How much does resistance training impact muscle glycogen? 🔋💪
Do you need to refuel after resistance training?
Acute effects of resistance exercise on skeletal muscle glycogen depletion: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Study Details
This new meta-analysis compiled data from 20 studies (180 participants) to establish the effects of resistance training on muscle glycogen concentration 🔍
⏰ Average session duration was 33.0 ± 27.0 min
📊 Number of sets per session was 8.7 ± 4.0
⏱ The average rest interval between sets was 127.5 ± 44.4 s
📈 Average intensity of the performed exercises was 72.3 ± 13.4% of 1RM
🔬 Prior to exercise, the average muscle glycogen concentration was measured at 528.3 ± 261.1 mmol/kg of dry mass
Here are the key findings ⬇️
Key Findings
🏋️♂️ Resistance training leads to a significant glycogen decrease (MD = -104.3)
With greater depletion with…
🔢 More sets
⏰ Longer session duration
BUT less with higher exercise intensity 📉
Using mixed intensities during exercise leads to significantly greater muscle glycogen depletion vs fixed intensities 📊
Untrained individuals also use significantly more muscle glycogen than trained individuals 🙋♂️
Conclusion
Single bouts of resistance training lead to significant reductions in muscle glycogen 📉
If you have a long session with large training volume and mixed intensities, prioritising pre- and post-exercise carbs is likely a beneficial strategy ✅
Reference
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.14814/phy2.70683
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