Cited by 77Muscle metabolism and nutritionSports Performance and TrainingExercise and Physiological Responses

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 216 of the 218 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 43 of the 83 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Nutritional Strategies to Improve Post-exercise Recovery and Subsequent Exercise Performance: A Narrative Review

Open access

Abstract

Post-exercise recovery strategies influence the body’s ability to restore physiological homeostasis, replenish energy stores, repair muscle damage, and promote desired adaptations, which improve exercise performance. This narrative review examines the impact of nutritional strategies commonly used for enhancing recovery and subsequent exercise performance, particularly when athletes face short recovery periods. Carbohydrate ingestion is essential for glycogen replenishment, especially within the initial hours post-exercise, with its impact dependent on the types, timing, and amount. Protein is essential for accelerating muscle recovery and achieving a positive nitrogen balance, depending on the type and dosage. The co-ingestion of carbohydrates with proteins or fats is explored for its role in maximizing glycogen resynthesis and muscle repair, with evidence supporting the addition of protein to suboptimal carbohydrate intake for enhanced recovery. Moreover, this review addresses the potential benefits of creatine and caffeine co-ingestion for accelerating glycogen synthesis and improving subsequent performance. Hydration strategies, including the use of milk-based beverages and electrolyte solutions, are also discussed, emphasizing their importance in maintaining fluid balance and optimizing recovery. This review also highlights the emerging role of micronutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and sodium bicarbonate in reducing muscle damage and improving acid–base balance. Evidence supports the tailored use of these nutritional strategies, particularly for athletes managing tight competition/training schedules. Future research should focus on refining individualized approaches for recovery and investigating the impact of novel supplements on subsequent performance.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This narrative review synthesizes nutritional strategies for post-exercise recovery and subsequent exercise performance, defined as performance within ~2–24 h after a prior exhaustive bout. Carbohydrate and protein are central, with conditional evidence for creatine, caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, hydration, fats, and micronutrients.

Key findings

  • Carbohydrate ingestion of 1–1.2 g·kg⁻¹·h⁻¹ during the initial 4 h post-exercise is recommended, with glucose/glucose-derived sources and optional fructose co-ingestion; glucose–fructose improved subsequent endurance capacity by ~33% and ~27% in two studies versus glucose alone, but other performance studies found no benefit. Complete muscle glycogen replenishment typically takes 24–36 h with 7–12 g·kg⁻¹ carbohydrate per day; high-GI carbohydrate increased 24-h glycogen (~106 vs 72 mmol·kg⁻¹ wet weight) but performance effects were inconsistent.
  • Protein at 20–40 g post-exercise maximizes muscle protein synthesis for 3–4 h; endurance athletes are advised ~1.2–1.8 g·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹ and power athletes 1.7–2.2 g·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹. Carbohydrate–protein co-ingestion has small positive performance effects (~0.6–1.6%), with examples of ~14 min and ~8.5 min longer subsequent exercise capacity, especially when added to suboptimal carbohydrate.
  • Creatine plus carbohydrate may enhance glycogen storage (e.g., 82% greater resynthesis within 24 h; 18% increase after 5 days of 20 g·day⁻¹ loading; 53% with moderate carbohydrate), but effects on subsequent performance remain debated. Caffeine–carbohydrate co-ingestion shows mixed glycogen and performance results; sodium bicarbonate after exercise may restore acid–base balance and improve subsequent performance with 30–90 min recovery, though 35 min may be inadequate.
  • Rehydration should replace 125–150% of body mass lost; milk-based beverages, oral rehydration solutions, and water with solid meals can support recovery, while water alone has low beverage hydration index. Dietary fats have limited evidence and no clear effect on subsequent performance; micronutrients reduce exercise-induced muscle damage but not consistently performance, with >1000 mg polyphenols/day for at least 3 days recommended.

Methods

  • Narrative review with literature searched in PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar using keyword and Boolean combinations covering carbohydrate, protein, fat, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, caffeine, micronutrients, and fluids/electrolytes.
  • Evidence was classified as grade I (strong), grade II (moderate), or grade III (limited) based on consistency and volume of controlled trials.
  • The review synthesized findings on recovery and subsequent exercise performance occurring within ~2–24 h of prior exhaustive exercise; no systematic meta-analysis or formal risk-of-bias assessment is reported.

Limitations

  • Stated by the authors: much of the literature is based on male athletes, creating potential sex bias; exercise protocols vary and may not reflect real-world conditions; responses to creatine and caffeine co-ingestion are highly individualized; personalization literature is lacking; supplement interactions may not be additive; more research is needed in real-world sports, team sports, ultra-endurance events, and resistance-training athletes training twice daily.
  • Evident from the text: as a narrative review, it does not systematically quantify study quality or pool effect sizes; many cited studies use different doses, timing, glycogen-depletion protocols, and performance tests, and several conclusions rely on markers of muscle damage or glycogen rather than subsequent performance.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1007/s40279-025-02213-6

Cites

216 of 216 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Figures

Fig. 1 Examples of nutritional strategies to accelerate the short-term recovery period between two exercise bouts to enhance subsequent exercise sessions
Fig. 1 Examples of nutritional strategies to accelerate the short-term recovery period between two exercise bouts to enhance subsequent exercise sessionsCC BY · PubMed Central
Fig. 2 Influence of timing (a) and type (b–d), of carbohydrate (CHO) on glycogen resynthesis *indicates significant differenes (p < 0.05) from other groups within a given study. Adapted from [13, 21, 24, 27, 28]. Fru fructose, Gal galactose, GI glycemic index, GLu glucose
Fig. 2 Influence of timing (a) and type (b–d), of carbohydrate (CHO) on glycogen resynthesis *indicates significant differenes (p < 0.05) from other groups within a given study. Adapted from [13, 21, 24, 27, 28]. Fru fructose, Gal galactose, GI glycemic index, GLu glucoseCC BY · PubMed Central
Fig. 3 Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingested 30 min following exercise to exhaustion can increase pH (a) and improve time to exhaustion during a subsequent exercise bout (b). Recovery period is highlighted in a. *Denotes significant differences between groups (p < 0.05). Adapted from Gough et al. [129]
Fig. 3 Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingested 30 min following exercise to exhaustion can increase pH (a) and improve time to exhaustion during a subsequent exercise bout (b). Recovery period is highlighted in a. *Denotes significant differences between groups (p < 0.05). Adapted from Gough et al. [129]CC BY · PubMed Central

Verification

Claims the paper makes

21 Partly supported · 18 No full text of the sources · 5 Supported · 4 Own interpretation · 2 Supported so far · 1 Not supported · 1 Couldn’t confirm · accuracy not yet measured

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 3
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 13
16 of 16
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The findings from controlled laboratory studies of recovery nutrition are applicable to athletes in real-world competition and training settings with short recovery periods.

    “Evidence supports the tailored use of these nutritional strategies, particularly for athletes managing tight competition/training schedules.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Performance improvements measured in laboratory time trials or capacity tests translate into competitive performance outcomes.

    “However, even a 1% improvement can be critical in elite sports, potentially making the difference between finishing fourth and securing a podium position in Olympic competitions [88].”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The cited studies' participants and protocols are sufficiently comparable to synthesize into general recommendations for athletes.

    “These discrepancies may be attributed to interindividual variations in training status and genetic factors, as well as differences in recovery durations, glycogen depletion protocols, performance tests, amounts and types of protein ingested, and methods of nutrient provision during recovery.”
3 of 3

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

2 of 2

Citations

Cites

Show all 218 references

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Jeukendrup AE, Gleeson M. Sport nutrition. 4th ed. Champaign: Human Kinetics; 2025.
  2. Gough LA, et al. Post-exercise supplementation of sodium bicarbonate improves acid base balance recovery and subsequent high-intensity boxing specific performance. Front Nutr. 2019;6:155. · DOI · Paper page

Cited by

Sorted by citations

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Metadata

Authors
Naderi, A., Rothschild, J. A., Santos, H. O., Hamidvand, A., Koozehchian, M. S., Ghazzagh, A., Berjisian, E., & Podlogar, T.
Affiliations
  • Islamic Azad University Boroujerd Branch (IR)
  • Auckland University of Technology (NZ)
  • Shahid Beheshti University (IR)
  • Jacksonville State University (US)
  • Tarbiat Modares University (IR)
  • Edith Cowan University (AU)
  • University of Exeter (GB)
Corresponding author
  • Naderi, Alireza
  • Podlogar, Tim
Venue
Sports Medicine
Published
2025-04-12
Volume
55
Issue
7
Pages
1559-1577
ISSN
  • 0112-1642 (ISSN-L)
  • 1179-2035
OpenAlex
W4409384105
Cited by
77
References
218
Citations by year
2026: 62 · 2025: 15
FWCI
8.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Sports Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Australasian Journal of Paramedicine (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Exercise and Physiological Responses
Keywords
post-exercise recovery, exercise performance, carbohydrate intake, glycogen resynthesis, protein intake, muscle damage, creatine, caffeine, hydration, electrolyte solutions, milk beverages, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, sodium bicarbonate, acid-base balance, micronutrients, athletes
MeSH terms
Post-Exercise Recovery, Antioxidants, Caffeine, Creatine, Dietary Carbohydrates, Dietary Proteins, Glycogen, Humans, Exercise, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Muscle, Skeletal, Micronutrients, Dietary Supplements, Athletic Performance, Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena

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