Effect of carbohydrate intake on endogenous hormones: anabolic and catabolic orientation content of highly qualified sportsmen–combat athletes

Abstract

Hormonal mechanisms of metabolic reactions regulation during long-term muscle work (during doing sports) determine the subsequent course of recovery processes after exercise. Food of different composition intake (mainly carbohydrate) affects the hormonal relationships in the series of anabolic/catabolic hormones and is a factor in correcting the damaging effect of hyperkinesia on the human body, having a protective effect. These issues have not been sufficiently studied and need to be clarified. In addition, eating before exercise, during exercise, and in the post-stress period is able to control physiological recovery reactions dynamics. The purpose of this study is to analyze the postprandial (after taking carbohydrate food) dynamics of changes in anabolic and catabolic hormones content and the anabolic index (IA) in the blood serum in various functional states in highly qualified athletes – wrestlers. Materials and methods. The study involved 10 highly qualified athletes - wrestlers. In the subjects under conditions of relative muscle rest, after 60 minutes of physical activity, the content of hormones in the blood serum was determined: cortisol, testosterone and testosterone/cortisol index. In the empty stomach dynamics, after the combined effect of a carbohydrate breakfast and muscle load, these hormones content was studied in the investigated conditions after 15, 45, 75 and 105 minutes. Reserarch results. Carbohydrate food contributes to the high 736.1±56.4 nmol/l fasting cortisol concentration reduction. This effect becomes significant in 75 minutes after eating - 498.37 ± 36.6 nmol/l. The carbohydrates intake did not cause a significant change in cortisol concentration in blood serum after the 60-minute muscle cycling exercise. The cortisol content remained high 981.0 ± 71.7 nmol/l during the entire inter-digestive period (105 minutes). There were no significant changes in testosterone concentration when taking carbohydrate food, both in a relative muscle rest state, and under the muscle dynamic load action. The anabolism index was low in the background conditions of 0.037 ± 0.003, carbohydrate food intake led to a significant increase in this indicator to 0.057 ± 0.005 after 105 minutes of the inter-digestive period. Conclusion. It is established that carbohydrate food is able to have a protective effect, being a metabolic mechanism, affecting tension/recovery hormonal processes of the athletes' body.