Yan, H., Weber, T. M., Sullivan, Z. M., Sharp, R. L., & King, D. S. (2009). The effect of sodium and carbohydrate in a rehydration food on subsequent exercise performance. ACSM 56th Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, Presentation Number 1975.

This study determined the effectiveness of a high sodium and carbohydrate meal on endurance exercise performance following exercise- and heat-induced dehydration. Males (N = 20) were dehydrated by ~3 % of body mass with exercise and heat exposure. In a randomly assigned, counterbalanced design, Ss were rehydrated at room temperature with either 175 ml of chicken noodle soup or an artificially sweetened placebo at the beginning of the 120-minute rehydration period and 20 minutes later. Water was ingested every 20 minutes during the remaining 100 minutes of rehydration. The soup contained 161.0 mmol/l Na+, 5.3 mmol/l K+, and 32.6 g total carbohydrate. The control fluid contained 14.4 mmol/l Na+, 16.0 mmol/l K+, and no carbohydrate. Total fluid ingestion was matched with body fluid loss during dehydration. After rehydration, Ss performed 30 minutes of steady state exercise at 68% VO2peak. Ss then performed a time trial in which they accumulated as rapidly as possible the amount of work equal to 30 minutes of exercise at 70% VO2peak in a thermoneutral environment (25 C and 40% relative humidity).

There was no significant difference in percent recovery of body mass during rehydration. Time-trial performance was significantly improved in the soup treatment compared to the controlled condition No differences in carbohydrate oxidation, heart rate, or ratings of perceived exercise were found during post-rehydration exercise.

Implication. Ingesting chicken noodle soup after exercise in the heat improves subsequent endurance exercise capacity.

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