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Quantification of Subcellular Glycogen Distribution in Skeletal Muscle Fibers using Transmission Electron Microscopy
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Postexercise muscle glycogen resynthesis in humans.

Louise M Burke1,2, Luc J C van Loon1,3, John A Hawley4,5

  • 1Centre for Exercise and Nutrition, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|November 1, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Maximizing muscle glycogen synthesis is key for athletes. Consuming carbohydrates (CHO) post-exercise optimizes glycogen resynthesis, and adding protein can further enhance storage, especially with limited CHO intake.

Keywords:
carbohydrate intakecarbohydrate loadingglycogen synthaserefueling

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Area of Science:

  • Exercise Physiology
  • Sports Nutrition
  • Metabolic Adaptation

Background:

  • Muscle glycogen is a critical fuel source for exercise performance.
  • Understanding glycogen synthesis is vital for optimizing athletic recovery and training.
  • Past research focused on muscle biopsy techniques to assess glycogen status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review factors influencing post-exercise muscle glycogen resynthesis.
  • To provide insights into optimizing carbohydrate (CHO) intake for glycogen storage.
  • To explore strategies for enhancing glycogen synthesis under various conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature on glycogen metabolism and exercise.
  • Analysis of the biphasic nature of post-exercise glycogen resynthesis (0-4h and 4-24h).
  • Examination of the role of carbohydrate (CHO) availability and co-ingestion with protein.

Main Results:

  • Early post-exercise (0-4h): Glycogen depletion drives resynthesis, optimized by ~1 g/kg CHO.
  • Later recovery (4-24h): Total CHO intake is paramount, meeting anticipated fuel needs.
  • Co-ingestion of protein with CHO aids glycogen storage, particularly with suboptimal CHO/energy intake.

Conclusions:

  • Athletes should strategically manage carbohydrate intake to maximize muscle glycogen stores between exercise sessions.
  • Protein co-ingestion with carbohydrates is a practical strategy to enhance glycogen synthesis.
  • Further research is needed to identify methods for faster glycogen synthesis and supercompensation.