The Study
Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: effect of the glycemic index of carbohydrate feedings.
This study watched five athletes eat different kinds of carbs after a tough workout and saw that one type made their muscles refill with energy a bit faster. But it didn't randomly assign who ate what, so we can't be sure the carb type was the real reason.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
After a super-tough bike ride, eating fast-digesting carbs like white bread or sports drinks helped cyclists refill their muscle energy stores more than eating slow-digesting carbs like beans or whole grains.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 537 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this difference means muscles refill energy faster with sugary carbs, which could help athletes recover quicker for back-to-back training.
- 2With fast-digesting carbs: +106 mmol/kg muscle.
- 3With slow-digesting carbs: +71.5 mmol/kg muscle.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of applied physiology
Year
1993
Authors
L. Burke, G. Collier, M. Hargreaves
Related Content
Claims (2)
After intense cycling, eating carbohydrates that digest quickly leads to a larger increase in muscle glycogen stores than eating carbohydrates that digest slowly, based on measured levels in muscle tissue.
Consuming more carbohydrates results in greater storage of glycogen and water in muscles, which increases measurements of lean mass and the sensation of muscle fullness; consuming fewer carbohydrates results in less glycogen, water retention, lean mass measurement, and muscle fullness.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.