The Ergogenic Effects of Acute Carbohydrate Feeding on Resistance Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion has an ergogenic effect on endurance training performance. Less is known about the effect of acute CHO ingestion on resistance training (RT) performance and equivocal results are reported in the literature. Objective The current systematic review and meta-analysis sought to determine if and to what degree CHO ingestion influences RT performance. Methods PubMed, MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles written in English that used a cross-over design to assess the acute effect of CHO ingestion on RT performance outcomes (e.g., muscle strength, power, and endurance) in healthy human participants compared to a placebo or water-only conditions. The Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool and GRADE approaches were used to assess risk of bias and certainty of evidence, respectively. Random effects meta-analyses were performed for total training session volume and post-exercise blood lactate and glucose. Sub-group meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed for categorical (session and fast durations) and continuous (total number of maximal effort sets, load used, and CHO dose) covariates, respectively. Results Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 226 participants). Pooled results revealed a significant benefit of CHO ingestion in comparison to a placebo or control for total session training volume (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.61). Sub-group analysis revealed a significant benefit of CHO ingestion during sessions longer than 45 min (SMD = 1.02) and after a fast duration of 8 h or longer (SMD = 0.39). Pooled results revealed elevated post-exercise blood lactate (SMD = 0.58) and blood glucose (SMD = 2.36) with CHO ingestion. Meta-regression indicated that the number of maximal effort sets, but not CHO dose or load used, moderates the effect of CHO ingestion on RT performance (beta co-efficient [b] = 0.11). Carbohydrate dose does not moderate post-exercise lactate accumulation nor do maximal effort sets completed, load used, and CHO dose moderate the effect of CHO ingestion on post-exercise blood glucose. Conclusions Carbohydrate ingestion has an ergogenic effect on RT performance by enhancing volume performance, which is more likely to occur when sessions exceed 45 min and where the fast duration is ≥ 8 h. Further, the effect is moderated by the number of maximal effort sets completed, but not the load used or CHO dose. Post-exercise blood lactate is elevated following CHO ingestion but may come at the expense of an extended time-course of recovery due to the additional training volume performed. Post-exercise blood glucose is elevated when CHO is ingested during RT, but it is presently unclear if it has an impact on RT performance. Protocol Registration The original protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (Project identifier: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/HJFBW).

Management of Glycemia during Acute Aerobic and Resistance Training in Patients with Diabetes Type 1: A Croatian Pilot Study

“…Lactate levels were significantly increased following resistance training, while they remained completely unaffected after the aerobic session. This finding confirms a significant anaerobic component to RE reported in other studies [ 44 , 45 ]. Apparently, a rise in catecholamine secretion during RE induces muscle glycogenolysis enhancing glycogen decomposition mediated through phosphorylase α, leading to increased lactate production [ 44 , 46 ].…”

“…This finding confirms a significant anaerobic component to RE reported in other studies [ 44 , 45 ]. Apparently, a rise in catecholamine secretion during RE induces muscle glycogenolysis enhancing glycogen decomposition mediated through phosphorylase α, leading to increased lactate production [ 44 , 46 ]. High lactate levels slow down glycogen utilization in the muscles, which could, in turn, help prevent early post-exercise hypoglycemia in patients with T1DM, as was the case in our study.…”

Mental Performance and Sport: Caffeine and Co-consumed Bioactive Ingredients

“…It is also likely that glucose plays a pivotal role in caffeinated energy drinks above and beyond the effects of caffeine, or indeed glucose, in isolation. Carbohydrate ingestion has a well-established ergogenic effect on endurance exercise [ 183 ] and, more recently, resistance exercise performance [ 184 ], and so it is unsurprising that a recent meta-analysis of energy drinks, containing both caffeine and glucose, observed similar ergogenic benefits across a range of exercise types [ 185 ]. These included cycling, power-based activities (including within team sports) and more fine-motor abilities like serving and strokes in racket sports and performance in golf and fencing.…”

The Effect of Electrolytes and Energy Drinks Consumption on Athletic Performance – A Narrative Review

“…This generally improves athletic performance -allowing the athlete to maintain pace, skill, and concentration [26]. The aims of carbohydrate intake during exercise vary depending on the athlete's preparation (how well they are carbohydrate-loaded), the energy needs of the exercise (session duration and intensity), and individual tolerance [38]. The use of commercial sports drinks with a carbohydrate content of about 4-8% (4-8 gr/100 ml) allows the simultaneous filling of carbohydrate and fluid needs in most cases [35].…”