Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 11, 2025

Human Skeletal Muscle Biopsy Procedures Using the Modified Bergström Technique
Published on: September 10, 2014
Coingestion of Carbohydrate and Protein on Muscle Glycogen Synthesis after Exercise: A Meta-analysis
Lee M Margolis1, Jillian T Allen, Adrienne Hatch-McChesney1
1Military Nutrition Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA.
Introduction/Purpose:
Evidence suggests that carbohydrate and protein (CHO-PRO) ingestion after exercise enhances muscle glycogen repletion to a greater extent than carbohydrate (CHO) alone. However, there is no consensus at this point, and results across studies are mixed, which may be attributable to differences in energy content and carbohydrate intake relative to body mass consumed after exercise. The purpose of this study was determine the overall effects of CHO-PRO and the independent effects of energy and relative carbohydrate content of CHO-PRO supplementation on postexercise muscle glycogen synthesis compared with CHO alone.
Methods:
Meta-analysis was conducted on crossover studies assessing the influence of CHO-PRO compared with CHO alone on postexercise muscle glycogen synthesis. Studies were identified in a systematic review from PubMed and Cochrane Library databases. Data are presented as effect size (95% confidence interval [CI]) using Hedges' g. Subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate effects of isocaloric and nonisocaloric energy content and dichotomized by median relative carbohydrate (high, ≥0.8 g·kg-1⋅h-1; low, <0.8 g·kg-1⋅h-1) content on glycogen synthesis.
Results:
Twenty studies were included in the analysis. CHO-PRO had no overall effect on glycogen synthesis (0.13, 95% CI = -0.04 to 0.29) compared with CHO. Subgroup analysis found that CHO-PRO had a positive effect (0.26, 95% CI = 0.04-0.49) on glycogen synthesis when the combined intervention provided more energy than CHO. Glycogen synthesis was not significant (-0.05, 95% CI = -0.23 to 0.13) in CHO-PRO compared with CON when matched for energy content. There was no statistical difference of CHO-PRO on glycogen synthesis in high (0.07, 95% CI = -0.11 to 0.22) or low (0.21, 95% CI = -0.08 to 0.50) carbohydrate content compared with CHO.
Conclusion:
Glycogen synthesis rates are enhanced when CHO-PRO are coingested after exercise compared with CHO only when the added energy of protein is consumed in addition to, not in place of, carbohydrate.
More Related Videos
08:01Measurement of Insulin- and Contraction-Stimulated Glucose Uptake in Isolated and Incubated Mature Skeletal Muscle from Mice
Published on: May 16, 2021
08:32Quantification of Subcellular Glycogen Distribution in Skeletal Muscle Fibers using Transmission Electron Microscopy
Published on: February 7, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Muscle Recovery and Fatigue
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Metabolic States of the Body: The Absorptive State
Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
Metabolic States of the Body: The Postabsorptive State
Initially, glycogen stored in the liver is broken down to release glucose into the bloodstream, while glycogen in the muscles is broken down to supply glucose for energy directly within the muscle cells. As glycogen stores diminish,...
Overview of Protein Metabolism
Amino acids play various roles in the body once they are absorbed into cells. They are restructured...