High Carb Diet and
Jumping Performance
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JumpUSA.com Topic # 468 High-Carb Diet Doesn't Improve Repetitive Jumping Performance The body uses mainly carbohydrates for fuel when performing high-intensity exercise. Compared to fats, carbs supply energy quickly and efficiently. Many studies have shown that high-carbohydrate diets enhance performance during endurance exercise. The central nervous system recruits high-threshold, fast-twitch motor units during repetitive jumping exercises in plyometrics. Fast twitch motor units rely mainly on carbs for fuel, so it seems reasonable that supplying plenty of carbs in the diet would improve performance. Researchers from the University of Connecticut found no difference in repetitive jumping performance in subjects following medium (50% of total calories) or high-carb (80%) diets. These results may only apply if repetitive jumping is the first exercise in a workout. A high-carbohydrate diet may be beneficial when high-stress workouts are repeated several times a week. (Journal Strength Confitioning Research, 20: 167-171, 2006), from FitnessRx Aug 2006 |