13C/31P NMR studies on the role of glucose transport/phosphorylation in human glycogen supercompensation

This study measured muscle glycogen during a 7-day carbohydrate loading protocol. Twenty healthy subjects (12 male, 8 female) performed 1 hr treadmill/toe-raise exercise immediately before a 3-day low carbohydrate (LoCHO) diet (20 % carbohydrate, 60 % fat, 20 % protein). On day 3 they repeated the exercise and began a 4-day high carbohydrate (HiCHO) diet (90 % carbohydrate, 2 % fat, 8 % protein). The order of administration of the diet was reversed in a subpopulation (n = 3). Interleaved natural abundance 13C/ 31P NMR spectra were obtained before and immediately after exercise, and each day during the controlled diets in order to determine concentrations of glycogen (GLY), glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), and muscle pH. Following exercise, muscle GLY and pH were reduced (p < 0.001) while muscle G6P was elevated (p