The effect of glycerol supplementation upon the dehydration in endurance pilots

Abstract

It is known that the dehydration due to physical exercise for a prolonged period of time in hot climates results in a water loss by the skin. In spite of cooling the body, a high rate of evaporation also removes water and sodium from the body. Although the organism is able to compensate partially for dehydration caused by training, performance decreases as the dehydration level elevates. In high energy exercises carbohydrates can be used as a main energysource. There is a positive effectwhen consuming carbohydrates during prolonged exercise and it is necessary to consume drinks containing glucose polymers (maltodextrin) instead of simple sugars. There are some supplements that improve the body’s hydration and decrease the heart rate, resulting in increased performance. One of these components is glycerol. The goal of this study is to test glycerol’s effectiveness on endurance athletes, aiming to improve their performance, taking into consideration cardiac frequency, body weight, temperature and relative humidity. The experiment was performed with twelve endurance drivers over a period of two days. In the first day the drivers were supplemented with maltodextrin, checking their body weight and cardiac frequency. In the second day, in addition to maltodextrin, glycerol was also supplemented in the proportion indicated. It was concluded that glycerol supplements were most effective for improved hydration. Regarding cardiac frequency and performance improvement no positive results were found.