The effects of a starch based carbohydrate alone or in combination with whey protein on a subsequent bout of exercise performance – preliminary findings

Abstract

Background High-molecular weight, starch based carbohydrates have been shown to leave the stomach faster as well as replenish muscle glycogen more rapidly as compared to lower molecular weight, monomeric glucose and short-chain glucose oligomers (Leiper, et al. 2000 and Piehl Aulin et al. 2000). Furthermore, it has been shown that Vitargo® (a high molecular weight, low osmolality starch based carbohydrate) led to a greater work-output during a 15 minute time-trial 2 hours following cycling to exhaustion when compared to maltodextrin (a low molecular weight carbohydrate) (Stephens et al. 2008). The purpose of this study was to replace a portion of a high-molecular weight carbohydrate with whey protein to determine if it could enhance muscle glycogen re-synthesis following a heavy resistance training bout and/or enhance a subsequent bout of exercise (15 min cycle ergometer time trial) 2 hours later.