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Post-exercise Ingestion of Carbohydrate, Protein and Water: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for Effects on
Danielle McCartney1, Ben Desbrow2, Christopher Irwin2
1School of Allied Health Sciences and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia. danielle.mccartney@griffithuni.edu.au.
Background:
Athletes may complete consecutive exercise sessions with limited recovery time between bouts (e.g. ≤ 4 h). Nutritional strategies that optimise post-exercise recovery in these situations are therefore important.
Objective:
This two-part review investigated the effect of consuming carbohydrate (CHO) and protein with water (W) following exercise on subsequent athletic (endurance/anaerobic exercise) performance.
Data Sources:
Studies were identified by searching the online databases SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus.
Study Eligibility Criteria And Interventions:
Investigations that measured endurance performance (≥ 5 min duration) ≤ 4 h after a standardised exercise bout (any type) under the following control vs. intervention conditions were included: Part 1: W vs. CHO ingested with an equal volume of W (CHO + W); and, Part 2: CHO + W vs. protein (PRO) ingested with CHO and an equal volume of W (PRO + CHO + W), where CHO or energy intake was matched.
Study Appraisal And Synthesis Methods:
Publications were examined for bias using the Rosendal scale. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regression analyses were conducted to evaluate intervention efficacy.
Results:
The quality assessment yielded a Rosendal score of 63 ± 9% (mean ± standard deviation). Part 1: 45 trials (n = 486) were reviewed. Ingesting CHO + W (102 ± 50 g CHO; 0.8 ± 0.6 g CHO kg-1 h-1) improved exercise performance compared with W (1.6 ± 0.7 L); %Δ mean power output = 4.0, 95% confidence interval 3.2-4.7 (I 2 = 43.9). Improvement was attenuated when participants were 'Fed' (a meal 2-4 h prior to the initial bout) as opposed to 'Fasted' (p = 0.012). Part 2: 13 trials (n = 125) were reviewed. Ingesting PRO + CHO + W (35 ± 26 g PRO; 0.5 ± 0.4 g PRO kg-1) did not affect exercise performance compared with CHO + W (115 ± 61 g CHO; 0.6 ± 0.3 g CHO·kg body mass-1 h-1; 1.2 ± 0.6 L); %Δ mean power output = 0.5, 95% confidence interval - 0.5 to 1.6 (I 2 = 72.9).
Conclusions:
Athletes with limited time for recovery between consecutive exercise sessions should prioritise CHO and fluid ingestion to enhance subsequent athletic performance. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016046807.
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