Chronic Carb Supplementation And Overtraining

Overtraining syndrome is an athletic disorder that involves immune system dysfunction. Elevated levels of cytokines, a class of immune cells, is a known marker of overtraining in athletes. There is some evidence that increased carbohydrate intake may offer some protection against immune system stress during periods of heavy training. Researchers from England’s University of Newcastle recently tested this notion in a group of cyclists and triathletes. The subjects were divided into two groups, one of which was placed on a high-carb diet and the other on a moderate-carb diet for 28 days. At the end of this period all of the subjects performed a challenging test workout on indoor bikes.

The researchers measured the cytokine response to this workout and found no difference in the overall response. However, they did find that the anti-inflammatory cytokine response to exercise was reduced by 30-50 percent in members of the moderate-carb group compared to members of the high-carb group. The researchers concluded that the effect was not enough to warrant the high level of carbohydrate intake used in the study.