THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDE SUPPLEMENTATION ON HIGH-INTENSITY ENDURANCE EXERCISE (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Proper nutrition is responsible for regulating all the metabolic processes that involve the human body, especially with regard to physical performance in sports. As for the means of energy supply, carbohydrate is the main source for long-lasting aerobic activities, but muscle glycogen is limited. For this reason, supplementation of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) has been studied as an important energy source that can help reduce the use of muscle glycogen, in a way that would improve the performance of athletes. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the effects of MCT supplementation in athletes who perform high-intensity endurance training. The research was developed with 10 (ten) amateur runners, 5 (five) women and 5 (five) men. Two 10km races were carried out with a difference of 6 days between them. On both days, the athletes received a glass of water 10 minutes before the start of the races, with half of the athletes ingesting only water, while the other half of the runners ingested a mixture of water + 20ml of liquid TCM (colorless and tasteless). Those who received supplementation on the first day ingested only water on the second run and vice versa. At the end of the two races, the athletes answered a physical performance questionnaire prepared by the researcher and a mood questionnaire entitled “Brunel's Mood Scale”, in order to verify the disposition and fatigue of the athletes. Statistical analysis was performed and the T-student test was applied to compare the groups for parametric variables and the Mann-Whitney test for non-parametric variables. The significance level adopted was 5% (p<0.05). It was found that there was no statistically significant difference with regard to the use of TCM supplementation in improving the performance and mood sensations of athletes after running, but 30% of athletes reported a feeling of heartburn and 20% of intestinal discomfort. Therefore, it is concluded that TCM supplementation for running up to 10km does not seem to promote an improvement in performance that justifies its use, and further studies are needed so that the benefit of this supplementation can be identified.