On the occasion of the V international congress “Healthy Lifespan – Positive nutrition, antiinflammationdiet, physical activity and sport”, organized by the Paolo Sorbini Foundation and promoted by Enervit and Technogym, the results of a new research conducted by the Enervit Equipe, recently published in the scientific journal Nutrients, which explores the impact of the integration of maltodextrin (a water-soluble complex carbohydrate) and fructose on the modulation of inflammatory biomarkers and lipidomics profile in endurance athletes.
The experimental study – reports a note – was led by a team of experts from Equipe Enervit including Stefano Righetti, surgeon at the Irccs S. Gerardo Foundation in Monza, who deals with interventional and sports cardiology and follows athletes of the resistance specialties of the Italian Athletics Federation (Fidal); Elena Casiraghi, specialist in nutrition and sports integration and contract professor of Theory and Methods of Preparation for Individual Sports at the University of Pavia, and Luca Mondazzi, surgeon, specialist in Nutrition Science and Gastroenterology, responsible of the Mapei sport nutrition service and scientific manager of the Enervit Sport Equipe.
The research involved 29 experienced marathon runners who underwent two 15km road running sessions at a moderate-high intensity, at 90% of their maximum aerobic speed. Following an initial analysis of Vo2 max (a parameter that indicates our sporting ability and performance) to stabilize the athletes’ maximum aerobic speed, the study was conducted with a cross-over, blind, placebo-controlled design.
During the first running session half of the runners took a mixture of maltodextrin and fructose (ratio 2:1), the other received a placebo, while during the second session those who had received the mixture received the placebo and vice versa. The analysis protocol – the note details – involved the intake of carbohydrates immediately before, during and up to two hours after physical activity, with the aim of evaluating their effect on inflammation and post-exertion recovery.
The results showed a significant reduction in inflammatory levels in athletes who took the carbohydrate mixture. In particular, a decline in white blood cells, neutrophils and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was observed in the first hours following exercise. These markers are associated with inflammatory and stress response processes, and their reduction has been attributed to the positive effect of supplementation. Additionally, cortisol levels, an indicator of physical stress, were lower than in the placebo group, suggesting better short-term recovery. Another relevant aspect that emerged concerns the lipidomic profile. The intake of carbohydrates, in fact, stimulated a transient increase in Omega-3 in the blood in the hours following the activity, fatty acids known for their anti-inflammatory properties, and a reduction in Omega-6 24 hours after exercise, often associated with inflammatory processes. This balance potentially promoted positive modulation of inflammation.
Particularly interesting was the effect of the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 on muscle damage. Athletes with a more balanced ratio of these fatty acids showed less exercise-related muscle damage, as measured by creatine kinase (CK) levels. Conversely, an unbalanced ratio favored a greater increase in CK, suggesting a negative impact on muscles. These results – explain the experts – highlight the importance of targeted nutrition. Equipe Enervit’s research opens up new perspectives for endurance athletes seeking to maximize muscle recovery and minimize the risks associated with excessive post-workout inflammation.
“Our results clearly demonstrate that supplementation with maltodextrin and fructose in a 2:1 ratio can significantly modulate post-exercise inflammation – says Righetti – This is an aspect that could be crucial for endurance athletes, who constantly compared with intense and frequent training. These results open new avenues for optimizing recovery strategies and represent a big step forward in the field of sports nutrition.”
According to what emerged from the research, taking maltodextrin and fructose 2:1, at 80g/h, immediately before, during and in the 2 hours following a run of approximately 1 hour at moderate-high intensity, is able to significantly reduce inflammation post-exercise, with lower levels of IL-6, white blood cells, neutrophils and hs-Pcr. The study – concludes the note – not only confirms the effectiveness of carbohydrate supplementation, but also suggests that the balance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 in the blood can have a crucial impact on muscle damage and, consequently, on the ability recovery of an athlete.
#Health #study #integration #maltodextrin #fructose #reduces #inflammation