Chryssanthopoulos, C., & Williams. C. (1996). Influence of a pre-exercise meal and a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution on endurance running performance. Medicine and Science in Exercise and Sports, 28(5), Supplement abstract 765.

The effects of a carbohydrate-rich meal (CHO) three hours before exercise when a CHO-electrolyte solution is ingested during the exercise were investigated. Males (N = 10) ran to exhaustion on a treadmill working at 70% VO2max. Two trials were performed, including a control trial ingesting a placebo meal. Both tests used the same CHO-electrolyte replacement procedure during the exercise.

The CHO-meal plus CHO-electrolyte solution condition extended performance (147+ min) over the control condition (125+ min).

Implication. A combination of a pre-exercise CHO meal and CHO-electrolyte fluid ingestion during exercise improves endurance running capacity to a greater extent than the ingestion of CHO-electrolyte solution alone.

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