Comparison of 2 Days of Moderate or High Carbohydrate Intake on Physical and Cognitive Performance in Female Team Sport Players During a Simulated Soccer Match Protocol.
Laura McManus, Michael Scriney, Brendan Egan
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In 30 seconds
This double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study compared two days of high versus moderate carbohydrate intake in 15 female field-based intermittent team-sport players completing a simulated soccer match protocol. High intake was 6 g/kg body mass/day and moderate intake 3 g/kg/day. Time to exhaustion did not differ significantly between conditions (HIGH, 295 ± 137 s; MOD, 288 ± 133 s; p = .852). However, sprint times were faster in later exercise blocks and perceived exertion was lower in early blocks with high intake; task-switching reaction time improved after exercise only in that condition.
Key findings
- Time to exhaustion was similar with high and moderate carbohydrate intake: HIGH, 295 ± 137 s; MOD, 288 ± 133 s; p = .852.
- Sprint times were faster with high intake in Blocks 3, 4, and 5 (p = .021, p = .035, and p < .001, respectively).
- Perceived exertion was lower with high intake after Blocks 1 and 2 (p < .001 and p = .018, respectively).
- Task-switching reaction time improved from pre- to postexercise with high intake (p = .017), but not moderate intake (p = .913).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that carbohydrate intake may influence selected aspects of simulated match performance and perceived effort in female team-sport players, even though it did not improve the primary endurance outcome of time to exhaustion. This adds population-specific evidence to a recommendation that has been less explored in female soccer players and highlights that performance effects may vary by outcome.
What to keep in mind
The study included 15 participants and assessed performance in a simulated match protocol rather than competitive matches.