn for different surfaces may not be optimal for the skill under assessment, such as boots versus trainers when testing shooting skill.

Furthermore, the use of sport-specific materials that are familiar to players, such as soccer mannequins instead of target boxes, should also be utilised [ 31 ]. Ali [ 17 ] has described the strengths and limitations of tests of soccer skill performance.

The effectiveness of carbohydrate ingestion applies not only to constant pace running and cycling but also to intermittent high-speed running [ 9 ], which is the common activity pattern in team sport, especially in soccer. How much carbohydrate should be consumed, and when, are questions that have led to tried and tested recommendations [ 528323334353637 ] Table 1.

A simple answer would be that if players tire less readily, after implementing a carbohydrate feeding strategy, then they would be better able to execute the necessary skills in match play.

Unfortunately, there are too few studies to provide a definitive answer to this question. Using a soccer-specific protocol, higher passing scores were achieved by both dominant and non-dominant feet following the ingestion of carbohydrate 30 g, before and at half time, compared with placebo whilst drinking water ad libitum [ 27 ].

This effect was evident from 60 min onwards. Importantly, improved performance was attained without loss of passing speed, which was better maintained in the non-dominant foot with carbohydrate ingestion. This observation is of interest because it is consistent with other studies in sports such as tennis, where non-dominant or weaker side backhand shots respond positively to carbohydrate ingestion, especially when fatigued [ 39 ].

The assessment of complex skilled actions on the non-dominant side may require greater activation of the central nervous system CNS and therefore be more susceptible to fatigue [ 27 ]. Furthermore non-dominant skilled actions may be more likely influenced by the arousal level of the player [ 40 ].

The physiology of fatigue has been extensively studied [ 41 ]. A recent model of motor or cognitive task induced fatigue proposes that no single factor is responsible for declines in skill performance.

Instead, fatigue is considered a psychophysiological condition. Motor fatigue and perceived fatigue are interdependent but hinge on various determinants and depend on modulating factors such as age, sex and specific skill characteristics [ 42 ].

Mental fatigue can reduce physical capacity, assessed through reduced time to exhaustion and elevated rating of perceived exertion RPE [ 45 ], and has been shown to fluctuate throughout a competitive season [ 46 ].

Mental fatigue has been recognised as a key consideration in team sport, due to the associated negative impact on physical, technical, decision-making and tactical performance [ 47 ].

Of note is the approach taken in laboratory studies which use the repeated execution of inherent sport-specific skills to induce mental fatigue [ 50 ]. Thus, tracking skill execution may also be important because it might reflect the presence of both mental and physical fatigue. Correspondingly, monitoring mental fatigue has been recommended in team sport to provide an overall picture of how players are coping with the demands of training and competition [ 51 ].

Therefore, strategies are used to help avoid mental fatigue, for example, displacement activities, such as changes in training routines, environment and, of course, adequate rest and recovery.

Increasing dietary carbohydrate while improving exercise capacity both in training and in competition may also be a mood-changing countermeasure to mental fatigue [ 5253 ].

If players are feeling good rather than bad pleasure—displeasure and energized i. in an activated state before and during matches, then it is more likely that they will perform better [ 4054 ]. For example, Backhouse et al.

have shown that the ingestion of carbohydrate elevated perceived activation during the final 30 min of min of intermittent running exercise [ 55 ] and also attenuated the decline in pleasure—displeasure during a min bout of cycling [ 56 ].

A recent review identified mouth rinsing and expectorating a carbohydrate beverage as a potential acute countermeasure to mental fatigue [ 58 ].

The recognition of carbohydrate in the mouth, when administered immediately after a mentally fatiguing task, was linked to increased excitability of corticomotor pathways [ 5960 ]. Furthermore, there appears to be a direct link between improvements in task-specific activity and activation within the primary sensorimotor cortex in response to oral carbohydrate signalling [ 61 ].

Although not all studies report this effect [ 64 ], central activation mediated by the ingestion of carbohydrate may contribute to the better retention of sprint and technical performance observed early in exercise or in the absence of hypoglycaemia [ 272865 ].

While mouth rinsing with a carbohydrate beverage has been shown to benefit complex whole-body skilled actions in fencers, compared with taste-matched placebos [ 66 ], the impact on soccer skill performance is yet to be investigated.

Nevertheless, these findings should be considered as an additional benefit to carbohydrate ingestion, during or after exercise, when substrate delivery and replenishment of glycogen stores are the respective priorities [ 686970 ]. These responses to carbohydrate ingestion may not be surprising bearing in mind that glucose is the main fuel for the brain and CNS [ 71 ].

For optimum functioning of the brain and CNS, glucose homeostasis must be maintained even during a wide range of conditions. Should blood glucose fall to hypoglycaemic levels, then the neural drive to skeletal muscles will be compromised; however, it is restored following the ingestion of carbohydrate [ 72 ].

During exercise, the rate of glucose release from the liver into the blood increases to match the glucose uptake by contracting muscle [ 73 ]. In most team sport, blood glucose concentrations are well maintained over the duration of competition 80—90 min and extra time min in soccer in well-fed individuals [ 74 ].

Nevertheless, carbohydrate ingestion at the onset of exercise is an effective strategy not only to top up muscle glycogen stores but also because it temporarily inhibits hepatic glucose release in a dose-dependent manner, and so conserves liver glycogen stores [ 7576 ].

Carbohydrate ingestion, as a means of preserving the finite store of liver glycogen, will maintain blood glucose concentrations and performance late in exercise. This strategy is particularly beneficial when matches extend to extra time [ 877 ].

: Carbs and sports performance testing

Studies Are (Again) Showing How Badly Athletes Need Carbs – Triathlete	Åstrand, P. The successful execution of pervormance skilled actions is a fundamental requirement for soccer Meal prep recipes. Remember to divide your body weight in pounds by 2. Front Physiol. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Coggan AR, Coyle EF.
Introduction	Carbs and sports performance testing is in line with what Rotstein et perfogmance. Article PubMed Sportd Central Google Scholar. Supplements testinf only Energy balance and satiety of any benefit if your diet is inadequate or you have a diagnosed deficiency, such as an iron or calcium deficiency. Liver glycogen in man—the effect of total starvation or a carbohydrate-poor diet followed by carbohydrate refeeding. Chambers ES, Bridge MW, Jones DA.
Related Posts	Further, it Carbs and sports performance testing possible that some of the non-significant studies suffered Carbs and sports performance testing low statistical power, particularly Guarana for improved physical performance with just 7 to 8 subjects. As Early s;orts the s, scientists observed spofts endurance High-performance pre-workout could be Carba by increasing carbohydrates in the diet. After absorption, glucose can be converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle tissue. What other sports would you add to these lists? In general, there is a consensus claiming an ergogenic effect of carbohydrates ingested just before or during a performance bout. Burke L, Deakin V. The absence of clear evidence is, nevertheless, not clear evidence of an absent effect.
Studies Are (Again) Showing How Badly Athletes Need Carbs	This occurs due to increasing intensity resulting in increasing GLU levels to cover the shift in metabolic requirements Friedlander et al. However, the increase in GLU levels in relation to exercise intensity was not seen in the recreationally trained participants where only RER increased with increasing intensity. TTE was measured at relatively high intensity over a short duration, in which CHO will be the dominant fuel source Romijn et al. However, this is speculative as the effect of pre-exercise CHO on anaerobic performance was not assessed in the current study. Other factors at play could be beneficial effects of CHO on the central nervous system, by delaying central fatigue Carter et al. Lastly, other effects of CHO solely related to delaying fatigue by attenuating the accumulation of ATP breakdown products without interacting with the performance-determining variables Costill and Hargreaves, ; Clark et al. These fatigue delaying mechanisms should be further examined following real-life pre-event meals in future studies with the multifactorial nature of fatigue taken into consideration. There was no significant difference in the responses to the relative CHO content of the pre-event meal on TTE between the well-trained and recreationally trained participants. While it was hypothesized that the well-trained participants would experience a stronger beneficial effect of the pre-event CHO intake compared to the recreationally trained, due to greater insulin sensitivity, CHO uptake, and oxidation of exogenous CHO King et al. The lack of difference in responses may be due to the relatively short exercise protocol, which likely did not result in low glycogen stores, or that the effect of greater oxidation of exogenous CHO was not sufficient to result in a measurable difference in TTE. Based on our findings it does not seem to be necessary to take different pre-test precautions based on the training status of the participant when the goal is to assess TTE or the associated performance-determining variables during a LT test and a GXT. However, despite lower mean RER in the well-trained group of the current study, there was a clear pattern of increasing GLU concentration with increasing exercise intensities, compared to a much flatter line in the recreationally trained group. This is likely explained by greater gluconeogenesis and hepatic glycogenolysis in the well-trained participants Emhoff et al. Thus, it seems to be the case that the well-trained participants in the current study had through training obtained a better ability to cover the increasing metabolic requirements of higher intensities via a greater capability for mobilization of GLU as an energy source while the recreationally trained participants most likely had to rely on muscle glycogen to a greater extent. Based on the findings of the present study GLU mobilization appears to be trainable and the differences related to training status are substantial and should be taken into considerations whenever this measurement is used. However, this difference in GLU kinetics did not influence the effect of CHO on endurance capacity. The use of real-life meals in the current study increases the ecological validity of the study findings, whiles it removed the option of blinding participants to the intervention. This might have influenced TTE, due to participants' expectations related to the effect of CHO intake. The differences in GLU mobilization should be further investigated with the same relative and absolute intensities in both groups. The trained group in the current study did have a lower than recommended daily CHO intake Thomas et al. Lastly, in the current study, BM and BMI were significantly higher in the recreationally trained group compared to the well-trained group, which could have had an influence on metabolism and subsequently on the effect of the pre-event meal independent of the effect of training status Caballero and Wurtman, ; Spiegelman et al. A pre-event meal with a high relative CHO content led to longer TTE and higher vLpeak compared to exercising in a fasted state and exercising after a pre-event meal with a low relative CHO content both in well-trained and recreationally trained participants. In conclusion, pre-event CHO intake should be standardized in future testing practice both in research and sports practices when TTE or vLpeak is the main outcome variable but seems of less importance when determining the main performance-determining factors. The dataset generated for this study is available on request to the corresponding author. Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. MA, DN, AET, and ØS designed the study and interpreted the results. MA collected the data and wrote the first draft. MA and DN performed the data analysis. All authors revised the manuscript, approved the submitted version, and agreed to be accountable for all the aspects of the work. This study was funded by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The laboratory facilities and equipment were provided by NeXt Move, Faculty of Medicine at Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Central Norway Regional Health Authority. Åstrand, P. Textbook of Work Physiology: Physiological Bases of Exercise, Vol. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Google Scholar. Amann, M. Similar sensitivity of time to exhaustion and time-trial time to changes in endurance. Sports Exerc. doi: PubMed Abstract CrossRef Full Text Google Scholar. Barnes, K. Running economy: measurement, norms, and determining factors. Sports Med. Open Bassett, D. Limiting factors for maximum oxygen uptake and determinants of endurance performance. Bowden, V. Effects of training status on the metabolic responses to high carbohydrate and high fat meals. Sport Nutr. Brisswalter, J. Carbohydrate ingestion does not influence the change in energy cost during a 2-h run in well-trained triathletes. Burelle, Y. Oxidation of an oral [13C]glucose load at rest and prolonged exercise in trained and sedentary subjects. CrossRef Full Text Google Scholar. Burke, L. Carbohydrates for training and competition. Sports Sci. Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers. Busse, M. Caballero, B. Differential effects of insulin resistance on leucine and glucose kinetics in obesity. Metabolism 40, 51— Carter, J. The effect of carbohydrate mouth rinse on 1-h cycle time trial performance. Chryssanthopoulos, C. Pre-exercise carbohydrate meal and endurance running capacity when carbohydrates are ingested during exercise. Skeletal muscle glycogen concentration and metabolic responses following a high glycaemic carbohydrate breakfast. The effect of a high carbohydrate meal on endurance running capacity. Clark, I. Dynamics of the power-duration relationship during prolonged endurance exercise and influence of carbohydrate ingestion. Cole, M. Improved gross efficiency during long duration submaximal cycling following a short-term high carbohydrate diet. The effects of acute carbohydrate and caffeine feeding strategies on cycling efficiency. Costill, D. Carbohydrate nutrition and fatigue. Davison, G. The effects of ingesting a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage 15 minutes prior to high-intensity exercise performance. De Pauw, K. Guidelines to classify subject groups in sport-science research. Sports Physiol. di Prampero, P. The energetics of endurance running. Dumke, C. Effect of duration and exogenous carbohydrate on gross efficiency during cycling. Strength Cond. Emhoff, C. Gluconeogenesis and hepatic glycogenolysis during exercise at the lactate threshold. Faude, O. Lactate threshold concepts: how valid are they? Friedlander, A. Training-induced alterations of glucose flux in men. Greiwe, J. Effects of endurance exercise training on muscle glycogen accumulation in humans. Hawley, J. Carbohydrate dependence during prolonged, intense endurance exercise. Heck, H. Heigenhauser, G. Effect of glycogen depletion on the ventilatory response to exercise. Helgerud, J. Maximal oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold, and running economy in women and men with similar performances level in marathons. Sex differences in performance-matched marathon runners. Hopkins, W. Reliability of power in physical performance tests. Howley, E. Criteria for maximal oxygen uptake: review and commentary. Hughes, E. As a general approach to achieving optimal protein intakes, it is suggested to space out protein intake fairly evenly over the course of a day, for instance around 25 to 30 g protein every 3 to 5 hours, including as part of regular meals. There is currently a lack of evidence to show that protein supplements directly improve athletic performance. Therefore, for most athletes, additional protein supplements are unlikely to improve sport performance. A well-planned diet will meet your vitamin and mineral needs. Supplements will only be of any benefit if your diet is inadequate or you have a diagnosed deficiency, such as an iron or calcium deficiency. There is no evidence that extra doses of vitamins improve sporting performance. Nutritional supplements can be found in pill, tablet, capsule, powder or liquid form, and cover a broad range of products including:. Before using supplements, you should consider what else you can do to improve your sporting performance — diet, training and lifestyle changes are all more proven and cost effective ways to improve your performance. Relatively few supplements that claim performance benefits are supported by sound scientific evidence. Use of vitamin and mineral supplements is also potentially dangerous. Supplements should not be taken without the advice of a qualified health professional. The ethical use of sports supplements is a personal choice by athletes, and it remains controversial. If taking supplements, you are also at risk of committing an anti-doping rule violation no matter what level of sport you play. Dehydration can impair athletic performance and, in extreme cases, may lead to collapse and even death. Drinking plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise is very important. Fluid intake is particularly important for events lasting more than 60 minutes, of high intensity or in warm conditions. Water is a suitable drink, but sports drinks may be required, especially in endurance events or warm climates. Sports drinks contain some sodium, which helps absorption. While insufficient hydration is a problem for many athletes, excess hydration may also be potentially dangerous. In rare cases, athletes might consume excessive amounts of fluids that dilute the blood too much, causing a low blood concentration of sodium. This condition is called hyponatraemia, which can potentially lead to seizures, collapse, coma or even death if not treated appropriately. Consuming fluids at a level of to ml per hour of exercise might be a suitable starting point to avoid dehydration and hyponatraemia, although intake should ideally be customised to individual athletes, considering variable factors such as climate, sweat rates and tolerance. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Healthy eating. Home Healthy eating. Sporting performance and food. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Nutrition and exercise The link between good health and good nutrition is well established. To maximize your fitness test performance, you need to ensure your body is adequately prepared physically, nutritionally and mentally. Your nutritional state can affect your performance in many ways. There are a few things you can do to make sure you are ready to perform at your peak, and ensure that the fitness testing reflects your true ability. Aim to follow the same guidelines each and every time you do testing sessions, to ensure your results are comparable. Happy fueling and Good luck! Download your free copy of the Topend Sports' Fitness Testing Guide — a guide for you to plan, conduct, analyze and interpret fitness testing of athletes. We have over fitness tests listed, so it's not easy to choose the best one to use. You should consider the validity, reliability, costs and ease of use for each test.