Carbohydrate and Caffeine Speeds Recovery
December 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
On your next extreme workout, consume carbohydrates laced with a lot of caffeine during the first three hours of recovery. According to Australian researchers, supplementing carbohydrates plus caffeine after exercise intensifies muscle glycogen levels 66 percent more than carbohydrates. Glycogen is stored carbohydrate found in the liver and skeletal muscles that gives fast energy during high-impact exercise. Optimal recovery from exercise depends upon refilling essential glycogen stores. Glycogen reduction results in bad performance and even injury during the next workout.
Researchers found that glycogen caused depletion in endurance athletes through a mixture of carbohydrate restriction and extreme, prolonged exercise. During recuperation from exercise, they gave the athletes either carbohydrates to eat (290 grams of carbohydrate in the form of sports bars, gels and high-carbohydrate sports drinks) or carbohydrates plus high doses of caffeine (580 milligrams of caffeine, equal to 6 cups of coffee). The caffeine caused increased blood levels of glucose (sugar) and insulin and amplified the activity of signaling proteins that a rate that muscles take up glucose from the blood and building glycogen.
Glycogen depletion is a popular cause of fatigue in endurance athletes. It is also a vital cause of injury and reduced performance in power athletes. Taking carbohydrate and caffeine supplements during recovery might be a good tactic following an extreme workout. On the other hand, some people cannot handle high doses of caffeine. Many of the athletes in the study had difficulty sleeping at night after the treatment.
Source: Journal of Applied Physiology, 105: 7-13, 2008
