Carbohydrate mouth rinse does not affect performance during a 60-min running race in women

• Published in: Journal of sports sciences 2018-04, Vol.36 (7), p.824-833
• Main Authors: Chryssanthopoulos, Costas, Ziaras, Christos, Oosthuyse, Tanja, Lambropoulos, Ioannis, Giorgios P, Paradisis, Zacharogiannis, Elias, Philippou, Anastassios, Maridaki, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbohydrates; females; maltodextrin; Menstrual cycle; Mouth; Mouth wash; Oral contraceptives; Physical training; Post-menopause; Progesterone; Races; Running
• ISSN: 0264-0414; 1466-447X
• DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2017.1344358

This study examined the effect of carbohydrate mouth rinsing on endurance running performance in women. Fifteen female recreational endurance runners, who used no oral contraceptives, ran two races of 1-h duration on an indoor track (216-m length) at 18:00 h after an 8-h fast with a 7-days interval between races, corresponding to the 3 rd -10th day of each premenopausal runner's menstrual cycle, or any day for the postmenopausal runners. In a double-blind random order, participants rinsed their mouth with 25 ml of either a 6.4% carbohydrate (RCHO) or a placebo solution (RP). No fluid was ingested during exercise. Serum 17β-Εstradiol (P = 0.59) and Progesterone (P = 0.35) did not differ between treatments. There was no difference in 1-hour running performance (RCHO: 10,621.88 ± 205.98 m vs. RP: 10,454.00 ± 206.64 m; t = 1.784, P = 0.096). Furthermore, the mean percentage effect (±99%CI) of RCHO relative to RP, 1.67% (−1.1% to 4.4%), and Cohen's effect size (d = 0.21) support a trivial outcome of RCHO for total distance covered. In conclusion, carbohydrate mouth rinsing did not improve 60-min track running performance in female recreational runners competing in a low ovarian hormone condition, after an 8-h fast and when no fluid was ingested during exercise.