Carbohydrate Oxidation in Elite Wheelchair Racers During Marathon Simulation

Dietary Carbohydrate Clinical Trial

— COW  

Official title:

Carbohydrate Oxidation in Elite Wheelchair Racers During Marathon Simulation

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04145050
• Other study ID #: 20020
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: December 1, 2022
• Est. completion date: July 1, 2024

Study information

• Verified date: April 2021
• Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Contact: Susannah E Scaroni, B.S.
• Phone: 509-280-3743
• Email: scaroni1[@]illinois.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

To examine the effect of varying amounts of carbohydrate ingestion on performance, gastrointestinal experiences, and other physiological markers in elite wheelchair racers during a simulated marathon.

Description:

The metabolic demands created by endurance activities, which include muscle and liver glycogen depletion as well as losses in body fluids and electrolytes, are significant limitations to the performance potential of the athlete. For this reason, a well-supported recommendation exists for such athletes to consume a carbohydrate (CHO) formula, in particular, one containing electrolytes during their activity. Furthermore, the current CHO recommendations to support prolonged activity have been developed specifically for able-bodied athletes, thus are potentially inappropriate for para athletes.

Metabolic and physiological functions are altered in individuals with physical disabilities, so it is unknown how transferable these recommendations are to para athletes. As such, it is important to understand this population's unique carbohydrate requirements for performance optimization.

Recently, our group showed stable elevated circulating glucose concentrations by utilizing two different sources of CHO dosed at 60 g/h when compared to water. Significantly improved performance was observed with both CHO conditions. These findings, combined with studies showing decreased net muscle glycogen degradation during intravenous glucose infusion (3.5 g/min), show the importance of plasma glucose concentration for sustained performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the SCI-specific responses to exogenous CHO during a full marathon simulation (MS).

Twelve highly trained men and women (20-50 yrs old) will be recruited to the study. The inclusion criteria are: 1.) Best marathon time lower than 2h 2.) and ≥6 months of prior training history. After initial screenings, participants will perform three marathon (MS) trials. In cross-over trials, each subject will participate in a MS trial consisting of a challenge (90% of subject's best marathon time) followed by a time trial (TT) representing the last 10% of the marathon time. During each MS trial, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either water, 30g, or 60g of carbohydrate (CHO) every 15 minutes in the form of a sports nutrition beverage. Repeated blood and breath sampling will occur throughout the MS. These samples will be used to determine glucose concentration, lactate concentration, as well as CHO and fat oxidation. Heart rate, core temperature, blood pressure, ratings of perceived exertion and GI symptoms will also be assessed throughout the MS and after the time trial.

Completion of this research study will help to identify more appropriate CHO recommendations for para athletes to support prolonged endurance exercise. This will aid in the understanding of the unique physiological and metabolic needs of para athletes as compared to their able-bodied counterparts, thus enhancing inclusivity within sports nutrition literature.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 12
• Est. completion date: July 1, 2024
• Est. primary completion date: December 1, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 20 Years to 50 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• < 2-hour best marathon time

• 6 months prior training history

Exclusion Criteria:

• - Chronic Smoking or tobacco use

• Active cardiovascular disease

• Diabetes Mellitus or other metabolic disorders

• Liver kidney, or urinary disease

• Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic disorders (e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis, gout, fibromyalgia, patellar tendinopathy, or chronic low back pain)

• Neuromuscular disorders

• hypertension

• Diagnosed GI tract diseases

• Heart Disease

• Neurological disease

• Epilepsy

• Respiratory disease

• Pregnancy

• Contraindications for exercise

• <6 months of prior training history

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Dietary Carbohydrate
• Para-Athletes

Intervention

Other:
• Carbohydrate dosing
The purpose of this study is to examine effects of different carbohydrate doses during marathon simulation in elite wheelchair racers.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Disability Rehababilitation and Education Services	Champaign	Illinois

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Performance	Performance will be measured by time required to complete a 2.6 mile time-trial immediately following marathon simulation	10-15 minutes
Secondary	Ratings of gastrointestinal (GI) experiences	Using a visual analog scale (Visual Analog Symptom Scale), participants will record GI symptoms (from 0-100 whereby higher numbers indicate worse experiences) at various time points throughout experimental trial	Throughout experimental protocol for 1.5 - 2 hours
Secondary	Blood Glucose Concentration	Blood glucose concentration will be measured at various time points throughout experimental trial	Throughout experimental protocol for 1.5 - 2 hours
Secondary	Blood Lactate Concentration	Blood lactate concentration will be measured at various time points throughout experimental trials	Throughout experimental protocol for 1.5 - 2 hours
Secondary	Core Temperature	Core temperature will be measured at various time points throughout experimental trials via ingestible thermometer sensors	Throughout experimental protocol for 1.5 - 2 hours
Secondary	Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE)	RPE, or how hard an athlete feels they are working, will be recorded at various time points throughout the experimental trial	Throughout experimental protocol for 1.5 - 2 hours