Studies Show Athletic Benefits Of Carbohydrate Consumption

Growing Body of Research Highlights How Carbohydrates, In the Form of Sugar, Intake Can Positively Impact the Performance of Team Sports Athletes

News provided by

The Gatorade Sports Science Institute

May 14, 2015, 07:00 ET

CHICAGO, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The general notion that all carbohydrates in the form of sugar have negative health consequences ignores a portion of the population whose performance can actually benefit from specific sugar consumption – athletes. A growing body of scientific research continues to show the benefits of carbohydrates, in the form of sugar, on athletic performance. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), the research arm of The Gatorade Company, reviewed the results of published studies related to carbohydrate intake shortly before or during exercise by team sport athletes. This body of research indicates that carbohydrate intake, in the form of the glucose polymer maltodextrin and/or the sugars glucose and sucrose, improves indicators of performance in team sports such as basketball3,6,19,20 and soccer1,2,5,10,12-15,17.

"There is a distinct difference between the nutritional needs of an athlete and non-athlete. There is a further distinction between the nutritional needs of an athlete during activity vs. the rest of their day. An athlete's level of activity in the moment of training or competition calls for fuel, including sugar, as a vital energy source," said Scott Sehnert MS, RD, CSCS education chair of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA). "As registered dietitians, it's our job to ensure athletes understand the importance of fueling their bodies to help them perform at their best."

Gatorade and GSSI have a long history of working with athletes across the globe to better understand their unique fueling needs. The one constant that holds true for all athletes competing at a high level is the need to properly fuel in order to perform at their best.

"At every level, what I fuel my body with has been integral to my success," said Denver Broncos Quarterback Peyton Manning. "Athletes train at high intensities for long periods of time, and carbohydrates, like sugar, help maintain peak performance. It's a misconception that sugar is always bad."

Sugar Fuels Performance

In studies that examined the impact of carbohydrate consumption in the form of sugar and team sport performance, the majority of results showed beneficial effects of carbohydrate intake on intermittent, high-intensity exercise capacity, or the ability to maintain a high level of exertion, in team sports10,13-15,19. Beneficial effects have also been reported on sprint speed in basketball protocols6,19,20  as well as skill performance, such as shooting performance in soccer1,2,5,12,17  and serving and shot performance in tennis7,9,18. 

"The majority of scientific studies have shown the benefit of sugar consumption in an endurance athlete population. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that carbohydrates, including certain sugars, can also delay fatigue thereby improving performance in skill-based sports such as basketball and soccer," said James Carter, Ph.D., director of GSSI. "Athletes should not be afraid of sugar in connection with athletic activity because it can serve a functional purpose. The sugars are used as a fuel during activity and can positively affect their performance. This is why Gatorade uses rapidly digested and absorbed sugars across its entire sports fuel portfolio." 

This body of research, in combination with ongoing work in the endurance sports space, reiterates the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines that recommend athletes consume 30-60 grams of easily digested carbohydrates (for example, the sugars glucose and sucrose) per hour of training or competition, when these sessions last longer than one hour.

"Athletic trainers prevent and assess injuries and rehabilitate athletes. This includes providing counsel on proper sports nutrition to keep athletes safe and help maximize their performance," said Brent S. E. Rich, MD, ATC, Utah Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and contributor to the NATA's position statement on Fluid Replacement for Athletes21. "Scientific research supports the fact that a moderate amount of carbohydrates in the form of sugar helps fight fatigue and has a positive impact on motor skills – both key factors in keeping athletes safe on the field of play." 

Adequate Intake4,8,11,16

It is important that this information is understood to impact the performance of athletes that are engaged in physical activity for 60 minutes or longer and that the type of carbohydrate (blends of glucose, sucrose and/or maltodextrin) can play a critical role. Athletes should choose carbohydrates that are easily digested, absorbed and quickly oxidized by the muscle to provide energy.

Small amounts (30-60 g/h) of the sugars glucose and sucrose, along with the glucose polymer maltodextrin, are all appropriate types of carbohydrate during exercise to provide energy. 

About CPSDA

The Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) is a national membership organization for sports dietitians. CPSDA advocates for full-time sports dietetic positions to develop, manage and effectively operate all nutrition related functions for athletic and military programs. For more information, please visit www.sportsrd.org  

The Gatorade Company is a Premier Sponsor of CPSDA. In considering partnerships, CPSDA only partners with organizations who align with our goals to safely fuel athletes and improve performance. 

About The Gatorade Sports Science Institute

Founded in 1985, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) is committed to helping athletes optimize their health and performance through research, education and service in hydration and nutrition science. GSSI's primary objective is to study the effects of nutrition on the human body before, during and after exercise, and lead, enhance and develop sports fuel innovations. For nearly three decades, GSSI has worked with thousands of elite, professional and amateur athletes to evaluate their fueling needs and provide recommendations to help improve their performance. GSSI collaborates with universities and researchers around the world to publish hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers. To help educate athletes, their influencers and the sports science community, GSSI provides educational materials, research news and various sports resources. For more information, please visit www.gssiweb.org.

Reference List

  1. Ali A, Williams C. Carbohydrate ingestion and soccer skill performance during prolonged intermittent exercise. Journal of sports sciences. 2009;27(14):1499-508.
  2. Ali A, Williams C, Nicholas CW, Foskett A. The influence of carbohydrate-electrolyte ingestion on soccer skill performance. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2007;39(11):1969-76.
  3. Baker LB, Dougherty KA, Chow M, Kenney WL. Progressive dehydration causes a progressive decline in basketball skill performance. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2007;39(7):1114-23.
  4. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of sports sciences. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S17-27.
  5. Currell K, Conway S, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrate ingestion improves performance of a new reliable test of soccer performance. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2009;19(1):34-46.
  6. Dougherty KA, Baker LB, Chow M, Kenney WL. Two percent dehydration impairs and six percent carbohydrate drink improves boys basketball skills. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2006;38(9):1650-8.
  7. Ferrauti A, Weber K, Struder HK. Metabolic and ergogenic effects of carbohydrate and caffeine beverages in tennis. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness. 1997;37(4):258-66.
  8. Holway FE, Spriet LL. Sport-specific nutrition: practical strategies for team sports. Journal of sports sciences. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S115-25.
  9. McRae KA, Galloway SD. Carbohydrate-electrolyte drink ingestion and skill performance during and after 2 hr of indoor tennis match play. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2012;22(1):38-46.
  10. Morris JG, Nevill ME, Thompson D, Collie J, Williams C. The influence of a 6.5% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution on performance of prolonged intermittent high-intensity running at 30 degrees C. Journal of sports sciences. 2003;21(5):371-81.
  11. Mujika I, Burke LM. Nutrition in team sports. Annals of nutrition & metabolism. 2010;57 Suppl 2:26-35
  12. Ostojic SM, Mazic S. Effects of a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink on specific soccer tests and performance. Journal of sports science & medicine. 2002;1(2):47-53.
  13. Phillips SM, Sproule J, Turner AP. Carbohydrate ingestion during team games exercise: current knowledge and areas for future investigation. Sports medicine. 2011;41(7):559-85.
  14. Phillips SM, Turner AP, Gray S, Sanderson MF, Sproule J. Ingesting a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution improves endurance capacity, but not sprint performance, during intermittent, high-intensity shuttle running in adolescent team games players aged 12-14 years. European journal of applied physiology. 2010;109(5):811-21.
  15. Phillips SM, Turner AP, Sanderson MF, Sproule J. Carbohydrate gel ingestion significantly improves the intermittent endurance capacity, but not sprint performance, of adolescent team games players during a simulated team games protocol. European journal of applied physiology. 2012;112(3):1133-41.
  16. Rodriguez NR, DiMarco NM, Langley S et al. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109(3):509-27.
  17. Russell M, Benton D, Kingsley M. Influence of carbohydrate supplementation on skill performance during a soccer match simulation. Journal of science and medicine in sport / Sports Medicine Australia. 2012;15(4):348-54.
  18. Vergauwen L, Brouns F, Hespel P. Carbohydrate supplementation improves stroke performance in tennis. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 1998;30(8):1289-95.
  19. Welsh RS, Davis JM, Burke JR, Williams HG. Carbohydrates and physical/mental performance during intermittent exercise to fatigue. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2002;34(4):723-31.
  20. Winnick JJ, Davis JM, Welsh RS, Carmichael MD, Murphy EA, Blackmon JA. Carbohydrate feedings during team sport exercise preserve physical and CNS function. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2005;37(2):306-15.
  21. Casa DJ, Armstrong LE, Hillman SK, Montain SJ, Reiff RV, Rich BSE, Roberts WO, Stone JA. National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for Athletes. J Athl Training. 2000;35(2):212-24.

SOURCE The Gatorade Sports Science Institute

Related Links

http://www.gssiweb.org

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