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Int J Sports Med 1999; 20(4): 252-257
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-971126
Nutrition

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Effects of Ingesting a Sports Bar Versus Glucose Polymer on Substrate Utilisation and Ultra-Endurance Performance

H. G. L. Rauch, J. A. Hawley, M. Woodey, T. D. Noakes, S. C. Dennis
  • MRC/UCT Bioenergetics of Exercise Research Unit, University of Cape Town Medical School, Sports Science lnstitute of South Africa, Newlands, South Africa
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Publication History

Publication Date:
09 March 2007 (online)

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The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ingestion of a sports bar (BAR) containing a mixture of fat (7 g), protein (14 g) and carbohydrate (CHO; 19 g) improved ulta-endurance cycling performance compared to when an equicaloric amount of CHO was consumed. On two occasions separated by a minimum of 7 days, six highly trained (peak power output [PPO] 414±8 W) endurance cyclists rode for 330 min at ~ 50 % of PPO (203±8 W) while ingesting either the BAR or just CHO, before performing a 400 kj time trial as fast as possible. Rates of fat oxidation were significantly greater at the end of the sub-maximal ride when subjects ingested the BAR compared to CHO (1.09±0.08 vs 0.73±0.08g·min-1; P < 0.05), and accordingly total fat oxidation was significantly higher (280±24 vs 203±25g, P < 0.05). However, two subjects failed) to complete the time trial after they consumed the BAR during the prolonged, submaximal ride, whereas all subjects managed to finish the time trial when ingesting CHO. In conclusion, ingestion of the sports bar enhanced fat metabolism during prolonged, submaximal exercise, but impaired subsequent high-intensity time-trial performance.

Key words

Fat oxidation - submaximal ride - time trial

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