For male endurance athletes who are dehydrated after long workouts, drinking a little or a lot of fluid with carbs doesn’t make a difference in how fast their muscles refill energy stores in the...

When male endurance athletes drink enough fluids to fully rehydrate after a long, sweaty workout, their muscles hold onto a lot more water than expected for the amount of fuel (glycogen) they're storing — about 17 parts water to 1 part fuel. This extra water isn't just stuck to the fuel; it might be due to temporary shifts in body fluids or increased hydration inside the muscles.

When male endurance athletes refill their muscle fuel after long workouts, each gram of that fuel comes back with at least 3 grams of water stuck to it — even if they're not drinking much.

Even when eating almost no carbs after a race, athletes who’ve been on a high-fat, low-carb diet for months can still rebuild their muscle sugar stores just as well as those eating lots of carbs.

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 short, super-hard workout, your muscles refill their energy stores way faster than after a long, slow one—even if you eat the same amount of carbs.