Glycaemic Index and Substrate Metabolism

Substrate metabolism during exercise can be influenced by various nutritional regimes. The effectiveness of the different nutritional regimes, which differ in their carbohydrate content, will be investigated not only by functional tests but also the measurement of the mechanistic processes in the muscle will be explored.

Magnetic resonance (MR), better known as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has been widely used in clinical practice as a non-invasive imaging technique. Importantly, in addition to producing anatomical images, an MR scanner also offers the possibility to measure the concentrations of a number of metabolic products. This is done through a technique known as magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).

This research project asks the following questions:

* Can a diet containing carbohydrates with a low glycemic index achieve the same adaptations in basic endurance/fat metabolism as a high fat, low carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet? * Does a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, compared with a high-carbohydrate diet, prevent improvements in performance in the submaximal and maximal range? * What is the effect of diets with different carbohydrate content and variable glycemic index on endurance performance in a half marathon and a time trial? * How do the diets with different carbohydrate content and variable glycaemic index affect the energy and glycogen stores in the muscles?

In active recreational athletes, the objectives are: (1) to investigate the effects of different diets with variable carbohydrate content and glycaemic index on substrate metabolism, (2) to determine the effects of the different diets on energy stores using multinuclear dynamic magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and (3) to measure the effects of the different diets on endurance performance.