Cited by 52Muscle metabolism and nutritionSports Performance and TrainingExercise and Physiological Responses

Post-exercise Ingestion of Carbohydrate, Protein and Water: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis for Effects on Subsequent Athletic Performance

McCartney, Danielle, Desbrow, Ben, Irwin, Christopher·2018·Sports Medicine

Abstract

Background Athletes may complete consecutive exercise sessions with limited recovery time between bouts (e.g. ≤ 4 h). Nutritional strategies that optimise post-exercise recovery in these situations are therefore important.Objective This two-part review investigated the effect of consuming carbohydrate (CHO) and protein with water (W) following exercise on subsequent athletic (endurance/anaerobic exercise) performance.Data sources Studies were identified by searching the online databases SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus.Study eligibility criteria and interventions Investigations that measured endurance performance (≥ 5 min duration) ≤ 4 h after a standardised exercise bout (any type) under the following control vs. intervention conditions were included: Part 1: W vs. CHO ingested with an equal volume of W (CHO + W); and, Part 2: CHO + W vs. protein (PRO) ingested with CHO and an equal volume of W (PRO + CHO + W), where CHO or energy intake was matched.Study appraisal and synthesis methods Publications were examined for bias using the Rosendal scale. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regression analyses were conducted to evaluate intervention efficacy.Results The quality assessment yielded a Rosendal score of 63 ± 9% (mean ± standard deviation). Part 1: 45 trials (n = 486) were reviewed. Ingesting CHO + W (102 ± 50 g CHO; 0.8 ± 0.6 g CHO kg-1 h-1) improved exercise performance compared with W (1.6 ± 0.7 L); %Δ mean power output = 4.0, 95% confidence interval 3.2-4.7 (I 2 = 43.9). Improvement was attenuated when participants were 'Fed' (a meal 2-4 h prior to the initial bout) as opposed to 'Fasted' (p = 0.012). Part 2: 13 trials (n = 125) were reviewed. Ingesting PRO + CHO + W (35 ± 26 g PRO; 0.5 ± 0.4 g PRO kg-1) did not affect exercise performance compared with CHO + W (115 ± 61 g CHO; 0.6 ± 0.3 g CHO·kg body mass-1 h-1; 1.2 ± 0.6 L); %Δ mean power output = 0.5, 95% confidence interval - 0.5 to 1.6 (I 2 = 72.9).Conclusions Athletes with limited time for recovery between consecutive exercise sessions should prioritise CHO and fluid ingestion to enhance subsequent athletic performance. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016046807.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s40279-017-0800-5

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  • Co-ingesting protein with carbohydrate during recovery between two bouts of endurance exercise has shown small to moderate effects on subsequent performance compared with carbohydrate alone (e.g., improvements of ~1.6% in mean power output during cycling time trials and 0.6% in competitive running performance).

    “co-ingesting protein with carbohydrate during recovery between two bouts of endurance exercise has shown small to moderate effects on subsequent performance compared with carbohydrate alone (e.g., improvements of ~ 1.6% in mean power output during cycling time trials and 0.6% in competitive running performance [87]”
  • Combining protein with carbohydrates during recovery periods shorter than 24 h likely has a small, but positive, effect on performance, ranging from 0.6 to 1.6%.

    “combining protein with carbohydrates during recovery periods shorter than 24 h likely has a small, but positive, effect on performance, ranging from 0.6 to 1.6% [87]”

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Authors
McCartney, D., Desbrow, B., & Irwin, C.
Affiliations
Griffith University (AU)
Corresponding author
McCartney, Danielle
Venue
Sports Medicine
Published
2017-11-02
Volume
48
Issue
2
Pages
379-408
ISSN
  • 0112-1642 (ISSN-L)
  • 1179-2035
OpenAlex
W2767173578
Cited by
52
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2
FWCI
0.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Sports Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
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 › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
Keywords
post-exercise recovery, carbohydrate intake, protein intake, water intake, endurance performance, anaerobic performance, output power, sports nutrition, glycogen resynthesis, protein synthesis, muscle protein synthesis, muscle protein degradation, fatigue
MeSH terms
Adult, Animals, Child, Dietary Carbohydrates, Female, Humans, Male, Physical Endurance, Water, Exercise, Mice, Rats, Athletic Performance

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