Does a high carbohydrate intake make sense?

A high carbohydrate intake during intense physical exertion, such as a mountain marathon, can have a positive effect on CK, LDH and GOT levels:

Effects on muscle enzymes

A high carbohydrate intake (120 g/h) during a mountain marathon leads to significantly lower levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) 24 hours after the race compared to lower carbohydrate intakes. This is shown in particular by the results of a corresponding study: The study investigated the effects of a high carbohydrate intake (120 g/h) during a mountain marathon on exercise-induced muscle damage in elite runners.

Methodology

• 18 male elite runners took part in a 42.2 km mountain marathon
• The participants were divided into 3 groups:
• EXP: 120 g carbohydrates per hour
• CON: 90 g carbohydrates per hour
• LOW: 60 g carbohydrates per hour
• Blood samples were taken before, immediately after and 24 hours after the race

Results of the study

• The EXP group showed a significantly lower internal load (3805 ± 281 AU) compared to LOW (4688 ± 705 AU) and CON (4692 ± 716 AU)
• 24 hours after the race, the EXP group had significantly lower levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT)
• The EXP group showed a significantly lower increase in GOT (27.2%), LDH (8.5%) and CK (155.9%) compared to LOW and CON

Specific effects

• CK (creatine kinase): The increase in CK values ​​was significantly lower with high carbohydrate intake (155.9%) compared to lower carbohydrate intake. Indication of less muscle damage due to exercise.
• LDH (lactate dehydrogenase): With high carbohydrate intake, there was a significantly smaller increase in LDH values ​​(8.5%) compared to lower carbohydrate intake. This indicates less cell destruction due to the stress.
• GOT (glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase): The increase in GOT values ​​was also significantly reduced with high carbohydrate intake (27.2%) compared to lower carbohydrate amounts. This indicates lower degradation amounts, especially of amino acids.

Mechanisms

The positive effects of a high carbohydrate intake on these muscle enzymes can be explained as follows:

1. Maintaining glycogen levels: Adequate carbohydrate supply helps maintain glycogen stores in the muscles, which reduces muscle strain.
2. Reduction of muscle damage: The better energy supply limits exercise-induced muscle damage, which is reflected in lower enzyme levels.
3. Improved recovery: The higher carbohydrate intake supports faster muscle recovery after intense exercise.

Importance for performance

A high carbohydrate intake during intense endurance exercise can not only reduce muscle damage, but also reduce internal stress and thus improve performance.

These findings underline the importance of adequate carbohydrate supply during intense endurance exercise to minimize muscle damage and optimize performance.

Sources:

[1] https://www.netdoktor.de/laborwerte/got-wert/
[2] https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/LDH/GOT-Quotient
[3] https://sportsandmedicine.com/de/2019/10/die-kreatinkinase-ck-bei-sportlern/
[4] https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1367

Definitions:

GOT value

GOT stands for glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and is an important enzyme that is responsible for the metabolism and breakdown of amino acids and carbohydrates. Therefore, GOT is not only found in the liver, but also in the skeletal and cardiac muscles. So if this value alone is increased, it cannot be directly concluded that there is liver damage. Only by looking at the symptoms as a whole and in conjunction with an increased GPT value can it be assessed whether there is a liver disease.

LDH value

Lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH ) is an enzyme that is found in all cells of the body. An increasing level in the blood indicates cell death.