Glycerol hyperhydration improves running economy in long distance runners 💧

A useful strategy for hot environments?

Effects of glycerol hyperhidration on the running economy of long-distance runners: a randomized crossover clinical trial

Study Details

This new study recruited 30 trained runners (15 men + 15 women) to complete two submaximal running tests after…

1️⃣ Glycerol (1.2 g/kg body mass of glycerol diluted in 22 mL/kg of water)

2️⃣ Control (euhydration)

Participants consumed the drinks 120-min prior to exercise and completed both trials separated by 24 hrs ⏰

Here is what they found ⬇️

Key Findings

Glycerol supplementation significantly improved running economy notably by reducing…

🔥 Caloric cost unit

🫁 Oxygen cost unit

🫀 Heart rate

🧠 RPE

There was also a trend for lower body temperature although this did not achieve significance 🌡️

On average glycerol led to a significant increase in body mass (~1.4 kg on average) 📈

Conclusion

Glycerol hyperhydration may be an effective pre-exercise strategy to improve running economy ✅

Although it should be implemented under professional guidance to minimise risk of gastrointestinal discomfort and fluid overload 📝

Reference

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40880737/

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