The Effect of a Carbohydrate-Arginine Supplement on Postexercise Carbohydrate Metabolism
in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise MetabolismClick name to view affiliation
The effect of a carbohydrate-arginine supplement on postexercise muscle glycogen storage was investigated. Twelve well-trained cyclists rode for 2 hr on two separate occasions to deplete theirmuscle glycogen stores. At 0, l, 2, and 3 hr after each exercise bout, the subjects ingested either a carbohydrate (CHO) supplement (1 g carbohydrate/kg body weight) or a carbohydrate-arginine (CHO/AA) supplement (1 g carbohydrate/kg body mass and 0.08 g arginine-hydrochloride/kg body weight). No difference in rate of glycogen storage was found between the CHO/AA and CHO treatments, although significance was approached. There were also no differences in plasma glucose, insulin, or blood lactate responses between treatments. Postexercise carbohydrate oxidation during the CHO/AA treatment was significantly reduced compared to the CHO treatment. These results suggest that the addition of arginine to a CHO supplement reduces the rate of CHO oxidation postexercise and therefore may increase the availability of glucose for muscle glycogen storage during recovery.
B.B. Yaspelkis III was with the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, the University of Texas, Austin, at the time of the study and is now with the Exercise Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, 18111 Nordhoff St., California State University, Northridge, CA 91330-8287. J.L. lvy is with the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, Bellmont Hall 222, the University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712. Direct correspondence to J.L. Ivy.
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