Influence of carbohydrates ingestion on performance

Abstract

Beyond maintaining glycemic homeostasis, rich carbohydrate diets provide a larger muscle and hepatic glycogen storage. Higher muscle glycogen stores propitiate a higher level of energy to the organism and often help to delay the beginning of the muscle fatigue. In moderate efforts made at long intervals of time or in short-term physical exercises of high intensity muscle glycogen stores are strongly depleted, leading to a fall in performance and even to hypoglycemia and dehydration. Thus the aim of this study was to analyze the influence of carbohydrates ingestion before, during and after physical exercise for performance improvement.