Influence of Habitual Carbohydrate Intake on Exercise‐Induced Inflammation in Ultra‐Endurance Athletes

Abstract

Low carbohydrate diets (LCD) decrease systemic inflammatory markers in humans with chronic inflammation, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome; however it is unknown whether LCD can mitigate systemic inflammation in acute situations, such as exercise bouts.PurposeTo examine exercise‐induced alterations in inflammatory markers in elite ultra‐endurance athletes on a LCD or high carbohydrate diet (HCD).MethodsElite ultra‐endurance trained men (n=20, age 33.5±6.4yr VO2max 64.5±4.9mL/kg/min) habitually consuming a LCD (11% CHO, 71% FAT, 19% PRO) or HCD (58% CHO, 28% FAT, 15% PRO) completed a 3 hr treadmill run (65% VO2max). We measured circulating immune cells and select cytokines prior to, during, and post exercise (PE).ResultsEndurance exercise resulted in leukocytosis with elevated neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes immediately PE with greater lymphocytes in LCD (LCD 2873.5±869.8; HCD 1904.7±825.9; cells/uL; p<0.01). Neutrophils and monocytes remained elevated at 2 hr PE, while lymphocytes declined to below baseline levels. Circulating IL‐6 and IL‐8 increased 1 hr into exercise and remained elevated 2 hrs PE. IL‐10 increased 2 hrs into exercise and remained elevated 30 minutes PE. TNFa, IL‐1β, and IL‐12p70 did not change. Cytokines were not significantly different between groups.ConclusionEndurance exercise resulted in an acute inflammatory response. LCD did not significantly modulate the selected inflammatory markers. Ongoing research in our lab is examining additional markers of systemic inflammation, as well as potential muscle‐localized effects.