- Feb 2, 2013
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Recovery from resistance exercise is paramount for continual gains in strength and size. Researchers from the University of Rhode Island were interested in the role of carbohydrates and how it impacted muscle recovery in weightlifters.
This study was a randomized two-trial experiment with subjects assigned to a low-carbohydrate and a higher-protein diet (226 grams of carbohydrate, 103 grams of protein, and 67 grams of fat) or a high-carbohydrate and a lower-protein diet (343 grams of carbohydrate, 85 grams of protein, and 62 grams of fat). Both diets were isocaloric.
Subjects were put through a bout of maximal eccentric leg exercise and subsequently followed after the eccentric exercise in order to measure soreness, protein synthesis, and enzymatic markers of muscle damage. In the study, the low-carbohydrate group showed the largest decrement in muscle strength after eccentric exercise and therefore, it would appear that low carbohydrates have a negative impact on muscle recovery after eccentric exercise.
This study suggests that a diet high in carbohydrates (at half of total calories), when protein exceeds the recommended daily allowance, will increase whole-body protein synthesis and reduce muscle strength loss and enzymatic activity during recovery from eccentric exercise. Therefore, dietary carbohydrate, as opposed to protein, may be the more important nutrient when the novice weightlifter is recovering from muscle damage. Finally, the increase in dietary carbohydrate must be at least five days in length and be accompanied by a protein intake above the RDA in order to be effective.
This study was a randomized two-trial experiment with subjects assigned to a low-carbohydrate and a higher-protein diet (226 grams of carbohydrate, 103 grams of protein, and 67 grams of fat) or a high-carbohydrate and a lower-protein diet (343 grams of carbohydrate, 85 grams of protein, and 62 grams of fat). Both diets were isocaloric.
Subjects were put through a bout of maximal eccentric leg exercise and subsequently followed after the eccentric exercise in order to measure soreness, protein synthesis, and enzymatic markers of muscle damage. In the study, the low-carbohydrate group showed the largest decrement in muscle strength after eccentric exercise and therefore, it would appear that low carbohydrates have a negative impact on muscle recovery after eccentric exercise.
This study suggests that a diet high in carbohydrates (at half of total calories), when protein exceeds the recommended daily allowance, will increase whole-body protein synthesis and reduce muscle strength loss and enzymatic activity during recovery from eccentric exercise. Therefore, dietary carbohydrate, as opposed to protein, may be the more important nutrient when the novice weightlifter is recovering from muscle damage. Finally, the increase in dietary carbohydrate must be at least five days in length and be accompanied by a protein intake above the RDA in order to be effective.