THE INFLUENCE OF EATING DULCE DE LECHE AS A PRE-WORKOUT ON ATHLETES' PERFORMANCE IN AEROBIC EXERCISE

This study evaluated the impact of eating dulce de leche as a pre-workout food on the aerobic performance of runners.The study involved two exercise sessions on a treadmill, with a minimum interval of three days between them, one without the consumption of dulce de leche and the other with the ingestion of 40g of dulce de leche, 30 minutes before training, on a fixed 5km route.The results showed a significant reduction in average running time (260.2seconds; p=0.025) after consumption, with a large effect size (d=1.56).Statistical analyses were carried out using R software (version 4.3.0).It was concluded that dulce de leche, as a source of rapidly absorbed carbohydrate, can improve performance in aerobic exercise by keeping blood glucose stable.Although the small sample size (n=5) requires caution when generalizing, the study shows that dulce de leche can be a viable option for athletes looking to improve their performance and that the carbohydrate effect suggests that it is functional for active individuals, regardless of specific anthropometric characteristics.