The impact of carbohydrate intake on muscle mass of male subjects who engage in sports

This study has been undertaken at a fitness center located in Ankara, to evaluate the affects of carbohydrate and other macronutrient intake on muscle mass on male subjects who do sports regularly. The participants of study covered 93 adult men who voluntarily participated the study while attending a personel fitness center in Ankara where members are supposed to get mainly resistance exercise personal training, and dietitian services between 1 December 2016 and 1 March 2017. The population constitutes men between 18-45 ages of male exercisers; that exercises to lose weight and body builders as an amatuer, who has been attending the instutition and practising their nutrition and sport programme for at least 5 months. The participants' personel characteristics and dietary habits were inquired with a questionnaire they filled in; also their antropometric measurements were done and their body compositions have been determined by skinfold thickness. The participants' dietary habits were determined by three day Food Consumption Record: individual 24-hour recall. In order to evaluate the muscle mass presence, lean body mass and upper middle arm circumference was measured. The mean age of the participants were 27,1 ± 5,2 years. The mean age value weight of the participants was 85,48 ± 13,16 kg, mean height value was 180,2 ± 6,89 cm, mean waist circumference value was 92,4 ± 10,45 cm, mean upper middle arm circumference value was 7,62 ± 4,41 cm, mean total daily energy intake value was 2829,71 ± 1306,62 kcal, mean value of total protein intake was 206,96 ± 83,67 g, mean value of the diet protein ratio was %31,73 ± 8,21, mean value of daily fat intake was 38,51 ± 46,03 gr- and the mean value of the amount of protein intake per body mass was 2,46 ± 0,58 g/kg/day; the mean value of the amount of fat intake per body mass was 1,36 g/kg/day. The mean value of the diet carbohydrate ratio was %29,76; mean value of daily carbohydrate intake was 238,09 g. the mean value of the amount of carbohydrate intake per body mass was 2,8 ± 2,14 g/kg/day. Lean body mass was positively correlated with daily energy (r:0,365), daily carbohydrate intake (r:0,359), diet carbohydrate ratio (r:0,207), amount of daily total protein intake (r:0,345), daily essential aminoacid intake (r:0,372), total amount of fat intake (r:0,216); negatively correlated with diet fat ratio (r:-0,215) and the relationships were statistically significant (p<0,05). Lean body mass was also positively correlated with carbohydrate intake per body weight, but it was not statistically significant (p>0,05). Upper middle arm circumference was positively correlated with total daily energy intake (r:0,21), total carbohydrate intake (r:0,229), total protein intake (r:0,289), total essential amino acid intake (r:0,313); negatively correlated with diet fat raito (r:-0,315), amount of fat per body mass (r:-0,272) and the correlations were statistically significant (p<0,05). Consequently, it has been observed that carbohydrate intake is a decisive element for antropometric measurements related to musle mass presence of the body for exercising men. It should be emphasized the importance of the amount, timing and type of carbohydrate intake for muscle development especially for people who are into strenght exercises.