Fluid and electrolyte supplementation for exercise heat stress.

During exercise in the heat, sweat output often exceeds water intake, resulting in a body water deficit (hypohydration) and electrolyte losses. Because daily water losses can be substantial, persons need to emphasize drinking during exercise as well as at meals. For persons consuming a normal diet, electrolyte supplementation is not warranted except perhaps during the first few days of heat exposure. Aerobic exercise is likely to be adversely affected by heat stress and hypohydration; the warmer the climate the greater the potential for performance decrements. Hypohydration increases heat storage and reduces a person's ability to tolerate heat strain. The increased heat storage is mediated by a lower sweating rate (evaporative heat loss) and reduced skin blood flow (dry heat loss) for a given core temperature. Heat-acclimated persons need to pay particular attention to fluid replacement because heat acclimation increases sweat losses, and hypohydration negates the thermoregulatory advantages conferred by acclimation. It has been suggested that hyperhydration (increased total body water) may reduce physiologic strain during exercise heat stress, but data supporting that notion are not robust. Research is recommended for 3 populations with fluid and electrolyte balance problems: older adults, cystic fibrosis patients, and persons with spinal cord injuries.

Cross validation of USARIEM heat strain prediction models. U.S. ARMY Research Institute of Environmental Medicine.

HYPOTHESIS: This study was a cross validation of three heat strain prediction models developed at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine: the ARIEM, HSDA, and ARIEM-EXP models ability to predict core temperature. METHODS: Seven heat-acclimated subjects completed twelve experimental tests, six in each of two hot climates, at three exercise intensities and two uniform configurations in each climate. RESULTS: Experimental results showed physiological responses as expected with heat strain increasing with work load and level of protective clothing, but with similar heat strain between the two environments matched for wet bulb, globe index. Neither the ARIEM or HSDA model closely predicted core temperatures over the course of the experiment, due mostly to an abrupt initial rise in core temperature in both models. A proportionality constant in the ARIEM-EXP buffered some of this abrupt rise. CONCLUSIONS: Comparisons of the core temperature and tolerance times data with the three models led to the conclusions that for healthy males: 1) the ARIEM and HSDA models provide conservative safety limits as a result of predicting rapid initial increases in core temperature; 2) the ARIEM-EXP most closely represents core temperature responses; 3) the ARIEM-EXP requires modifications with an alternate proportionality coefficient to increase accuracy for low metabolic cost exercise; 4) all of the models require additional input from existing research on tolerance to heat strain to better predict tolerance times; and 5) additional models should be examined to investigate the transient state of the body as it is affected by environment, clothing and exercise.

Effects of creatine supplementation on the energy cost of muscle contraction: a 31P-MRS study.

Five women and 3 men (29.8 +/- 1.4 yr) performed dynamic knee-extension exercise inside a magnetic resonance system (means +/- SE). Two trials were performed 7-14 days apart, consisting of a 4- to 5-min exhaustive exercise bout. To determine quadriceps cost of contraction, brief static and dynamic contractions were performed pre- and postexercise. (31)P spectra were used to determine pH and relative concentrations of P(i), phosphocreatine (PCr), and betaATP. Subjects consumed 0.3 g. kg(-1). day(-1) of a placebo (trial 1) or creatine (trial 2) for 5 days before each trial. After creatine supplementation, resting DeltaPCr increased from 40.7 +/- 1.8 to 46. 6 +/- 1.1 mmol/kg (P = 0.04) and PCr during exercise declined from -29.6 +/- 2.4 to -34.1 +/- 2.8 mmol/kg (P = 0.02). Muscle static (DeltaATP/N) and dynamic (DeltaATP/J) costs of contraction were unaffected by creatine supplementation as well as were ATP, P(i), pH, PCr resynthesis rate, and muscle strength and endurance. DeltaATP/J and DeltaATP/N were greatest at the onset of the exercise protocol (P < 0.01). In summary, creatine supplementation increased muscle PCr concentration, which did not affect muscle ATP cost of contraction.

Creatine supplementation and age influence muscle metabolism during exercise.

Young [n = 5, 30 +/- 5 (SD) yr] and middle-aged (n = 4, 58 +/- 4 yr) men and women performed single-leg knee-extension exercise inside a whole body magnetic resonance system. Two trials were performed 7 days apart and consisted of two 2-min bouts and a third bout continued to exhaustion, all separated by 3 min of recovery. 31P spectra were used to determine pH and relative concentrations of Pi, phosphocreatine (PCr), and beta-ATP every 10 s. The subjects consumed 0.3 g . kg-1 . day-1 of a placebo (trial 1) or creatine (trial 2) for 5 days before each trial. During the placebo trial, the middle-aged group had a lower resting PCr compared with the young group (35.0 +/- 5.2 vs. 39.5 +/- 5.1 mmol/kg, P < 0.05) and a lower mean initial PCr resynthesis rate (18.1 +/- 3.5 vs. 23.2 +/- 6.0 mmol . kg-1 . min-1, P < 0.05). After creatine supplementation, resting PCr increased 15% (P < 0.05) in the young group and 30% (P < 0.05) in the middle-aged group to 45.7 +/- 7.5 vs. 45.7 +/- 5.5 mmol/kg, respectively. Mean initial PCr resynthesis rate also increased in the middle-aged group (P < 0.05) to a level not different from the young group (24.3 +/- 3.8 vs. 24.2 +/- 3.2 mmol . kg-1 . min-1). Time to exhaustion was increased in both groups combined after creatine supplementation (118 +/- 34 vs. 154 +/- 70 s, P < 0.05). In conclusion, creatine supplementation has a greater effect on PCr availability and resynthesis rate in middle-aged compared with younger persons.