W. J. Fink

Influence of diuretic-induced dehydration on competitive running performance.

A diuretic drug (40 mg of furosemide) was utilized to study the effects of dehydration (D) on competitive running performance, without prior thermal or exercise stress. Eight men competed in randomized races of 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 m, while normally hydrated (H) and with mean plasma volume reductions of 9.9, 12.3, and 9.9%, respectively. As a result of the reduced body water (change in body weight = -1.9, -1.6, and -2.1%), mean outdoor performance times on a running track increased 0.16 min, 1.31 min (P less than 0.05), and 2.62 min (P less than 0.05) in the 1,500-m, 5,000-m, and 10,000-m trials. Running performance decrements due to dehydration were more strongly correlated with changes in body weight (r = -0.79, -0.65, and -0.40) than with urine volume or plasma volume differences. In addition, subjects were studied during submaximal and maximal treadmill exercise while H and D (mean change in plasma volume = -7.1%). Neither submaximal nor maximal oxygen uptake was significantly altered (P greater than 0.05) as a consequence of D. Mean treadmill run time to volitional exhaustion was reduced by 41.4 s (P less than 0.05) during the D treadmill trial. Therefore, it appears that competitive performance in trials of long duration (5,000 and 10,000 m) was affected to a greater extent by D than the shorter 1,500-m event, even though submaximal and maximal oxygen uptake was not altered.

Performance and muscle fiber adaptations to creatine supplementation and heavy resistance training.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of creatine supplementation in conjunction with resistance training on physiological adaptations including muscle fiber hypertrophy and muscle creatine accumulation. METHODS Nineteen healthy resistance-trained men were matched and then randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to either a creatine (N = 10) or placebo (N = 9) group. Periodized heavy resistance training was performed for 12 wk. Creatine or placebo capsules were consumed (25 g x d(-1)) for 1 wk followed by a maintenance dose (5 g x d(-1)) for the remainder of the training. RESULTS After 12 wk, significant (P < or = 0.05) increases in body mass and fat-free mass were greater in creatine (6.3% and 6.3%, respectively) than placebo (3.6% and 3.1%, respectively) subjects. After 12 wk, increases in bench press and squat were greater in creatine (24% and 32%, respectively) than placebo (16% and 24%, respectively) subjects. Compared with placebo subjects, creatine subjects demonstrated significantly greater increases in Type I (35% vs 11%), IIA (36% vs 15%), and IIAB (35% vs 6%) muscle fiber cross-sectional areas. Muscle total creatine concentrations were unchanged in placebo subjects. Muscle creatine was significantly elevated after 1 wk in creatine subjects (22%), and values remained significantly greater than placebo subjects after 12 wk. Average volume lifted in the bench press during training was significantly greater in creatine subjects during weeks 5-8. No negative side effects to the supplementation were reported. CONCLUSION Creatine supplementation enhanced fat-free mass, physical performance, and muscle morphology in response to heavy resistance training, presumably mediated via higher quality training sessions.

Effect of carbohydrate feedings on muscle glycogen utilization and exercise performance.

Ten men were studied during 4 h of cycling to determine the effect of solid carbohydrate (CHO) feedings on muscle glycogen utilization and exercise performance. In the experimental trial (E) the subjects ingested 43 g of sucrose in solid form along with 400 ml of water at 0, 1, 2 and 3 h of exercise. During the control trial (C) they received 400 ml of an artificially sweetened drink without solid CHO. No differences in VO2, heart rate, or total energy expenditure were observed between trials; however, respiratory exchange ratios were significantly (P less than 0.05) higher during E. Blood glucose was significantly (P less than 0.05) elevated 20 min post-feeding in E; however, by 50 min no differences were observed between trials until 230 min (E = 4.5 +/- 0.2 mmol X l-1 vs C = 3.9 +/- 0.2, means +/- SE; P less than 0.05). Muscle glycogen utilization was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower during E (100.7 +/- 10.2 mmol X kg-1 w.w.) than C (126.2 +/- 5.5). During a sprint (100% VO2max) ride to exhaustion at the end of each trial, subjects performed 45% longer when fed CHO (E = 126.8 +/- 24.7 s vs C = 87.2 +/- 17.5; P less than 0.05). It was concluded that repeated solid CHO feedings maintain blood glucose levels, reduce muscle glycogen depletion during prolonged exercise, and enhance sprint performance at the end of such activity.

Adaptations to swimming training: influence of training volume.

In an effort to assess the contributions of a period of increased training volume on swimming performance, two matched groups of collegiate male swimmers were studied before and during 25 wk of training. For the first 4 wk of this study, the two groups trained together in one session per day for approximately 1.5 h.d-1. During the following 6 wk (weeks 5-11), one group (LONG) trained two sessions per day, 1.5 h in the morning and 1.5 h in the afternoon. The other group (SHORT) continued to train once each day, in the afternoon with the LONG group. Over the final 14 wk of the study, both groups trained together in one session per day (1.5 h.d-1). Although the swimmers experienced significant improvements in swimming power, endurance, and performance throughout the 25 wk study, there were no differences between the groups. However, during the 6 wk period of increased training, the LONG group experienced a decline in sprinting velocity, whereas the SHORT group showed a significant increase in sprinting performance. The test results suggest that a 6 wk period of two 1.5 h training sessions per day does not enhance performance above that experienced with a single training session of 1.5 h each day. It was also noted that both groups showed little change in swimming endurance and power after the first 8 wk of training, though their performances improved significantly after each taper period.

Leg muscle metabolism during exercise in the heat and cold.

AbstractIn an effort to assess the effects of environmental heat stress on muscle metabolism during exercise, 6 men performed work in the heat (Tdb = 41° C, RH = 15%) and cold (Tdb = 9° C, RH = 55%). Exercise consisted of three 15-min cycling bouts at 70 to 85%

Effects of preexercise feedings on endurance performance.

\dot V_{O_2 \max }

Effect of carbohydrate feeding frequencies and dosage on muscle glycogen use during exercise

, with 10-min rest between each. Muscle biopsies obtained from the vastus lateralis before and after each work bout were analyzed for glycogen and triglyceride content. Venous blood samples drawn before and after exercise were assayed for lactate, glucose, free fatty acids, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Oxygen uptake, heart rates and rectal temperatures were all significantly higher during exercise in the heat. Blood lactate concentration was roughly twice as great during the heat experiments as that measured in the 9° C environment. Muscle glycogen utilization per 60 min was significantly greater in the heat (−74 m moles/kg-wet muscle) as compared to the cold exercise (−42 m moles/kg-wet muscle.) On the average, muscle triglyceride declined 23% during exercise in the cold and 11% in the heat. The findings of an enhanced glycolysis during exercise in the heat is compatible with earlier studies which demonstrate a decreased availability of oxygen due to a reduction in muscle blood flow.

Effect of pre-exercise carbohydrate feedings on endurance cycling performance

This study assessed the need to replace sodium in endurance exercise less than or equal to 6 h in duration by comparing responses to fluid replacement with water, saline (25 mmol.l-1), or no fluid. Eight subjects (five male, three female) participated in three 6-h exercise trials on an electrically braked cycle ergometer at 55% VO2max, at 30 degrees C and 50% r.h. In the water (W) and saline (S) trials, sufficient fluid was ingested to balance sweat and urinary fluid losses, while in the third trial, no fluid (NF) was ingested. Plasma sodium less than or equal to 130 mmol.l-1 was a criterion for trial termination. In the NF trial, heart rate, rectal temperature, plasma sodium, plasma aldosterone, and rating of perceived exertion were all significantly higher (P less than 0.001) than during W and S, whereas plasma volume was lower (P less than 0.001). On average, subjects terminated this trial 1.5 h prior to its scheduled completion, having lost 6.4% body weight. In contrast, no significant differences between fluid replacement with W or S were detected, although the effect of time on all aforementioned variables was highly significant (P less than 0.001). Saline intake was not associated with significantly higher plasma sodium during exercise than was water intake: plasma sodium decreased significantly during both W (to 135.5 +/- 0.5 mmol.l-1) and S (to 137.3 +/- 0.7 mmol.l-1). No subject had to terminate a trial based on plasma sodium less than or equal to 130 mmol.l-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)