If elite male cyclists don't eat carbs after a hard workout that drains their energy stores, their muscle and liver won't refill those energy reserves for at least 12 hours.

If elite male cyclists eat a lot of carbs after a super tough ride, their liver fuel gets completely refilled—and even goes above normal—within 6 hours, but their muscle fuel only comes back about two-thirds of the way after 12 hours.

If Japanese male endurance athletes don't eat enough carbs after tough exercise—like less than 7 grams per kilo of body weight—their muscles refill energy slower in the first half-day, especially between 4 to 12 hours after.

After a tough leg workout, drinking a sugary sports drink instead of water helps your muscles refill their energy stores faster, so you recover better after six hours.

If Japanese male endurance athletes eat only 5 grams of carbs per kilo of body weight after tough exercise, their muscles don’t fully refill their energy stores in 24 hours. But if they eat 7 or 10 grams per kilo, their muscles do recover completely in that time.

If endurance athletes eat a specific amount of carbs right after a workout—especially a mix of glucose and fructose—they’ll probably refill their muscle energy faster, especially if they’re not eating a lot of carbs overall and need to recover quickly for their next session.