Completing selected training sessions with reduced glycogen availability is associated with greater signalling and improved muscle oxidative capacity, although it may impact the overall quality of the session. We examined the effects of low carbohydrate availability on high intensity exercise performance, running economy, critical speed, and substrate metabolism. On two occasions, nine male runners (V̇O2peak 60.3 ± 3.3 mL.kg-1.min-1) completed a glycogen depletion protocol involving 90-min at 75%vV̇O2peak followed by 10 × 1-min at 110% vV̇O2peak. This was followed either by high (HIGH) or low (LOW) carbohydrate intake (>6 g.kg-1.day-1 and <50 g.day-1, respectively) until completion of a performance protocol on day 2 consisting of a series of time-trials (TT) (50m to 3000m) and physiological assessments. There were no differences between LOW and HIGH for any TT distance (mean TT performance times for LOW and HIGH were: 3000m TT 651.7 ± 52.8s and 646.4 ± 52.5s, 1500 m TT 304.0 ± 20.2s and 304.2 ± 22.1s, 400 m TT 67.64 ± 4.2s and 67.3 ± 3.8s, 50 m TT 7.27 ± 0.44s and 7.25 ± 0.45s, respectively, P > 0.05), though some athletes performed better in LOW (n = 5). While fat oxidation in LOW was significantly greater than HIGH (Δ0.32 ± 0.14 g.min-1; P < 0.001 at 14 km.h-1 and Δ0.34 ± 0.12 g.min-1 at 16 km.h-1; P < 0.01), running economy did not differ between trials (P > 0.05). Acute manipulation of carbohydrate availability showed immediate effects on substrate metabolism evidenced by greater fat oxidation without changes in RE. Acute low carbohydrate availability did not affect high intensity running performance across a range of distances.Highlights Acute manipulation of muscle glycogen availability using an exercise and dietary manipulation protocol did not affect subsequent high intensity running performance across a range of running distances.Reduced muscle glycogen resulted in a marked increase in fat oxidation in low glycogen condition but no changes in running economy or critical speed.Individual factors should be considered when prescribing high intensity sessions with restricted carbohydrate availability.
Keywords: low glycogen; periodised nutrition; substrate metabolism.