THE INFLUENCE of DIET and NUTRITION on BONE METABOLISM in ENDURANCE ATHLETES By
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE INFLUENCE OF DIET AND NUTRITION ON BONE METABOLISM IN ENDURANCE ATHLETES By REBECCA TOWNSEND A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Nottingham Trent University for the degree of: Doctor of Philosophy This research programme was carried out in collaboration with the English Institute of Sport December 2016 This work is the intellectual property of the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if more substantial copy is required, should be directed in the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights. i ABSTRACT Both accelerated and suppressed bone remodelling can lead to the development of a stress fracture injury. A stress fracture injury can threaten an athlete’s performance by causing months of missed training time if a stress fracture is sustained during a crucial phase of the season. This thesis presents a series of studies that investigated bone metabolism in endurance athletes and potential ways to improve bone health and reduce the risk of stress fracture injury. Triathletes are endurance athletes that anecdotally have a high incidence of stress fracture injury, but there is limited research into bone health in these athletes. Therefore, the first two studies in this thesis investigated bone metabolism in a group of elite British triathletes during off-season and pre- competition training. The results showed that elite triathletes had elevated bone turnover at both phases of the season, although this was highest during off-season training. The high bone turnover may be related to large training volumes, low energy intakes and high dermal calcium losses in the sweat. Given the potential contribution of high dermal calcium losses to the disruption of calcium homeostasis and the different rates of losses in different types of training sessions, the timing of calcium ingestion around training sessions may be more important than total calcium intakes throughout the day. As such, the third study in this thesis investigated the mechanism and timeframe of Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium regulation during exercise and recovery. The results showed that PTH secretion was controlled by a combination of changes in ionised calcium (Ca2+) and phosphate (PO4) and that the mechanism might be different during exercise and recovery. Taken together these results advocate the use of pre-exercise calcium supplementation, which may prevent the disruption of calcium homeostasis and attenuate the PTH and bone resorption response to intense exercise, although further research is required before this can be implemented in elite triathletes. ii The large training volumes performed by elite triathletes, meant that daily energy expenditures and energy requirements were high, although consuming almost 6,000 kcal.d-1 was difficult when three or four training sessions were regularly performed each day. Therefore, a practical nutritional intervention was needed to help triathletes ingest some of the required nutrients. The fourth study in this thesis investigated the effect of a post-exercise carbohydrate and protein (CHO+PRO) recovery solution on the bone metabolism response to an intense running bout. The results showed that consuming a CHO+PRO recovery solution immediately after exercise created a more positive bone turnover balance in the acute recovery period from exercise, by suppressing bone resorption and increasing bone formation. Further research is required to explore the long-term effects of post- exercise suppression of bone resorption. This thesis had direct impact on elite British triathletes, by influencing athlete behaviour and nutritional practices in the daily training environment. The research has also influenced British Triathlon coaches and sports science and medicine staff by increasing the importance placed on bone health and by providing information that will allow training and nutritional practices to be improved or altered to promote a more anabolic environment for bone. Key words: Bone, Bone Turnover, Bone metabolism, Bone Injury, Stress Fracture Injury, Endurance, Athlete, Triathlete, Training, Nutrition, Parathyroid Hormone, Calcium, Carbohydrate, Protein. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IX PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS XI LIST OF TABLES XII LIST OF FIGURES XIII DEFINITIONS OF TERMS XIV LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS XV CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 7 1.2 Aims 8 1.3 Objectives 8 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 9 2.1 Introduction to the review of literature 10 2.2 Bone mass 11 2.2.1 Bone mass and mechanical loading 12 2.2.2 Bone mass measurements in athletes 15 2.3 Stress fracture injuries 17 2.3.1 Risk factors for the development of stress fracture injury 19 2.3.2 Stress fractures in athletes 23 2.4 Triathlon 25 2.5 The Female Athlete Triad 27 2.6 Relative Energy Deficit in Sport (RED-S) 30 2.7 Methods of measuring energy expenditure 32 2.8 The skeletal system and bone remodelling 35 2. 9 Biochemical markers of bone turnover 39 2.9.1 Bone formation markers 41 2.9.2 Bone resorption markers 43 iv 2.9.3 Variability of bone turnover markers 44 2.9.4 Circadian rhythms of bone turnover markers 46 2.10 Effects of exercise on bone turnover markers 49 2.10.1 Bone turnover markers and acute exercise 49 2.10.2 Bone turnover and repeated bouts of exercise 54 2.10.3 Bone turnover throughout a competitive season 57 2.11 Calcium 59 2.12 Parathyroid hormone 63 2.12.1 Parathyroid hormone in response to exercise 66 2.13 Nutrient ingestion and bone 68 2.13.1 Mixed nutrient ingestion 68 2.13.2 Endocrine mediators 69 2.14 Exercise related feeding practices 71 2.15 Summary 73 CHAPTER 3: GENERAL METHODS 75 3.1 Participants 76 3.2 Experimental protocols 76 3.2.1 Speed lactate and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) test 76 3.3 Measurements 77 3.3.1 Height and body mass 77 3.3.2 Blood sampling 77 3.3.3 Sweat collection 78 3.4 Blood analysis 79 3.4.1 Blood lactate 79 3.4.2 Ca2+ and pH 79 3.4.3 β-CTX, P1NP and PTH 81 3.4.4 Albumin, total calcium and PO4 82 3.4.5 Vitamin D 83 3.5 Sweat analysis 83 3.6 Dietary analysis 84 3.7 Urine osmolality 84 3.8 Statistical analysis 84 CHAPTER 4: INVESTIGATING BONE METABOLISM IN ELITE TRIATHLETES DURING OFF-SEASON TRAINING 86 4.1 Introduction 87 v 4.2 Methodology 90 4.2.1 Participants 90 4.2.2 Experimental design 90 4.2.3 Testing procedures 91 4.2.3.1 Morning blood and urine collection 91 4.2.3.2 Sweat collection 91 4.2.3.4 Stress fracture history 91 4.2.3.5 Dietary information 91 4.2.4 Energy expenditure by Doubly Labelled Water 92 4.2.5 Blood sample analysis 93 4.2.6 Sweat analysis 93 4.2.7 Bone turnover markers and metabolites 93 4.3 Results 95 4.3.1 Stress fracture history 95 4.3.2 Menstrual status 96 4.3.3 Bone turnover markers 97 4.3.4 Calcium metabolism 100 4.3.5 Vitamin D 102 4.3.6 Total energy expenditure 103 4.3.7 Energy intakes and hydration status 104 4.3.8 Supplementation 105 4.3.9 Training loads 106 4.3.10 Sweat losses and dermal calcium losses 107 4.4 Discussion 108 CHAPTER 5: INVESTIGATING BONE METABOLISM IN A SUBSET OF ELITE TRIATHLETES DURING PRE-COMPETITION TRAINING 119 5.1 Introduction 120 5.2 Methodology 122 5.2.1 Participants 122 5.2.2 Experimental design 122 5.2.3 Testing procedures 122 5.2.4 Bone turnover markers and metabolites 123 5.2.5 Statistical analysis 123 5.3 Results 124 5.3.1 Bone turnover markers 124 5.3.2 Calcium metabolism 127 5.3.3 Vitamin D 130 5.3.4 Energy intakes 131 5.3.5 Supplementation 132 5.3.6 Training loads 133 5.3.7 Sweat losses and dermal calcium losses 134 5.2.8 Menstrual status 135 5.4 Discussion 136 vi CHAPTER 6: EXPLORING THE MECHANISM OF PARATHYROID REGULATION DURING EXERCISE AND RECOVERY IN RECREATIONAL RUNNERS 142 6.1 Introduction 143 6.2 Methodology 147 6.2.1 Participants 147 6.2.2 Experimental design 147 6.2.3 Trial procedures 147 6.2.3.1 Assessment of VO2max 147 6.2.4 Main trials 147 6.2.5 Biochemical analysis 148 6.2.6 Statistical analysis 148 6.3 Results 150 6.3.1 Baseline biochemistry 150 6.3.2 PTH 150 6.3.3 PO4 151 6.3.4 ACa 151 6.3.5 Albumin 152 6.3.6 Ca2+ 154 6.3.7 pH 156 6.3.8 Correlation analyses 156 6.4 Discussion 158 CHAPTER 7: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF POST-EXERCISE CARBOHYDRATE AND PROTEIN INGESTION ON BONE METABOLSIM IN TRAINED ENDURANCE ATHLETES 164 7.1 Introduction 165 7.2 Methodology 168 7.2.1 Participants 168 7.2.2 Experimental design 168 7.2.3 Assessment of VO2max 169 7.2.4 Experimental dietary provision 170 7.2.5 Experimental trial procedure 170 7.2.6 Recovery solutions and evening meal composition 171 7.2.7 Treatment and storage of blood samples 172 7.2.8 Biochemical analysis 172 7.2.9 Statistical analysis 172 7.3 Results 173 7.3.1 Baseline biochemistry 173 7.3.2 Habitual diet and experimental dietary provision 173 7.3.3 Hydration status 174 7.3.4 Exercise variables 174 7.3.5 Bone turnover markers 174 7.3.6 Calcium metabolism 177 vii 7.4 Discussion 182 CHAPTER 8: GENERAL DISCUSSION 188 8.1 Research impact on British Triathlon 199 8.2 Conclusions 202 REFERENCES 204 APPENDICES 248 Appendix A Resting bone turnover marker concentrations 248 Appendix B Health screening questionnaire 249 Appendix C ARTD Lifestyle Questionnaire (includes stress fracture injury questions*) 251 Appendix D Ambient conditions during sweat collection 254 Appendix E Menstrual questionnaire 255 Appendix F Example training log 258 Appendix G Example diet log 259 Appendix H Example Nutritics analysis 262 Appendix I Example 48 h lead in diet 263 Appendix J Supplement screening certificate 265 Appendix K Supplement disclaimer 266 Appendix L Standard operating procedure for the production of the CHO+PRO recovery solutions 267 Appendix M Example experimental diet 269 Appendix N Parathyroid Hormone Secretion is Controlled by Both Ionised Calcium and Phosphate During Exercise and Recovery in Men 270 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank my supervisors, Professor Craig Sale, Dr Kirsty Elliott-Sale and Dr Kevin Currell, for their continued support and guidance.