Blood Glucose Response During a 9-Hole Round of Golf for Collegiate Golfers Original Research

Abstract

Introduction: Competitive golf places substantial physical and cognitive demands on athletes. Prolonged walking, explosive movements, environmental stressors, and mental focus contribute to significant energy expenditure and fatigue during competition. Nutrition plays a critical role in supporting both physical performance and cognitive function. Maintaining stable blood glucose levels is especially important to performance, as fluctuations may impair endurance, decision making, and concentration. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine blood glucose responses in collegiate golfers during a 9-hole round of golf.

Methods: Age, height, and weight were collected using a scale and stadiometer. All participants played 9 holes of golf while walking. Prior to the round of golf, participants completed a modified 24-hour food recall and a baseline blood glucose measurement. During the round, the participants were instructed to only consume water; blood glucose was collected after the completion of every hole.

Results: Blood glucose levels declined progressively across the 9-hole round, with an average decrease of 9.2 mg/dL from baseline (91.6 ± 17.7 mg/dL) to post round (82.4 ± 9.1 mg/dL). Mean blood glucose decreased by approximately 0.95 mg/dL per hole (p < 0.001), with significant variation across holes and between individuals. Linear mixed effects modeling revealed a significant effect of hole on blood glucose (p < 0.001), with over half of the total variance attributable to between participant differences (ICC = 0.545).

Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for individualized nutritional strategies to support golf performance. Collaborative, athlete specific nutrition approaches aimed at maintaining stable blood glucose levels may be essential for sustaining physical and cognitive performance throughout competitive play.