Needs of Strength and Power Athletes

Compared with prolonged endurance activity, much less has been researched and written regarding the influence of carbohydrate intake on high-intensity sporting events. The authors define high-intensity events, also termed strength/power sports, as exercise requiring high power or force output. This includes events in which power output leads to muscular fatigue in a few minutes of activity or less, and exercise that requires repetitive, high-force production from specific muscles. High-intensity exercise, therefore, cannot be sustained for extended periods of time, and frequent or prolonged rest periods are required. Fortunately for strength/power athletes, rest periods are usually included in such sports, owing to the depletion of energy substrates (i.e., phosphocreatine, glycogen) and accumulation of metabolic products (i.e., lactate, ammonia).Although the performance benefits of carbohydrate ingestion are well documented in endurance athletes, strength and power athletes must also be aware of this macronutrient’s potential ergogenic effects. Whereas glycogen use is insignificant during brief anaerobic events (i.e., Olympic weightlifting), in situations that call on athletes to perform repeated anaerobic exercise bouts (i.e., repetitive sprints, basketball, football), proper carbohydrate ingestion becomes increasingly significant. Too often, adequate carbohydrate intake is overlooked and the resulting glycogen debt becomes the culprit when premature fatigue surfaces in strength/power sports. In contrast, the energy attained via glycogen use in many prolonged low-intensity endurance sports (i.e., marathon running) is aided by the oxidation of fats. However, in the case of such anaerobic sports as basketball and ice hockey, the repetitive nature (and correspondingly high-glycogen use) does not physiologically allow for surplus energy production from fats. Thus, the ample glycogen availability demanded by these sports necessitates an augmented carbohydrate intake. Certainly, the carbohydrate requirements for high­intensity sports are not as great as those for endurance events, although some studies have noted the ability to maintain higher training intensities when greater than normal intakes were consumed. However, as the intensity of the event increases (and thus the duration decreases), higher than normal glycogen concentrations do not appear to offer any additional benefits. Therefore, a supplemental carbohydrate intake is most advantageous for those athletes involved in repetitive high-intensity events or training regimens of a similar nature. As an example, ice-hockey players who consumed a carbohydrate supplement (360 g/day for 3 days) in addition to their normal diet before a competition possessed muscle glycogen levels that were twice as high as those in players who were not given the supplement. It may also be important for similar athletes to ingest a high­carbohydrate diet during periods of intense training. events or training regimens of a similar nature. As an example, ice-hockey players who consumed a carbohydrate supplement (360 g/day for 3 days) in addition to their normal diet before a competition possessed muscle glycogen levels that were twice as high as those in players who were not given the supplement. It may also be important for similar athletes to ingest a high­carbohydrate diet during periods of intense training. events or training regimens of a similar nature. As an example, ice-hockey players who consumed a carbohydrate supplement (360 g/day for 3 days) in addition to their normal diet before a competition possessed muscle glycogen levels that were twice as high as those in players who were not given the supplement. It may also be important for similar athletes to ingest a high­carbohydrate diet during periods of intense training.