(70) EVALUATING THE ROLE OF DIETARY MICRONUTRIENTS IN RECOVERY FOLLOWING RUNNING AND CYCLING HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

Friday, July 14, 2023

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM East Coast USA Time

Location: Milano III-IV

Poster Presenter(s)

Nicholas Vu, MS

Master's Student
University of Southern California
Anaheim, California, United States

Author(s)

Juliet Moore, MS (she/her/hers)

PhD Candidate
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, United States
GS

George Salem, FACSM

Associate Professor
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, United States

Abstract Details: Proper nutrition before exercise is important for performance, however, it is also essential for recovery. Certain micronutrients in the diet, such as electrolytes and antioxidants, may play a larger role in recovery as a result of their ability to mitigate delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Purpose: To determine which dietary micronutrients were correlated with better recovery from DOMS after bouts of running (treadmill) and cycling (stationary bike) high intensity interval training (HIIT).

Methods: Six participants (2 female, 4 male; 28.3 ± 2.1 years) completed two HIIT protocols, one involving treadmill running and one involving stationary cycling, in a randomized order. Each HIIT protocol consisted of 4 minutes of high intensity activity followed by 3 minutes of active recovery, repeated 4 times (4x4). A subjective muscle soreness score was recorded immediately following an exercise bout and 24 hours after the exercise bout using a Likert 0-6 scale for lower extremity. Nutrient intake was ascertained from each participant using the ASA24, a 24-hour diet recall, following their exercise bouts. Micronutrients examined included caffeine, potassium, sodium, magnesium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B₁₂. Each participant had a 1-week washout period between the bouts of exercise. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Hedge’s g effect sizes and Pearson correlations were calculated.

Results: Average change in muscle soreness score from immediately following treadmill running to 24 hours after was 0.67 ± 1.37, while the average change in muscle soreness score from immediately following cycling to 24 hours after was -0.83 ± 1.94 (g = 0.82). Caffeine intake following treadmill running had a moderate negative correlation (r = -0.76) with muscle soreness score, whereas vitamin B12 intake following cycling had a moderate negative correlation (r = -0.78) with muscle soreness score.

Conclusions: From this initial analysis, different micronutrients may have varying effects dependent on the modality of exercise. Caffeine demonstrated the highest correlation following treadmill running, but vitamin B12 demonstrated the highest correlation following stationary cycling. These data are part of a larger, ongoing study that includes analysis of total nutrients. Practical Applications: These findings illustrate the importance of ensuring proper nutrition following exercise and differing modalities of exercise may require alternate nutrient intake for optimal recovery.

Acknowledgements: None