The impact of chronic carbohydrate manipulation on mucosal immunity in elite endurance athletes
Abstract
Carbohydrate (CHO) availability could alter mucosal immune responses to exercise. This study compared the effect of three dietary approaches to CHO availability on resting and post-exercise s-IgA levels. Elite race walkers (n = 26) adhered to a high CHO diet (HCHO), periodised CHO availability (PCHO) or a low CHO/high fat diet (LCHF) for 3 weeks while completing an intensified training program. HCHO and PCHO groups consumed 8.0–8.5 g.kg−1 CHO daily, with timing of ingestion manipulated to alter CHO availability around key training sessions. The LCHF diet comprised 80% fat and restricted CHO to < 50 g.day−1. A race walk test protocol (19 km females, 25 km males) was completed at baseline, after adaptation, and following CHO restoration. On each occasion, saliva samples were obtained pre- and post-exercise to quantify s-IgA levels. Resting s-IgA secretion rate substantially increased ~ two-fold post-intervention in all groups (HCHO: 2.2 ± 2.2, PCHO: 2.8 ± 3.2, LCHF: 1.6 ± 1.6; fold-change± 95% confidence limits), however, no substantial differences between dietary treatments were evident. Post-exercise, substantial 20–130% increases in s-IgA concentration and 43–64% reductions in flow rate occurred in all dietary treatments, with trivial differences evident between groups. It appears that high volume training overrides any effect of manipulating CHO availability on mucosal immunity in elite athletes.
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The LCHF diet was associated with greater perception of effort and, on occasion, an inability to complete training sessions as planned.
“although LCHF was associated with greater perception of effort and, on occasion, an inability to complete sessions as planned.”
The main characteristics of successful endurance athletes are a high aerobic capacity, the ability to sustain exercise for long periods at a high percentage of this, and high economy of movement.
“Whatever the underlying cause of the increased oxygen cost of exercise, we note that the main characteristics of successful endurance athletes are a high aerobic capacity, the ability to sustain exercise for long periods at a high percentage of this, and high economy of movement [44, 67].”
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- Authors
- McKay, A. K. A., Pyne, D. B., Peeling, P., Sharma, A. P., Ross, M. L. R., & Burke, L. M.
- Affiliations
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- University of Canberra (AU)
- ACT Government (AU)
- Corresponding author
- McKay, Alannah K. A.
- Venue
- Journal of Sports Sciences
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-09-12
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 553-559
- ISSN
- 0264-0414 (ISSN-L)
- 1466-447X
- OpenAlex
- W2890171963
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 1.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Sports Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Australian Catholic University Research Fund
- Australian Institute of Sport’s High Performance Sport Research Fund
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Keywords
- carbohydrate availability, mucosal immunity, salivary IgA, endurance athletes, race walking, high-carbohydrate diet, low-carbohydrate high-fat diet, high-volume training, dietary intervention
- MeSH terms
- Diet, Carbohydrate Loading, Adult, Dietary Carbohydrates, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulin A, Secretory, Male, Physical Endurance, Saliva, Walking, Immunity, Mucosal, Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted, Young Adult, Diet, High-Fat, Physical Conditioning, Human
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