Thursday, March 15, 2012
Poster Area 2 (Foyer Outside Exhibit Hall C) (Convention Center)
This activity design was pilot tested in an undergraduate Nutrition for Sports and Exercise course. Students were taught how to estimate “lactate threshold” without having to draw venous (blood) samples. They did three exercise trials using an exercise bike or a treadmill. In the first trial, they exercised for approximately 35-40 minutes, recording a pulse and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) every 5 minutes, and an estimate of time taken to reach lactate threshold. Then they designed 2 sports drinks: both with a small amount of whey protein, 1 sweetened with sugar (SU) and one sweetened with the non-caloric sweetener, stevia (ST). Nutrient content of each drink was analyzed using diet analysis software. Two additional exercise trials were completed, each one week apart. One hour prior to these 2 trials, participants consumed either SU or ST (unlabeled, so that they didn't know which one they drank). In all 3 trials, heart rate monitors were worn. Pulse and RPE were recorded in 5-minute intervals, and time to reach “lactate threshold" was noted. Participants served as their own controls. This activity gave students a feel for dietary manipulation techniques used in research studies, a better understanding of specific exercise variables that can be tested using equipment in their own campus athletic facility, experience designing a sports drink, and an examination of how carbohydrate content may influence these variables, all with a small budget.