Role of carbohydrates in long-term recovery

Author: Frédéric Delavier and Michel Gundill: Chapter from the book "Sports Supplements for Athletes".
2011-10-14

Most athletes do not train every day. This means that they always have several days available for recovery before the next physical exertion. The more intense the previous trials were, the harder and longer the recovery process will be. For example, world-class marathoners, despite a carbohydrate-rich diet (at least 7 grams per kilogram of body weight), experience a 56% decrease in muscle glycogen levels after competitions (S. Asp, 1999). After 48 hours post-finish, their levels are still 41% lower than before the start. Marathoners take 7 days to restore glycogen levels to pre-race levels.

However, future performance is influenced not only by speed but also by the quality of recovery. This is why it’s essential to act quickly after training if you want to ensure proper recovery. What we state is perfectly illustrated by a study that laid the groundwork for planning recovery processes (J. Ivy, 1988). This research proved that strictly adhering to a schedule for consuming carbohydrate-rich drinks helps achieve maximum effects. For example, Ivy provided cyclists with a solution containing 25% carbohydrates either immediately after a 70-minute ride or two hours later.

The drink consumed right after finishing increased the rate of muscle glycogen synthesis threefold over the course of two hours compared to the same measurement in athletes who did not receive carbohydrates. In the following 120 minutes, carbohydrates introduced into the cyclists' bodies after an hour's pause also accelerated glycogen synthesis. However, the synthesis rate was insufficient to catch up to those who acted immediately. After two hours, the maximum glycogen production rate remained 45% lower compared to that recorded in athletes who drank the solution right after physical exertion.

Nevertheless, the researcher (J. Ivy, 1988) demonstrated that there is a limit beyond which increasing the amount of carbohydrates does not affect the speed of glycogen resynthesis. After a two-hour workout, participants took either 1.5 or 3 grams of glucose polymers per kilogram of body weight immediately and then again two hours later. Glycogen synthesis was approximately the same regardless of whether they consumed three or one and a half grams. Therefore, other strategies must be employed to accelerate the body’s energy recovery.