gels

Background


• Performance decline towards the end of exercise is commonly seen in intermittent sprint sports such as football, with less distance covered and lower running intensities

 

• Similar instances of performance drop-off is seen across endurance events too, towards the end of interval sessions, turbo or treadmill efforts and high-intensity racing

 

• Using carbohydrate supplements both before and during exercise can delay the onset of fatigue and maintain blood glucose levels, potentially improving performance in these sporting situations

 

Study Aims and Location

• To investigate the effects of GO Isotonic Energy Gels on performance after prolonged high-intensity shuttle running

 

• This study was completed at Napier Univeristy, Edinburgh

 
 

Methods


• 7 male football players completed 2 exercise trials, consisting of an intermittent shuttle run that simulates football match-play (a), followed by an intermittent run to exhaustion (b)

 

• The trial conditions were 43 g CHO per hour from GO Isotonic Energy Gels or 0 g CHO from a non-caloric beverage (placebo)

• Supplements were fed pre-exercise and then every 15-minutes during exercise

• Participants in the gel trial were also given fluids, to offset any negative effects of dehydration

gel study
 

Results


• There was a 45 % increase in run time to exhaustion in the GO Isotonic Energy Gel trial compared to the placebo trial

 

• Blood glucose was significantly higher through the test and at the point of exhaustion when using GO Isotonic Energy Gels

 

PERFORMANCE TESTED
 

Conclusions


1. Supplementing with GO Isotonic Energy Gels, pre-exercise and throughout intermittent running, delays fatigue and improves running capacity by 45 %

 

2. For high-intensity training sessions, matches, time-trials and races, maintaining high carbohydrate intake with isotonic gels significantly improves exercise performance

 

3. When performance is the goal, GO Isotonic Energy Gels are king

Patterson, S. D., & Gray, S. C. (2007). Carbohydrate-gel supplementation and endurance performance during intermittent high-intensity shuttle running. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 17(5), 445-455.