The Effects of Pre-Exercise Ice-Slurry Ingestion on Thermoregulation and Exercise Performance of Highly Trained Athletes: A Scoping Review.

Ice-slurry prepared from plain ice, crushed ice, or sports drink has been used as a cooling strategy before exercise to regulate body temperature and improve exercise performance. However, consensus regarding the benefit is unclear. Therefore, the present review aimed to study the effects of pre-exercise ice-slurry ingestion on thermoregulation and exercise performance of highly trained athletes. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist was used. The data extraction was done using the search engine Google Scholar, and digital repositories such as Cochrane, Scopus, Medline, Ebsco, Proquest and Pubmed. The keywords 'Pre-cooling', 'Ice-slurry', 'Ice Slush' 'Thermoregulation' 'Heat Loss' 'Heat Stress' 'Body Temperature' 'Athletes', 'Sports Persons' 'Exercise Performance' were used. Among the identified records (n = 151), 11 articles which met the inclusion criteria were examined. Out of the eleven studies, six studies reported a significant decrease in core/rectal/GI/skin/body temperature, and six studies reported a significant increase, or positive influence on exercise performance, and three studies both on thermoregulation and exercise performance. Ingestion of pre-exercise ice-slurry (30 min BE; -1°C to +1°C) in the dosage range of 7-14g/kg/BM has a significant beneficial effect on thermoregulation and exercise performance. Ice-slurry prepared from plain crushed ice, or sports drink, or carbohydrate and electrolyte drinks may have a similar effect on thermoregulation and exercise performance.

Energy availability and RED-S risk assessment among Kho-Kho players in India.

Purpose: Energy availability (EA) is considered an important measure for athletes, particularly due to the possible health and performance outcomes defined under the RED-S. Low EA is reported to have far-reaching health consequences among female athletes, especially in weight-sensitive sport. However, it is less explored among male athletes, particularly in the traditional Indian tag sport called Kho-Kho. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to determine the prevalence of LEA and associated RED-S health and performance outcomes among Kho-Kho players. Methods: Fifty-two male national-level Kho-Kho players aged 16-31 years were assessed for energy availability, bone mineral density (BMD), sleep quality, disordered eating, selected metabolic (hemoglobin, blood glucose, etc.) and performance outcomes (agility, speed, and power) as per RED-S risk assessment tool. Differences across the low EA (≤ 25 kcal/ kg fat-free mass) and Optimal EA (> 25 kcal/ kg fat-free mass) groups were evaluated using the Independent Samples t test and the chi-square test. Results: Low EA among athletes was associated with lower z-scores for BMD, sleep quality and agility, compared to athletes with optimal EA. At least one moderate-to-high RED-S risk outcome was prevalent among 98% of the Kho-Kho players, irrespective of EA. Most athletes exhibited a lower EAT score and disordered eating outcomes, with no significant differences across groups. Conclusion: The male Kho-Kho players showed a prevalence of low EA that can be due to higher training loads and unintentional under-eating, not related to an eating disorder. The players also exhibited higher RED-S risk outcomes; however, it was irrespective of low EA.

Glycaemic index and glycaemic load of sorghum products.

BACKGROUND: Sorghum, a small-seeded grass, is an important food crop and chief energy source for the people of semi-arid regions of the world. In India, sorghum production/consumption decreased after the 'green revolution', but it is now regaining momentum owing to numerous health and nutritional benefits. An understanding of the glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) of staples can help in choosing suitable foods for the prevention and control of diabetes. In view of this, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the GI and GL of different sorghum foods and compare them with those of wheat/rice based foods. RESULTS: The GI of sorghum-based foods such as coarse semolina upma (P < 0.05), fine semolina upma (P < 0.01), flakes poha (P < 0.01) and pasta (P < 0.01) was significantly lower than that of their respective control (wheat/rice-based) foods. All sorghum-based foods showed significantly lower GL (P < 0.01) than their respective control (wheat/rice-based) foods. CONCLUSION: A few sorghum-based products have low GI (<55; coarse semolina upma, fine semolina upma, flakes poha and pasta) and all sorghum-based products (with the exception of sorghum roti) tested in the present study have lower GL than their respective wheat/rice-based foods. Consumption of low-GI and low-GL sorghum-based foods may help in decreasing postprandial blood glucose levels.

The effects of ingestion of sugarcane juice and commercial sports drinks on cycling performance of athletes in comparison to plain water.

PURPOSE: Sugarcane juice (ScJ) is a natural drink popular in most tropical Asian regions. However, research on its effect in enhancing sports performance is limited. The present investigation was to study the effect of sugarcane juice on exercise metabolism and sport performance of athletes in comparison to a commercially available sports drinks. METHODS: Fifteen male athletes (18-25 yrs) were asked to cycle until volitional exhaustion at 70% VO2 max on three different trials viz. plain water (PW), sports drink (SpD) and ScJ. In each trial 3ml/kg/BW of 6 % of carbohydrate (CHO) fluid was given at every 20 min interval of exercise and a blood sample was taken to measure the hematological parameters. During recovery 200 ml of 9% CHO fluid was given and blood sample was drawn at 5, 10, 15 min of recovery. RESULTS: Ingestion of sugarcane juice showed significant increase (P<0.05) in blood glucose levels during and after exercise compared to SpD and PW. However, no significant difference was found between PW, SpD and ScJ for total exercise time, heart rate, blood lactate and plasma volume. CONCLUSION: ScJ may be equally effective as SpD and PW during exercise in a comfortable environment (<30°C) and a more effective rehydration drink than SpD and PW in post exercise as it enhances muscle glycogen resynthesis.