Carbohydrate mouth rinsing improves resistance training session performance

Abstract

We investigated the effect of carbohydrate mouth rinsing on resistance exercise performance. Fifteen recreationally trained women (age 26 ± 4 y; height 1.61.9 ± 5.1 m; weight 59.5 ± 8.2 kg) completed two resistance exercise bouts consisting of three sets of five exercises (half-squat, leg press, bench press, military press, and seated row) to volitional fatigue with a 10 repetition-maximum load. Immediately prior to and during the middle of each exercise bout, subjects mouth rinsed for 10 s with 100 mL of either a 6% maltodextrin solution (CHO) or an artificially flavored solution (PLA) in a randomized, double-blind, counterbalanced fashion. Heart rate and perceived exertion were compared between conditions using a 2 (conditions) × 15 (time points) repeated measures ANOVA. Significant main effects were further analyzed using pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni post hoc tests. Total volume (exercises * sets * repetitions * load) between sessions was compared with a Student’s t-test. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05 level of confidence. The CHO resulted in more repetitions performed during half-squat, bench press, military press, and seated row, for a significantly greater (∼12%) total volume load lifted versus PLA ( p = 0.039, ES: 0.49). Rating of perceived exertion was also significantly lower in the CHO versus PLA ( p = 0.020, ES: 0.28). These data indicate that CHO mouth rinsing can enhance high-volume resistance exercise performance and lower ratings of perceived exertion.