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THE EFFECT OF AN ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION ON SUBSEQUENT ANAEROBIC EXERCISE PERFORMANCE AND PERCEPTUAL MEASURES

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dehydration is known to negatively influence exercise performance. Research has demonstrated that oral rehydration solutions (ORS) containing carbohydrates and electrolytes enhance exercise performance. It is unknown if ORS containing only electrolytes can improve subsequent anaerobic exercise performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if rehydration with an electrolyte beverage improves anaerobic exercise performance. METHODS: Four females (age = 23 ± 4; body mass = 65.5 ± 10.9) participated in this randomized, counterbalanced, crossover study. For both trials, participants arrived at the lab following a twelve-hour fluid restriction. Their first-morning urine was collected, and urine specific gravity (USG) and urine color were assessed (USG = 1.024 ± 0.005; Urine Color = 5 ± 1). Participants cycled on a cycle ergometer for 45 minutes, keeping their heart rate between 75-85% of their estimated heart rate max. No fluid was provided during this exercise. Participant’s body mass was collected immediately following this bout of exercise. Participants were then provided with either an electrolyte beverage (EB) (LMT Inc.) or placebo (PL) (Mio Inc.) to replace fluid losses from exercise. Participants then reported several perceptual measures and completed three 15-second Wingates on a cycle ergometer. RESULTS: Desire for fluid was higher following the consumption of the EB compared to the PL and the difference was approaching statistical significance (p = 0.08). Participants reported an improved taste in their mouth following ingestion of EB compared to PL (p = 0.006). Anaerobic capacity (p = 0.135), mean watts (p = 0.999), and peak watts (p = 0.422) were not different between trials. CONCLUSION: Although the desire to drink more fluid and perceived taste was improved following the consumption of the EB, performance was not impacted. An EB does not appear to be an effective strategy to improve exercise performance but may be useful to drive the desire to drink fluid.

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