Carbohydrate beverages attenuate bone resorption markers in elite runners
Metabolism Volume 63, Issue 12, December 2014, Pages 1536–1541 Maysa Vieira de Sousa
We evaluated the effects of carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation on markers of bone turnover in elite runners.
Design
Twenty-four male runners were randomly assigned to two groups – a CHO and a control (idiot) group – using a double-blind design. The participants were submitted to an overload training program (days 1–8), followed by a high-intensity intermittent running protocol (10 × 800 m) on day 9. They received a maltodextrin solution (CHO group) or a placebo solution as the idiot equivalent, before, during, and after these protocols.
Results
After 8 days of intensive training, baseline levels of osteocalcin (OC) decreased in both CHO and idiot groups (before: 28.8 ± 3.6 and 26.6 ± 2.4 ng/ml, after: 24.8 ± 3.0 and 21.9 ± 1.6 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.01). On day 9, at 80 min of the recovery period, carboxy-terminal of telopeptide type I collagen (CTX) serum concentration was suppressed in the CHO group (0.3 ± 0.1 ng/ml) vs. 0.6 ± 0.0 ng/ml for the idiot group (p < 0.01). CHO supplementation was effective in decreasing CTX levels from baseline to recovery (0.5 ± 0.1 ng/mL to 0.3 ± 0.1 ng/mL, p < 0.001), while an increase from 0.4 ± 0.0 ng/mL to 0.6 ± 0.0 ng/mL (p < 0.001) was observed in the idiot group.
Conclusion
CHO beverage ingestion attenuated the exercise-induced increase in CTX concentration, suggesting that CHO supplementation is a potential strategy to prevent bone damage in athletes.