Effects of an overnight high-carbohydrate meal on muscle glycogen after rapid weight loss in male collegiate wrestlers

Emi Kondo; Keisuke Shiose; Takuya Osawa; Keiko Motonaga; Akiko Kamei; Kohei Nakajima; Hiroyuki Sagayama; Takahiro Wada; Shigeki Nishiguchi; Hideyuki Takahashi

doi:10.1186/s13102-021-00325-w

Effects of an overnight high-carbohydrate meal on muscle glycogen after rapid weight loss in male collegiate wrestlers

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2021 Aug 20;13(1):96. doi: 10.1186/s13102-021-00325-w.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Sports Medical Center, Japan Institute of Sports Science, 3-15-1 Nishigaoka, Kita-ku, Tokyo, 115-0056, Japan. kondo.emi.fp@u.tsukuba.ac.jp.
² Department of Sports Research, Japan Institute of Sports Science, 3-15-1 Nishigaoka, Kita-ku, Tokyo, 115-0056, Japan.
³ Sports Medical Center, Japan Institute of Sports Science, 3-15-1 Nishigaoka, Kita-ku, Tokyo, 115-0056, Japan.
⁴ Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
⁵ Faculty of Physical Education, Kokushikan University, 7-3-1 Nagayama, Tama-shi, Tokyo, 206-8515, Japan.
⁶ Faculty of International Studies, Takushoku University, 815-1 Tatemachi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 193-0985, Japan.

Abstract

Background: Severe rapid weight loss (RWL) induces a decrease in muscle glycogen (mGly). Nevertheless, adequate carbohydrate intake after RWL has not been reported to optimize muscle glycogen following a weigh-in the evening until a wrestling tournament morning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an overnight high-carbohydrate recovery meal of 7.1 g kg^-1 following RWL on mGly concentration.

Methods: Ten male elite wrestlers lost 6% of their body mass within 53 h and then subsequently ate three meals, within 5 h, containing total of 7.1 g kg^-1 of carbohydrates. mGly was measured by ¹³C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy before (BL) and after RWL (R0) at 2 h (R2), 4 h (R4), and 13 h (R13) after initiating the meal. Body composition, muscle cross-sectional area, and blood and urine samples were collected at BL, R0, and R13.

Results: Body mass decreased by 4.6 ± 0.6 kg (p < 0.05) and did not recover to BL levels in R13 (- 1.7 ± 0.6 kg, p < 0.05). Likewise, mGly by 36.5% ± 10.0% (p < 0.05) and then did not reach BL levels by R13 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: A high-carbohydrate meal of 7.1 g kg^-1 after 6% RWL was not sufficient to recover mGly during a 13 h recovery phase. Participating in high-intensity wrestling matches with an mGly concentration below normal levels is maybe undesirable.

Keywords: Carbohydrate; Rapid weight gain; Rapid weight loss; Recovery; Weight management; Wrestling.