Stevenson, E. J., Williams, C., McComb, G., & Oram, C. (2004). Improved recovery from prolonged exercise following the consumption of low glycemic index carbohydrate meals. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 36(5), Supplement abstract 157.

Active males (N = 9) participated in two trials separated by seven days. The experimental protocol took two days. On day 1, Ss completed a 90-minute treadmill run at 70% VO2max. After the trial, Ss received a recovery diet of either high glycemic index carbohydrate or low glycemic index CHO, which provided 8 gm/kg of CHO. On day 2 after an overnight fast, Ss ran to exhaustion at 70% VO2max.

Eight Ss completed both performance runs. Run time to exhaustion on day 2 was longer in the low than high glycemic index condition. Fat oxidation rates and free fatty acid concentrations were higher in the low trial than the high.

Implication. Increased endurance capacity after a recovery meal was largely a consequence of greater fat oxidation, and possibly glycogen sparing, following consumption of a low glycemic index meal.

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