Postexercise muscle glycogen synthesis with glucose, galactose, and combined galactose-glucose ingestion.

Ingested galactose can enhance postexercise liver glycogen repletion when combined with glucose but effects on muscle glycogen synthesis are unknown. In this double-blind randomized study participants [7 men and 2 women; V̇o2max: 51.1 (8.7) mL·kg-1·min-1] completed three trials of exhaustive cycling exercise followed by a 4-h recovery period, during which carbohydrates were ingested at the rate of 1.2 g·kg-1·h-1 comprising glucose (GLU), galactose (GAL) or galactose + glucose (GAL + GLU; 1:2 ratio). The increase in vastus lateralis skeletal-muscle glycogen concentration during recovery was higher with GLU relative to GAL + GLU [contrast: +50 mmol·(kg DM)-1; 95%CL 10, 89; P = 0.021] and GAL [+46 mmol·(kg DM)-1; 95%CL 8, 84; P = 0.024] with no difference between GAL + GLU and GAL [-3 mmol·(kg DM)-1; 95%CL -44, 37; P = 0.843]. Plasma glucose concentration in GLU was not significantly different vs. GAL + GLU (+ 0.41 mmol·L-1; 95%CL 0.13, 0.94) but was significantly lower than GAL (-0.75 mmol·L-1; 95%CL -1.34, -0.17) and also lower in GAL vs. GAL + GLU (-1.16 mmol·-1; 95%CL -1.80, -0.53). Plasma insulin was higher in GLU + GAL and GLU compared with GAL but not different between GLU + GAL and GLU. Plasma galactose concentration was higher in GAL compared with GLU (3.35 mmol·L-1; 95%CL 3.07, 3.63) and GAL + GLU (3.22 mmol·L-1; 95%CL 3.54, 2.90) with no difference between GLU + GAL (0.13 mmol·L-1; 95%CL -0.11, 0.37) and GLU. Compared with galactose or a galactose + glucose blend, glucose feeding was more effective in postexercise muscle glycogen synthesis. Comparable muscle glycogen synthesis was observed with galactose-glucose coingestion and exclusive galactose-only ingestion.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Postexercise galactose-glucose coingestion or exclusive galactose-only ingestion resulted in a lower rate of skeletal-muscle glycogen replenishment compared with exclusive glucose-only ingestion. Comparable muscle glycogen synthesis was observed with galactose-glucose coingestion and exclusive galactose-only ingestion.

Blood Flow Restriction Attenuates Muscle Damage in Resistance Exercise Performed Until Concentric Muscle Failure.

The present study aimed to evaluate whether blood flow restriction (BFR) can prevent exercise-induced muscle damage in resistance exercise (RE) performed until concentric muscle failure (CMF). Twenty healthy volunteers (25 ± 4 years, 80.4 ± 11.8 kg, 175 ± 8 cm) performed three sets of unilateral biceps curl exercise (40% of 1RM) with (RE + BFR) and without (RE) BFR until CMF. A third condition was to perform the same number of repetitions as RE + BFR without using BFR (matched). Performing fewer repetitions, RE + BFR caused muscle fatigue post-exercise as high as that caused by RE. In addition, the range of motion, upper arm circumference, pressure pain threshold, and maximal voluntary contraction were immediately affected by our exercise protocol with BFR, returning rapidly to basal values within 24 h, while in RE, muscle damage markers remained elevated until 48 h post-exercise. The same results were observed concerning serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activity. Thus, BFR + RE performed until CMF attenuated muscle damage following similar metabolic stress to RE alone performed until CMF, with less work volume.

Oxidation of independent and combined ingested galactose and glucose during exercise.

Coingestion of glucose and galactose has been shown to enhance splanchnic extraction and metabolism of ingested galactose at rest; effects during exercise are unknown. This study examined whether combined ingestion of galactose and glucose during exercise enhances exogenous galactose oxidation. Fourteen endurance-trained male and female participants [age, 27 (5) yr; V̇o2peak, 58.1 (7.0) mL·kg-1·min-1] performed cycle ergometry for 150 min at 50% peak power on four occasions, in a randomized counterbalanced manner. During exercise, they ingested beverages providing carbohydrates at rates of 0.4 g.min-1 galactose (GAL), 0.8 g.min-1 glucose (GLU), and on two occasions 0.8 g.min-1 total galactose-glucose (GAL + GLU; 1:1 ratio). Single-monosaccharide 13C-labeling (*) was used to calculate independent (GAL, GLU, GAL* + GLU, and GAL + GLU*) and combined (GAL* + GLU*, COMBINE) exogenous-monosaccharide oxidation between exercise. Plasma galactose concentrations with GAL + GLU [0.4 mmol.L; 95% confidence limits (CL): 0.1, 0.6] were lower (contrast: 0.5 mmol.L; 95% CL: 0.2, 0.8; P < 0.0001) than when GAL alone (0.9 mmol.L; 95% CL: 0.7, 1.2) was ingested. Exogenous carbohydrate oxidation with GAL alone (0.31 g·min-1; 95% CL: 0.28, 0.35) was marginally reduced (contrast: 0.05 g·min-1; 95% CL: -0.09, 0.00007; P = 0.01) when combined with glucose (GAL* + GLU 0.27 g·min-1; 0.24, 0.30). Total combined exogenous-carbohydrate oxidation (COMBINE: 0.57 g·min-1; 95% CL: 0.49, 0.64) was similar (contrast: 0.02 g·min-1; 95% CL: -0.05, 0.09; P = 0.63) when compared with isoenergetic GLU (0.55 g·min-1; 95% CL: 0.52, 0.58). In conclusion, coingestion of glucose and galactose did not enhance exogenous galactose oxidation during exercise. When combined, isoenergetic galactose-glucose ingestion elicited similar exogenous-carbohydrate oxidation to glucose suggesting galactose-glucose blends are a valid alternative for glucose as an exogenous-carbohydrate source during exercise.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Glucose and galactose coingestion blunted the galactosemia seen with galactose-only ingestion during exercise. Glucose and galactose coingestion did not enhance the oxidation of ingested galactose during exercise. Combined galactose-glucose (1:1 ratio) ingestion was oxidized to a similar extent as isoenergetic glucose-only ingestion during exercise. Galactose-glucose blends are a viable exogenous carbohydrate energy source for ingestion during exercise.