Carbohydrate intake affects heat acclimation 🌡️
Prioritise your carbs in the heat.
Dietary Carbohydrates Influence the Performance Outcomes of Short-Term Heat Acclimation
Study Details
This new study investigated the effects of either a…
📈 High carb diet (70% of energy intake)
📉 Lower carb diet (35% of energy intake)
…during and for 1-week after a 6-day heat acclimation protocol in 14 healthy men 🥵
Key Findings
Here is what they found ⬇️
Both groups acclimated, showing…
⬇️ heart rate 🫀
⬇️ core + skin temperature 🌡️
⬆️ sweat rate 💦
…during heat stress testing one day and five days after acclimation 🗓️
BUT the high carb group demonstrated faster time-trial performance than the lower carb group one day post-acclimation (959 vs. 1067s) ⏱️
Plus, the high carb diet showed improved time-trial performance from baseline at one day and five days post-acclimation 🗓️
Conclusion
Insufficient carb intake during exercise in unacclimated heat stress may affect post-acclimation performance outcomes ‼️
…unless addressed with additional CHO consumption 🍽️
Ensuring carb intake at all meals and snacks during acclimation will likely help adaptation 🍌