Potato Ingestion and Time-trial Performance

Ingestion of Potatoes as a Nutritional Strategy to Improve Cycling Time-trial Performance in Endurance Trained Cyclists

This research study evaluates the feasibility and appropriateness of potatoes as an ergogenic aid in comparison to the currently promoted sports gels during a cycling challenge and time trial. Using a crossover design, trained cyclists will complete three separate cycling challenges and subsequent time trials in which they will consume either potatoes, commercially available sports gels, or water only.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise Performance
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Water; Dietary supplement: Carbohydrate Gel; Dietary supplement: Potatoes

Detailed Description

The metabolic demands created by endurance activities, which include muscle and liver glycogen depletion as well as losses in body fluids and electrolytes, are significant limitations to the performance potential of the athlete. For this reason, a well-supported recommendation exists for such athletes to consume a carbohydrate formula, in particular, one containing electrolytes during their activity.

Currently, most commercially available exercise-nutrition products for use in endurance activities come at relatively high costs to the athlete. Moreover, the ingredients used within this market vary and could therefore hinder their effectiveness. For example, Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides and Polyols (FODMAPs) potentially present in common sports foods (i.e. excess fructose) are known to alter gastrointestinal (GI) function in some individuals. Indeed, 25-70% of endurance athletes experience GI symptoms during exercise. Given the prevalence of exercise induced GI discomfort in this population, it is possible that GI symptoms limit the adherence to nutritional recommendations during exercise. Therefore identification of a targeted nutrition strategy that maximizes GI effectiveness and dietary adherence is warranted.

An alternative to the commercially available sports foods are whole foods. Specifically, white potatoes, which have a high GI index, indicates that their carbohydrate content is readily available. Additionally, potatoes naturally contain potassium, an important electrolyte. Because of these characteristics, potatoes provide the potential to be a low-cost alternative, and merit investigation. To this point, we know of no studies that have explored the effectiveness of white potatoes as an ergogenic aid. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how capable potatoes are at off-setting the losses in muscle and liver glycogen and electrolytes compared to the current products available on the market, i.e. "sports gels."

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
      • Freer Hall

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 40 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female
• ≥150 km/wk of cycling mileage
• ≥6 months of prior training history
• VO2peak values ≥45 ml/kg/min for females and ≥50 ml/kg/min for males
• Aged between 20-40 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Chronic Smoking or tobacco use
• Active cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes Mellitus or other metabolic disorders
• Liver kidney, or urinary disease
• Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic disorders (e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis, gout, fibromyalgia, patellar tendinopathy, or chronic low back pain)
• Neuromuscular disorders
• hypertension
• Diagnosed GI tract diseases
• Heart Disease
• Bleeding or clotting disorders
• Neurological disease
• Epilepsy
• Respiratory disease
• Pregnancy
• Contraindications for exercise
• <150 km/wk of cycling mileage
• <6 months of prior training history
• VO2peak values <45 ml/kg/min for females and <50 ml/kg/min for males

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Trial 1; Water Intervention: In one of the 3 cycling trials, participants will receive only water and no carbohydrate supplementation during the 2 hour cycling challenge.	Dietary supplement: Water; Water will be used as a control during one of the three cycling challenges (participants will not receive any carbohydrate supplementation).; Other Names: Control
Experimental: Trial 2; Carbohydrate Gel Intervention: In one of the 3 cycling trials, participants will receive carbohydrate supplementation in the form of commercially available gels (15g every 15 minutes) during the 2 hour cycling challenge.	Dietary supplement: Carbohydrate Gel; Commercially available PowerBar PowerGel will be used for the carbohydrate gel condition during one of the three cycling challenges.
Experimental: Trial 3; Potatoes Intervention: In one of the 3 cycling trials, participants will receive carbohydrate supplementation in the form of pureed russet potato (15g every 15 minutes) during the 2 hour cycling challenge.	Dietary supplement: Potatoes; Pureed russet potatoes will be used as a carbohydrate supplement for participants during one of the three cycling challenges.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Time trial performance measured in minutes	Comparison of time trial performance times between potatoes and sports gel conditions to determine effectiveness of potatoes as an ergogenic aid.	1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Collaborators: Alliance for Potato Research and Education
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nicholas A Burd, Ph.D, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Kinesiology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 29, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 29, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): September 29, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 19, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 21, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): September 27, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 9, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 7, 2019
• Last Verified: September 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; endurance; gastrointestinal; cycling; FODMAP
• Other Study ID Numbers: 18104

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No