What helps muscles refill energy after a workout?
Postexercise protein-carbohydrate and carbohydrate supplements increase muscle glycogen in men and women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Carbohydrate-protein-fat supplements were significantly less effective than carbohydrate-only for glycogen resynthesis.
Common belief is that protein helps muscle repair and recovery — so adding it should help, not hurt. But here, adding protein and fat slowed glycogen refueling.
Practical Takeaways
After endurance exercise, consume a carb-only drink (1 g/kg body weight) within 1 hour to maximize muscle energy recovery.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Carbohydrate-protein-fat supplements were significantly less effective than carbohydrate-only for glycogen resynthesis.
Common belief is that protein helps muscle repair and recovery — so adding it should help, not hurt. But here, adding protein and fat slowed glycogen refueling.
Practical Takeaways
After endurance exercise, consume a carb-only drink (1 g/kg body weight) within 1 hour to maximize muscle energy recovery.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
1997
Authors
M. A. Tarnopolsky, M. Bosman, J. R. Macdonald, D. Vandeputte, J. Martin, B. D. Roy
Related Content
Claims (5)
Increased carbohydrate intake enhances intramuscular glycogen storage, thereby improving resistance training performance and volume capacity.
After a long workout, drinking a sugary sports drink helps your muscles refill their energy stores much faster than not eating anything at all.
After a workout, drinking a sugary recovery drink makes your blood sugar and insulin spike higher than if you drink nothing — and this happens the same way in men and women.
After a long workout, men and women refill their muscle energy stores at the same rate when they both drink the same recovery drink — even though women burn more fat during the workout.
A drink with sugar, a little protein, and a tiny bit of fat after a workout helps muscles recover energy, but not quite as well as a drink with just sugar.