Effect of Carbohydrate Ingestion on Glucose Kinetics

To keep the blood glucose at a certain level is of benefit to the prolonged endurance exercise. Many studies have shown that the ingestion of CHO during prolonged exercise enhances endurance performance, but the underlying mechanisms are still incompletely understood. The experimental evidence collected during the past suggests two possible mechanisms that could be responsible for the effect of CHO ingestion during prolonged submaximal exercise. The first is the improved performance by the maintenance of high blood glucose levels, especially late in exercise. The second mechanism could be a reduced rate of muscle glycogen utilization, which would delay the depletion of the glycogen stores and hence the onset of fatigue. Ingestion of CHO super(+) medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) has been advocated as a possible means of enhancing exercise performance during prolonged endurance events ( less than or equal to 60% O sub(2) peak). The mechanism may be that the ingested MCT increase fat oxidation, and spare muscle