30 Seconds SummaryHow many carbs do you need for maximum gains? A systematic review
- Most studies show no significant benefits of high carbohydrate intakes on strength training performance when calorie intakes are matched between high and low carb groups.
- Acute carbohydrate intake typically does not enhance performance unless it provides additional calories; effects observed in studies may be related to higher energy intake rather than carbohydrate consumption per se.
- There's no evidence of a dose-response relationship where higher carbohydrate intakes lead to better performance, even under various training conditions.
- For typical resistance training up to 10 sets per muscle group, glycogen depletion is minimal and unlikely to impair performance; recovery and resynthesis of glycogen can occur within 24 hours even on low carb intakes.
- Carbohydrates seem to benefit performance in very specific contexts only, such as fasted training, very high-volume workouts (over 10 sets per muscle group), or bi-daily training sessions.
- No consistent long-term benefits on muscle growth in strength training from higher carbohydrate intake; differences in muscle growth results are likely due to variations in total energy intake.
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