Muscle glycogen depletion and resynthesis in highly trained male cyclists

Sammanfattning: Aim The aim of this study was to establish a method to create a difference between groups in muscle glycogen content as well as to investigate the effect of training in low muscle glycogen state on metabolic and physiological parameters. Method During two trials, a subject group of ten highly trained male road or mountain bike cyclists ((mean±SD) age, hight, body weight, VO2max, and VO2max·kg-1 was 28±5 years, 74.7±6.3 kg, 183±6 cm, 4876±332 mL min-1, 64.4±2.8 mL·kg-1 min-1), performed a glycogen depletion exercise followed by a night’s rest and a second exercise session. In the study, which was a crossover design, the subjects were randomly chosen to perform the first trial on a carbohydrate rich diet or a diet with no of carbohydrates. All the testing was performed on a Monark 839E ergometer bike and muscle biopsy sampling was collected before depletion exercise, before the exercise the following day and three hours post exercise. Plasma FFA and glucose was analyzed from venous blood collected at rest. Results Muscle glycogen pre depletion exercise was 623±180 and 645±133 mmol·kg dw-1 glycosyl units for non-CHO and CHO trials respectively. The depletion exercise followed by 13 hours of rest resulted in a significant decrease in muscle glycogen in the non-CHO (p<0.0001), and CHO trials (p<0.01) to 166±71 and 478±111 mmol·kg dw-1 respectively. In the non-CHO trial net glycogen depletion correlated positively with pre depletion glycogen storage.  After the completion of exercise 2 and the following three hour rest period, glycogen content in non-CHO and CHO-trial was 130±52 and477±97 mmol·kg dw-1, respectively. In low glycogen state, the non-CHO trial resulted in an increase in FFA measured in blood plasma at rest and in an increase in Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) as well as a reduction in blood glucose during exercise.  Conclusion The protocol used in the present study was successful in creating a difference in muscle glycogen storage and training in low glycogen state was associated with an increase of several physiological parameters indicating a possible impairment of endurance exercise performance.