Question marks around post-workout carbohydrate consumption

Recently, there have been many questions about post-workout carbohydrate consumption. I'm not trying to claim that I know the only correct procedure for post-workout nutrient supplementation, but I will try to explain what happens in the body after a workout and what needs to be taken into account.

Why supplement carbohydrates after training?

It is fairly well known to everyone that the main reason for consuming carbohydrates shortly after training is the need o replenish glycogen stores that are depleted during exercise. The subject of controversy are some of the claims, which we will try to take a closer look at.

Is there really a significant depletion of muscle glycogen due to strength training?

Some new specialists who present themselves on the Internet claim that dramatic depletion does not occur. I say it does. In fact, most of these "experts" have never done heavy strength training. I have tried it a few times :-). And in addition to my own experience, my opinion is backed up by studies based on testing real athletes. Standard strength training of 30-45 minutes and 10-20 sets depletes glycogen levels 30-40%. Using intensification methods depletes 60-70%. Do you really think that depleting 60% of muscle glycogen stores is not essential? If you want to train intensely, you simply cannot ignore the rebuilding of glycogen stores.

For the sake of objectivity, it is important to mention that the body can replenish glycogen reserves within 48 hours even if you start glycogen replenishment later. Still, I'm of the opinion that from a recovery standpoint, it's more beneficial to start replenishing carbohydrates immediately after training. This is mainly because in the period shortly after training, carbohydrates serve as a so-called cellvoluminizer and therefore increase the hydration of the cell and thus its better nutrition, which should be of particular interest to you if you want to build muscle mass.

Controversial insulin!

Yes, insulin is a strongly anabolic hormone, which is why it is advisable to stimulate it with carbohydrate intake immediately after training. So it seems clearly advisable to stimulate this process with carbohydrate intake after training. Yet there is a controversy here. In fact, recent studies have shown that to kick-start protein synthesis after training, it is sufficient to supplement with appropriate amino acids, and following that, complex proteins. It hasn't even been confirmed that there is a difference between supplementing protein alone, and protein supplemented with carbohydrates, in terms of proteosynthesis. So, now you're thinking to yourself, and lo and behold, it's obviously possible to do without carbs, and maybe if I limit them, I'll get leaner faster :-). It is true that your assumption is partially correct. If your priority goal is to burn fat and you have skipped basically all carbs, then it is possible to skip carbs even after training. In this case it is advisable to stimulate insulin secretion by using appropriate types of protein (mainly hydrolysates), and insulinogenic amino acids(BCAAs).

Still, I would advocate a gradual reduction and limit carbohydrates at other times of the day and make the most of the natural super compensation of nutrients in the post-workout period.

The main reason for this is that insulin has the ability to bind certain receptors in muscle cells, which then allows glucose and amino acids to enter. And this benefit is also useful to take advantage of during the post-workout period. This minimizes muscle loss and essentially eliminates the need for carbohydrates to be stored as fat after training.

Effect of carbs on GH and Testosterone.

Here we have the last, and for natural athletes probably the most fundamental reason to be concerned about post-workout carbohydrate intake. Namely, the claim that post-workout carbohydrate intake leads to lower GH and testosterone levels. This is a completely false claim. It was perhaps based on the fact that GH levels increase when fasting. Unfortunately, when fasting, high GH levels will hardly provide you with muscle growth! Believe that the body corrects hormone levels very efficiently and you will not achieve a substantial increase by any dietary approach. On the other hand, under prolonged stress, which can be low carbohydrate intake among other things, the body will limit testosterone production quite effectively. So what to do about it with regard to training. Because during training, GH and testosterone levels really increase. What is less talked about, however, is the fact that there is a sharp drop in both GH and testosterone levels after a workout, regardless of whether you are fasting or ingesting food. But after a workout, we are primarily interested in the start of anabolic processes, and the reduction in cortisol levels. And that's what carbohydrates combined with protein will help us do best.

Conclusion

All of this is not to say that if you don't have glucose after your workout, you can forget about muscle growth. It's very likely that if you eat well overall, you'll still see results even if you skip carbs in your post-workout meal. However, I believe that not taking advantage of the potential of post-workout carbs is a shame. The simple fact is that if you want to maximize muscle growth, carbohydrate intake combined with protein post-workout is a strategy that realistically works.

A few types of conclusion:

• After training, I suggest taking protein at 0.4g - 0.5g per kilogram of your weight. A suitable source is a combination of whey protein and micellar casein.
• It is possible to add 5-10 g of branched-chain amino acids in free form for a faster start of proteosynthesis and stimulation of insulin secretion.
• I recommend supplementing protein with 30-60g of carbohydrates. The ideal source is glucose combined with native or hydrolyzed starch.
• In the period shortly after training, avoid fats and at the same time more fiber.
• If you are in a period where you are completely restricting carbohydrates, use a mixture of 30-40 g of hydrolyzed protein and 10 g of BCAAs in free form.

[Written by: Pavel Samek]

References used:
Robergs, R., Pearson, D., Costill, D., & Fink, W. Muscle glycogenolysis during differing intensities of weight-resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology.
Tesch, P. Muscle metabolism during intense, heavy-resistance exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
Ivy, J. Glycogen resynthesis after exercise: effect of carbohydrate intake. International Journal of Sports Medicine.
Koopman, R. Coingestion of carbohydrate with protein does not further augment postexercise muscle protein synthesis. American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism. Casagrande Figueiredo, V. Is carbohydrate needed to further stimulate muscle protein synthesis/hypertrophy following resistance exercise? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Caronia, L. M. Abrupt decrease in serum testosterone levels after an oral glucose load in men. Clinical Endocrinology Journal.