Master of Education in Applied Human Development Graduate Projects

Abstract

Track and Field athletes need to fuel their bodies prior to workouts in order to have enough energy to consistently perform at a high level. Carbohydrate loading can have a positive impact in increasing endurance running capacity (Maffucci and McMurray 2000; Savvas and Karamanolis 2008; Galloway et al 2014). These studies include blood glucose testing surrounding exercise bouts lasting more than 30 minutes. The purposes of my study were to investigate how blood glucose reacts after a high intensity bout of sprinting in the anaerobic glycolytic metabolic state lasting no more than two minutes. Along with blood glucose, I was interested in seeing if sprint time, and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) would change significantly between tests. I hypothesized that blood glucose levels would drop after a period of fasting, and that the result would cause further decrease in blood glucose after the second sprint test. It was also my hypothesis that there would be an increase in Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) between fasting groups compared to carbohydrate loading groups. Lastly, I hypothesized that the participants would run slower after fasting relative to baseline compared to those who partook in carbohydrate loading. 10 Bowling Green State University (BGSU) students participated in my study. All participants ran in two timed 400 meter sprints separated by 48 hours rest. Four participants carbohydrate loaded before the second test, while the other six participants fasted prior to the second test. A One-Way ANOVA with a washout period producing three groups (baseline n=10, fasting n=6, and carbohydrate loading n=6) was used to analyze the data. Results indicate that there is a significant rise in blood glucose three hours after carbohydrate loading, while fasting for more than eight hours decreased blood glucose levels significantly. This change did not show a significant relationship towards dependent variables of post-exercise blood glucose, sprint time, or RPE change. Findings from this research project re-affirm that there is a significant change in blood glucose with a study design of fasting for more than eight hours, or carbohydrate loading three hours prior to the activity. Contrary to previous research in endurance running, this study design did not produce significant outcome changes on sprint performance.

Advisor

Matthew Kutz

Second Reader

Matthew Laurent

Semester

Spring

Year

2016

Degree

M.Ed.

Program

Sport Administration

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