THE EFFICACY OF LENTILS AS A PRE-EXERCISE MEAL FOR ATHLETES OF HIGH INTENSITY SOCCER-SPECIFIC INTERMITTENT EXERCISE

• Other Authors: Zello, Gordon A.
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Lentils; sport nutrition; high intensity intermittent exercise; soccer
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2013-03-936

This work examined lentils as an optimal and acceptable pre-exercise meal for athletes of high intensity intermittent exercise. Thirteen male athletes participated in 4 simulated soccer trials with a repeated-measures crossover design. Along with a fasted control condition, isocaloric lentil, potato & egg white, or potato meals providing 1.5 g total carbohydrate/kg were consumed 2-h before the trials. Pre-exercise meal sensory acceptability and digestive tolerability were measured throughout testing with fixed-point scales: A sensory test meal analysis and gastrointestinal digestive symptom rating scale. Participant demographics, nutrition knowledge, and psychosocial perceptions towards lentils were assessed with a questionnaire. Distance covered on a 5 x 1 min repeated sprint test (2.5 min rest) at the end of the soccer trial assessed exercise performance. The Borg Scale (0-20) determined ratings of perceived exertion during exercise testing. Barriers toward pulse-based meal consumption negatively correlated with weekly pulse consumption (r=-0.902, p <0.05), while a positive correlation existed between beneficial beliefs of pulse-based meal consumption and weekly pulse consumption (r=0.620, p <0.05). Participants consumed an average of 79.5 ± 1.8% of each meal. The meals were perceived large in size and cumbersome to ingest by the participants, and no between meal differences were observed (p>0.05). The lentil meal was not as appealing in aroma, appearance, or flavour compared to the potato meal, but no different than the potato & egg meal (p>0.05). Lentil consumption resulted in a minimal increase in nausea compared to the other conditions (1.0, 0.54, 0.31 and 0.08, for lentil, potato & egg, potato, and control, respectively, p<0.05). Initially after consumption, all meals resulted in more bloating and fullness, and less hunger than control (p<0.05). Improved overall exercise performance was proportional with greater pre-exercise meal energy (r = 0.68, p <0.05) and carbohydrate intake (r = 0.67, p<0.05). Pre–exercise consumption of the low glycemic index lentil meal, as well as the two high glycemic pre-exercise meals, resulted in improved total sprint distances compared to the fasted control condition (p<0.05). The comparative sensory acceptability, digestive tolerability and similar performance outcomes of the lentil meal to the other pre-exercise meals indicates lentils may be a suitable pre-exercise meal for athletes of high intensity intermittent exercise.