Note: The following papers were found in my Institute for Scientific
Information databases after a "carbohydrate" search--they represent about 20%
of the hits, and about 10% of those I could have used to illustrate the
points I am making. I have quoted a few small passages, in accordance with
the "fair use" doctrine of copyright law.
I recommend the ISI databases--the two I buy are Vet Med and Sports Sci and
typically contain several thousand abstracts derived from more than 700
journals each month. For those of you who don't have acces to "free"
university accounts, ISI represents a huge wealth of information at a very
reasonable cost (about $200-250 per database per year, I think).
M Hargreaves, et al,: Effect of Fluid Ingestion on Muscle Metabolism During
Prolonged Exercise, Journal of Applied Physiology, 1996, Vol 80, Iss 1, pp
363-366
"These results indicate that fluid ingestion reduces muscle glycogen use
during prolonged exercise, which may account, in part, for the improved
performance previously observed with fluid ingestion."
Uh oh, "improved performance" rears its ugly head again! Dane, once your
committee can cite the study that proclaims "improved performance" with MSM
(there is at least one), then we can ban both fluids and MSM. Until then,
we're kind of stuck just banning fluids, aren't we? Well, actually, we can
ban carbs--check out the studies below:
GL Paul, et al: Oat, Wheat or Corn Cereal Ingestion Before Exercise Alters
Metabolism in Humans, Journal of Nutrition, 1996, Vol 126, Iss 5, pp
1372-1381
The authors found that pre-exercise meals had a significant effect on
performance.
RAB Lapachet, WC Miller, DA Arnall
Body-Fat and Exercise Endurance in Trained Rats Adapted to a High-Fat and/or
High-Carbohydrate Diet
Journal of Applied Physiology, 1996, Vol 80, Iss 4, pp 1173-1179
"These data suggest that exercise endurance time is optimized in trained rats
that receive a carbohydrate load after adaptation to a F diet. However,
despite intense exercise training, the F diet promotes body fat deposition,
and the health consequences of following such a regimen are still unknown."
Wait a minute, all the grand poobahs of equine science are promoting fat as
the best thing since enemas. Could they possibly be...no, of course not.
MS Conley, MH Stone:Carbohydrate Ingestion Supplementation for Resistance
Exercise and Training, Sports Medicine, 1996, Vol 21, Iss 1, pp 7-17
"The physiological and performance effects of carbohydrate
ingestion/supplementation on aerobic endurance exercise have been extensively
studied...Recent evidence suggests that resistance exercise can elicit a
considerable glycogenolytic effect, which can lead to fatigue and strength
loss. The ability of carbohydrate ingestion immediately before and during
resistance exercise to enhance performance is unclear at present, however
carbohydrate ingestion following resistance exercise has been shown to
enhance muscle glycogen resynthesis."
B-b-b-but then, tomorrow, we've got "enhanced performance", right? Trouble
right here in River City.
JL Fallowfield, C Williams, R Singh:The Influence of Ingesting a
Carbohydrate-Electrolyte Beverage During 4 Hours of Recovery on Subsequent
Endurance Capacity, International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 1995, Vol 5,
Iss 4, pp 285-299
"Thus, ingesting a 6.9% carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage following
prolonged, constant-pace running improves endurance capacity 4 hr later."
A sad comment on the state of human affairs--improved performance--yuk!
J Kang, et al: Effect of Carbohydrate Ingestion Subsequent to Carbohydrate
Supercompensation on Endurance Performance, International Journal of Sport
Nutrition, 1995, Vol 5, Iss 4, pp 329-343
The authors found that, after a carbohydrate loading program, carbohydrate
ingestion during the endurance exercise provided an ADDITIONAL ergogenic
effect. Gadzooks!
LHG Rauch, et al: Fuel Utilization During Prolonged Low-to-Moderate
Intensity Exercise When Ingesting Water or Carbohydrate, Pflugers Archiv -
European Journal of Physiology, 1995, Vol 430, Iss 6, pp 971-977
"Thus, CHO ingestion is necessary to sustain even prolonged, low to moderate
intensity exercise and when ingested, it suppresses the higher relative rates
of fat oxidation usually observed at exercise intensities less than 60% of
VO2max."
Dane, I think it's time to take a serious look at banning carbohydrate
ingestion during endurance rides, don't you? Very clear evidence of
performance improvement, especially when compared to no evidence at all
concerning performance with GAGs or MSM (unless you can find that paper I
mentioned above). The very last thing we want in this sport is improved
performance through nutrition--the work of the Devil.
HJ Green, et al: Short-Term Training, Muscle Glycogen, and Cycle Endurance,
Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology - Revue Canadienne de Physiologie
Appliquee, 1995, Vol 20, Iss 3, pp 315-324
"The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the increased
glycogen concentration found in the working muscles following short-term
training would result in an increase in endurance performance ...
substantially elevates submaximal exercise tolerance and that the increase in
resistance to fatigue is related to the elevated availability of glycogen."
The test to catch these conditioning miscreants is obviously pre-race muscle
biopsies.
MS Elsayed, et al: Effects of Carbohydrate Feeding Before and During
Prolonged Exercise on Subsequent Maximal Exercise Performance Capacity,
International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 1995, Vol 5, Iss 3, pp 215-224
"It is concluded that CHO ingestion improves maximal exercise performance
after prolonged exercise."
I can see a place for all-night CHO patrols--we can nip improved performance
in the bud, before it becomes rampant and gives the sport a black eye.
CW Nicholas, et al: Influence of Ingesting a Carbohydrate-Electrolyte
Solution on Endurance Capacity During Intermittent, High-Intensity Shuttle
Running, Journal of Sports Sciences, 1995, Vol 13, Iss 4, pp 283-290
"These results show that drinking a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution
improves endurance running capacity during prolonged intermittent exercise."
Time to ban Gatorade! Clearly an unfair advantage. I think we're just about
down to hay-only, Truman.
And here're a couple more for you fat lovers:
C Williams: Macronutrients and Performance, Journal of Sports Sciences, 1995,
Vol 13, Sp. Iss., pp S1-S10
"Although fat metabolism contributes to energy production during exercise,
and the amount increases with endurance training, there is no evidence to
suggest that athletes should increase their fat intake as a means of
improving their performance."
WM Sherman: Metabolism of Sugars and Physical Performance, American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition, 1995, Vol 62, Iss 1, Suppl., pp S228-S241
"Physical activity in the form of exercise requires the metabolism of bodily
fuel reserves to provide energy for muscle contraction. At rest and at low
exercise intensities, the metabolism of fat provides a considerable
proportion of the energy for resting metabolic processes and muscle
contraction. However, at exercise intensities at which athletes train and
compete, the metabolism of bodily carbohydrate reserves (eg, blood glucose
and liver and muscle glycogen) provides the predominant: fuel for muscle
contraction. Furthermore, when these substrates reach critically low amounts
or are decreased by some amount, fatigue occurs."
All competitors in an endurance ride with IQs above 100 should be forced to
feed fat as a part of our affirmative action policies. After all, it's
fashionable and all the research gods are promoting it.
And here's the point: It should be clear that there are dozens, perhaps
hundreds, of ways to improve endurance performance--in the cases above, with
basic nutrients. It is, thus, absurd to adopt a sanctimonious regulatory
posture against "improved performance", especially when, in most cases,
improved performance translates to improved health in the athlete. It is far
more intelligent to attack those drugs and possibly, nutrients, which do
demonstrable (not knee-jerk humble, emotional and uninformed opinions about
potential death and disfigurement) damage to the equine athlete. Improved
performance will not hurt the image of the sport--abuse of the animal will.
For those among the innovatively challenged, let me finish with this thought:
"If all you can do is what you've always done, then all you can be is what
you are right now." That is, until misguided regulations take away some of
the beneficial options you already know how to employ.
ti