Postexercise muscle glycogen resynthesis in humans
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review / expert opinion without systematic methodology
OpenAlex W2543229962 · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00860.2016
What was done
Narrative review summarizing the mechanisms and nutritional strategies regulating biphasic postexercise muscle glycogen resynthesis in humans across the early (0–4 h) and late (4–24 h) recovery phases.
What was found
The abstract reports consensus nutritional thresholds without experimental data or statistics: providing ~1 g/kg body mass of carbohydrate optimizes resynthesis during the early postexercise period (0–4 h). In the later phase (4–24 h), total carbohydrate intake matching energy demands is more critical than the specific type, form, or timing pattern. When carbohydrate intake is suboptimal, co-ingesting protein alongside carbohydrate enhances glycogen storage.
Why it matters
Provides practical dietary guidelines for athletes needing to optimize muscle fuel restoration between close bouts of high-intensity training or competition.
Limits
As a narrative review, it presents broad recommendations rather than primary data, systematic search criteria, or statistical effect sizes. Detailed patient/athlete characteristics, specific exercise protocols, and quantitative rates of resynthesis are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- context In the 1960s, Jonas Bergström developed the percutaneous muscle biopsy technique and showed that glucose is stored in muscle as glycogen.