Effect of Nutritional Intake on the Change in Sweetness Preference from a Long Run in Hot Conditions

Abstract

The relationship between sweetness preference and habitual nutrient intake, and the effect of a 14, 000-m run in heat on the sweetness threshold and sweetness preference of male collegiate runners are examined.Twenty-six male runners completed sweetness threshold and sweetness preference tests before and immediately after the run. Although the individual sweetness threshold was unchanged by the run, there was a large variation in the change in sweetness preference among the runners.Based on the difference in sweetness preference before and after the run, the subjects were divided into three groups: increased (group I; n=11), unchanged (group II; n=9) and decreased (group III; n=6). The levels of the sweetness threshold before and after running were unchanged among the three groups, but the sweetness preference after running was significantly higher in group I than in group III. The group I runners consumed significantly less carbohydrate/kg of body weight and micronutrients than the group III runners.Habitual nutrient intake might therefore be closely implicated in the change in sweetness preference due to running.