Upshaw, A. N., Lam, T., Bandegan, A., & Lemon, P.W. (2012). Time-trial performance 4 h following glycogen-depleting exercise is enhanced similarly with recovery non-dairy chocolate beverages vs. chocolate milk. Presentation 2344 at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, San Francisco, California; May 29-June 2, 2012.

This study evaluated if non-dairy chocolate beverage ingestion after glycogen-depleting exercise can enhance 20 km time-trial performance four hours later in trained male cyclists (N = 10). Ss completed a series of intense cycling intervals designed to lower muscle glycogen followed by four hours of recovery and a subsequent 20 km cycling time-trial. During the first two hours of recovery, Ss ingested chocolate dairy, chocolate soy milk, chocolate hemp milk, low-fat dairy milk, or a 0 kcal artificially sweetened, flavored beverage at 30-minute intervals in a double blind, counterbalanced repeated measure design. All drinks, except the placebo, were isoenergetic and provided one gram carbohydrate per kg body mass per hour. Fluid intake across chocolate milk treatments was equalized by ingesting appropriate quantities of water based on the milk intake. The carbohydrate to protein ratio was 4:1, 1.5:1, 4:1, and 5:1, for chocolate dairy milk, low-fat dairy milk, soymilk, and chocolate hemp milk, respectively.

Time-trial performance was enhanced similarly for all treatments when compared to placebo.

Implication. Post-exercise macronutrient and total energy intake are more important for 20 km time-trial performance following glycogen-depleting exercise than protein type or carbohydrate to protein ratio.

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