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Pre-exercise carbohydrate and fat ingestion: effects on metabolism and performance
How eating carbs or fat before exercise affects energy use and performance
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Abstract
Increased dietary carbohydrate intake prior to competition can enhance exercise performance in endurance events lasting 90 minutes or more.
- Higher muscle glycogen levels from carbohydrate intake may improve endurance performance.
- Carbohydrate consumption 3-4 hours before exercise can boost liver and muscle glycogen stores.
- Effects of carbohydrate ingestion on blood glucose and fat levels during exercise can last for at least 6 hours.
- Increased plasma insulin from pre-exercise carbohydrate may inhibit fat breakdown and liver glucose output, potentially causing hypoglycemia.
- There is no strong evidence that hypoglycemia from carbohydrate ingestion consistently impairs exercise performance.
- Increasing fat availability before exercise may reduce carbohydrate use but does not seem to provide performance benefits.
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