The Claim

In young, healthy men undergoing 12 weeks of strength training, a high-carbohydrate diet (58% of calories) is associated with a statistically significant 3.5% reduction in morning fasting cortisol levels, whereas a high-fat diet (40% of calories) is associated with a non-significant 4.5% reduction, suggesting that carbohydrate intake may modestly enhance post-exercise recovery through cortisol modulation.

Source: The Combination of a Diversified Intake of Carbohydrates and Fats and Supplementation of Vitamin D in a Diet Does Not Affect the Levels of Hormones (Testosterone, Estradiol, and Cortisol) in Men Practicing Strength Training for the Duration of 12 Weeks

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
48score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Correlation
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Among young, healthy men doing strength training for 12 weeks, eating a diet high in carbohydrates was linked to a small but statistically significant decrease in morning cortisol levels, while a high-fat diet showed a slightly larger but not statistically significant decrease. This suggests carbohydrate intake might have a modest effect on reducing cortisol after exercise.

See the scientific wording

In young, healthy men performing strength training for 12 weeks, a high-carbohydrate diet (58% of calories) is associated with a statistically significant 3.5% reduction in morning fasting cortisol levels, while a high-fat diet (40% of calories) shows a non-significant 4.5% reduction, suggesting carbohydrate intake may modestly enhance post-exercise recovery by lowering cortisol.

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: The Combination of a Diversified Intake of Carbohydrates and Fats and Supplementation of Vitamin D in a Diet Does Not Affect the Levels of Hormones (Testosterone, Estradiol, and Cortisol) in Men Practicing Strength Training for the Duration of 12 Weeks

    In a study of men lifting weights for 12 weeks, those who ate more carbs had a small but real drop in their morning stress hormone levels, while those who ate more fat didn’t. This suggests carbs might help the body recover better after workouts.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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