The Claim
Following a very-high-carbohydrate diet, muscle glycogen increases in the posterior thigh of elite male racewalkers are greater than those in the anterior thigh, with reported increases of 121% and 18%, respectively.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
After consuming a very-high-carbohydrate diet, elite male racewalkers stored more glycogen in the back of their thighs than in the front of their thighs.
See the scientific wording
In an elite male racewalker, muscle glycogen increases were greater in the posterior thigh (121%) than in the anterior thigh (18%) following a very-high-carbohydrate diet, suggesting that muscle-specific glycogen storage may be influenced by sport-specific movement patterns such as hip flexion in racewalking.
Racewalking forces the back of the thighs to work harder than the front, which uses up more fuel during exercise. After the workout, the body replaces that fuel more aggressively in the muscles that used it most, so the back of the thighs store much more glycogen than the front.
What the research says
1 studyIn one elite racewalker, eating a ton of carbs made the back of his thighs store way more fuel than the front — exactly what the claim says. This probably happens because racewalking uses the back thigh muscles more.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.