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No Effects of a Short-Term Gluten-free Diet on Performance in Nonceliac Athletes.

Medicine and science in sports and exercise
December 1, 2015
Dana Lis et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of a gluten-free diet on exercise performance, gastrointestinal symptoms, well-being, intestinal injury, and inflammatory responses in nonceliac endurance athletes.

Results Summary

The study found no significant differences in time trial performance, GI symptoms, well-being, intestinal injury markers, or inflammatory responses between the gluten-containing and gluten-free diets.

Population

Competitive endurance cyclists (8 males, 5 females) without celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome.

Effective Dosage

16 g wheat gluten per day (for GCD) alongside gluten-free food bars.

Duration

7 days per diet, with a 10-day washout period.

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (11)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
performance
nonceliac endurance athletes
no significant difference
had no overall effect
#1
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
GI symptoms
nonceliac endurance athletes
similar for each diet
had no overall effect
#2
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
well-being
nonceliac endurance athletes
similar for each diet
had no overall effect
#3
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
intestinal injury
nonceliac endurance athletes
no significant differences
had no overall effect
#4
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
inflammatory markers
nonceliac endurance athletes
no significant differences
had no overall effect
#5
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
TT performance
competitive endurance cyclists
245.0 ± 54.6 kJ vs 245.4 ± 53.4 kJ
was not significantly different
#6
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
GI symptoms during exercise
competitive endurance cyclists
-
were similar
#7
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
daily GI symptoms
competitive endurance cyclists
-
were similar
#8
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
DALDA responses
competitive endurance cyclists
-
were similar
#9
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
IFABP responses
competitive endurance cyclists
-
no significant differences
#10
gluten-free diet (GFD)
no change
cytokine responses
competitive endurance cyclists
-
no significant differences
#11
Abstract

PURPOSE: Implementation of gluten-free diets among nonceliac athletes has rapidly increased in recent years because of perceived ergogenic and health benefits. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a gluten-free diet (GFD) on exercise performance, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, perceived well-being, intestinal injury, and inflammatory responses in nonceliac athletes. METHODS: Thirteen competitive endurance cyclists (8 males, 5 females) with no positive clinical screening for celiac disease or history of irritable bowel syndrome (mean ± SD; age, 32 ± 7 yr; weight, 71.1 ± 13.4 kg; height, 177.0 ± 11.8 cm, VO2max 59.1 ± 8.0 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) were allocated to a 7-d gluten-containing diet (GCD) or GFD separated by a 10-d washout in a controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover study. Cyclists ate a GFD alongside either gluten-containing or gluten-free food bars (16 g wheat gluten per day) while habitual training and nutrition behaviors were controlled. During each diet, cyclists completed the Daily Analysis of Life Demand for Athletes (DALDA) and GI questionnaires (postexercise and daily). On day 7, cyclists completed a submaximal steady-state (SS) 45-min ride at 70% Wmax followed by a 15-min time trial (TT). Blood samples were taken preexercise, post-SS, and post-TT to determine intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP) and inflammatory markers (cytokine responses: interleukin [IL] 1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-15, tumor necrosis factor α). Mixed effects logistic regression was used to analyze data. RESULTS: TT performance was not significantly different (P = 0.37) between the GCD (245.4 ± 53.4 kJ) and GFD (245.0 ± 54.6 kJ). GI symptoms during exercise, daily, and DALDA responses were similar for each diet (P > 0.11). There were no significant differences in IFABP (P = 0.69) or cytokine (P > 0.13) responses. CONCLUSIONS: A short-term GFD had no overall effect on performance, GI symptoms, well-being, and a select indicator of intestinal injury or inflammatory markers in nonceliac endurance athletes.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAthletic PerformanceBicyclingCross-Over StudiesCytokinesDiet, Gluten-FreeDouble-Blind MethodFatty Acid-Binding ProteinsFemaleGastrointestinal TractHumansMale
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety90
Efficacy20/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations43
Citations/Year4.3
Relative Citation Ratio2.12
NIH Percentile76.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.91
Normalized Score0.61
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