High-fat diet versus habitual diet prior to carbohydrate loading: Effects on exercise metabolism and cycling performance

We examined the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD-CHO) versus a habitual diet , prior to carbohydrate (CHO)-loading on fuel metabolism and cycling time-t rial (Tf) performance. Five endurance-trained cyclists participated in two 14-day randomized cross-over trials during which subjects consumed either a HFD (> 65% MJ from fat) or their habitual diet (CTL) (30 +/- 5% MJ from fa t) for 10 days, before ingesting a high-CHO diet (CHO-loading, CHO > 70% MJ ) for 3 days. Trials consisted of a 150-min cycle at 70% of peak oxygen upt ake ((V) over dotO(2peak)), followed immediately by a 20-km TT. One hour be fore each trial, cyclists ingested 400 mi of a 3.44% medium-chain triacylgl ycerol (MCT) solution, and during the trial, ingested 600 ml/hour of a 10% 14C-glucose + 3.44% MCT solution. The dietary treatments did not alter the subjects' weight, body fat, or Lipid profile. There were also no changes in circulating glucose, lactate, free fatty acid (FFA), and P-hydroxybutyrate concentrations during exercise. However, mean serum glycerol concentration s were significantly higher (p < .01)ill the HFD-CHO trial. The HFD-CHO die t increased total fat oxidation and reduced total CHO oxidation but did not alter plasma glucose oxidation during exercise. By contrast, the estimated rates of muscle glycogen and lactate oxidation were lower after the HFD-CH O diet. The HFD-CHO treatment was also associated with improved TT times (2 9.5 +/- 2.9 min vs. 30.9 +/- 3.4 min for HFD-CHO and CTL-CHO, p < .05). Hig h-fat feeding for 10 days prior to CHO-loading was associated with an incre ased reliance on fat, a decreased reliance on muscle glycogen, and improved time trial performance after prolonged exercise.