Effect of muscle glycogen availability on maximal exercise performance
Open accessAbstract
This investigation determined the influence of pre-exercise muscle glycogen availability on performance during high intensity exercise. Nine trained male cyclists were studied during 75 s of all-out exercise on an air-braked cycle ergometer following muscle glycogen-lowering exercise and consumption of diets (energy content approximately 14 MJ) that were either high (HCHO(80% CHO) or low (LCHO-25% CHO) in carbohydrate content. The exercise-diet regimen was successful in producing differences in pre-exercise muscle glycogen contents [HCHO: 578(SEM 55) mmol x kg(-1) dry mass; LCHO: 364 (SEM 58) P < 0.05 mmol x kg(-1) dry mass]. Despite this difference in muscle glycogen availability, there were no between trial differences for peak power [HCHO 1185 (SEM 50)W, LCHO 1179 (SEM 48)W], mean power [HCHO 547 (SEM 5)W, LCHO 554 (SEM 8)W] and maximal accumulated oxygen deficit [HCHO 54.4 (SEM 2.3) ml x kg(-1), LCHO 54.6 (SEM 2.0) ml x kg(-1)]. Postexercise muscle lactate contents (HCHO 95.9 (SEM 4.6) mmol x kg(-1) dry mass, LCHO 82.7 (SEM 12.3) mmol x kg(-1) dry mass, n = 8] were no different between the two trials, nor were venous blood lactate concentrations immediately after and during recovery from exercise. These results would indicate that increased muscle glycogen availability has no direct effect on performance during all-out high intensity exercise.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
A single 75-s all-out effort can reduce muscle glycogen by ~20%.
“For instance, a single 75‐s all‐out effort can reduce muscle glycogen by ~20% [12], whereas a 15‐min maximal effort has been shown to lower glycogen availability by ~30% [13].”
From Carbohydrate Storage and Supplementation Strategies for Peak Performance in Cross-Country Skiing (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
Cites
A Flexible System of Enzymatic Analysis
Lowry, O. H., & Passonneau, J. V. (1972) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-457950-7.x5001-3 · Cited by 4,050 · see citing works
Diet, muscle glycogen and physical performance.
Bergström, J., Hermansen, L., Hultman, E., & Saltin, B. (1967) · Acta Physiologica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1748-1716.1967.tb03720.x · Cited by 1,740 · cited 1× · see citing works
“While the critical role of muscle glycogen availability for endurance exercise performance has been well established (Bergstrom et al. 1967; Hermansen et al. 1967; Karlsson and Saltin 1971), the importance of muscle glycogen for high intensity, short duration exercise performance is less clear.”
BackgroundBrooke, M. H., & Kaiser, K. K. (1970) · Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry · doi:10.1177/18.9.670 · Cited by 1,126 · see citing works
Harris, R. C., Hultman, E., & Nordesjö, L. ‐. (1974) · Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation · doi:10.3109/00365517409082477 · Cited by 857 · see citing works
Muscle Glycogen during Prolonged Severe Exercise
Hermansen, L., Hultman, E., & Saltin, B. (1967) · Acta Physiologica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1748-1716.1967.tb03719.x · Cited by 752 · see citing works
Diet, muscle glycogen, and endurance performance
Karlsson, J., & Saltin, B. (1971) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.1971.31.2.203 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
Relative body fat and anthropometric prediction of body density of female athletes
Withers, R. T., Whittingham, N. O., Norton, K. I., Laforgia, J., Ellis, M. W., & Crockett, A. J. (1987) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/bf00640641 · Cited by 230 · see citing works
Self-citationInfluence of muscle glycogen on glycogenolysis and glucose uptake during exercise in humans
Hargreaves, M., McConell, G., & Proietto, J. (1995) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.1995.78.1.288 · Cited by 172 · cited 4× · see citing works
“Under such circumstances, muscle glycogen content may have less of an effect on the regulation of glycogenolysis and this may partly explain the different results obtained from studies on high intensity (Bangsbo et al. 1992; Vandenberghe et al. 1995) and submaximal exercise (Hargreaves et al. 1995).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSelf-citationElevated muscle glycogen and anaerobic energy production during exhaustive exercise in man.
Bangsbo, J., Graham, T. E., Kiens, B., & Saltin, B. (1992) · The Journal of Physiology · doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1992.sp019161 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
Ueber die Regulation der Athmung
Geppert, J., & Zuntz, N. (1888) · Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology · doi:10.1007/bf01669357 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
The effects of a glycogen-loading regimen on the capacity to perform anaerobic exercise
Maughan, R. J., & Poole, D. C. (1981) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/bf00423397 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
High glycogen levels enhance glycogen breakdown in isolated contracting skeletal muscle
Richter, E. A., & Galbo, H. (1986) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.1986.61.3.827 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Semiautomated systems approach to the assessment of oxygen uptake during exercise
Wilmore, J. H., & COSTILL, D. L. (1974) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.1974.36.5.618 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Morgan, J. B., & Daish, C. B. (1973) · The Mathematical Gazette · doi:10.2307/3615603 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Greenhaff, P. L., Gleeson, M., & Maughan, R. J. (1987) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/bf00690901 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Hespel, P., & Richter, E. A. (1992) · Biochemical Journal · doi:10.1042/bj2840777 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
High-intensity exercise performance is not impaired by low intramuscular glycogen
Symons, J. D., & Jacobs, I. A. (1989) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/00005768-198910000-00009 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
The effects of diet on muscle pH and metabolism during high intensity exercise
Greenhaff, P. L., Gleeson, M., & Maughan, R. J. (1988) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/bf00418458 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Role of glycogen in control of glycolysis and IMP formation in human muscle during exercise
SPENCER, M. K., & Katz, A. (1991) · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1152/ajpendo.1991.260.6.e859 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Regulation of skeletal muscle glycogenolysis during exercise.
Hargreaves, M., & Richter, E. A. (1988) · PubMed · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Self-citationInfluence of reduced glycogen level on glycogenolysis during short‐term stimulation in man
Ren, J., Broberg, S., Sahlin, K., & Hultman, E. (1990) · Acta Physiologica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1748-1716.1990.tb08948.x · Cited by 41 · see citing works
The Dynamic Calibration of Cycle Ergometers
Woods, G., Day, L., Withers, R. T., et al. (1994) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/s-2007-1021041 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Self-citationThe influence of dietary carbohydrate on performance of supramaximal intermittent exercise
Jenkins, D., Palmer, J. E., & Spillman, D. (1993) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/bf00357628 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Spriet, L. L., Berardinucci, L., Marsh, D. R., Campbell, C. B., & Graham, T. E. (1990) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.1990.68.5.1883 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Influence of Carbohydrate-status on Performance During Maximal Exercise
Wootton, S. A., & Williams, C. (1984) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/s-2008-1025974 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Pre-exercise carbohydrate and fat ingestion: effects on metabolism and performance
Hargreaves, M., Hawley, J. A., & Jeukendrup, A. (2004) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/0264041031000140536 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Self-citationMuscle Glycogen Metabolism and High-Intensity Exercise Performance: A Narrative Review
Vigh-Larsen, J. F., Ørtenblad, N., Spriet, L. L., Overgaard, K., & Mohr, M. (2021) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01475-0 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
McCartney, D., Desbrow, B., & Irwin, C. (2018) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0800-5 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Shearer, J., Marchand, I., Tarnopolsky, M. A., Dyck, D. J., & Graham, T. E. (2001) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.2001.90.3.880 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
VIGH-LARSEN, J. F., ØRTENBLAD, N., NIELSEN, J., EMIL ANDERSEN, O., OVERGAARD, K., & MOHR, M. (2022) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000003002 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Lowered muscle glycogen reduces body mass with no effect on short‐term exercise performance in men
Schytz, C. T., Ørtenblad, N., Birkholm, T. A., Plomgaard, P., Nybo, L., Kolnes, K. J., Andersen, O. E., Lundby, C., Nielsen, J., & Gejl, K. D. (2023) · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports · doi:10.1111/sms.14354 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Carbohydrate Storage and Supplementation Strategies for Peak Performance in Cross-Country Skiing
Ørtenblad, N., Holmberg, H. ‐., Nybo, L., & Gejl, K. D. (2026) · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports · doi:10.1111/sms.70242 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“For instance, a single 75-s all-out effort can reduce muscle glycogen by ~20% [12], whereas a 15-min maximal effort has been shown to lower glycogen availability by ~30% [13].”
- Authors
- Hargreaves, M., Finn, J. P., Withers, R. T., Scroop, G. C., Mackay, M., Snow, R. J., Carey, M. F., & Halbert, J.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Flinders University (AU)
- The University of Adelaide (AU)
- Victoria University (AU)
- Venue
- European Journal of Applied Physiology
- Published
- 1997-01-01
- Volume
- 75
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 188-192
- ISSN
- 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-6319
- 1439-6327
- OpenAlex
- W2044902916
- Cited by
- 60
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 1.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- Locations
- European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- muscle glycogen, high-intensity exercise, all-out exercise, peak power, carbohydrate intake, high-carbohydrate diet, low-carbohydrate diet, oxygen deficit
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Glycogen, Humans, Lactates, Male, Muscles, Exercise
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
