High versus low glycemic index 3-h recovery diets following glycogen-depleting exercise has no effect on subsequent 5-km cycling time trial performance
Abstract
Objectives Some athletes train/compete multiple times in a single day and rapid restoration of muscle and hepatic glycogen stores is therefore important for athletic performance.Design Randomised, counterbalanced, crossover, single blinded study investigated the effects of low/high glycaemic index (GI) meals on the physiological responses to a 3-h recovery period and subsequent 5-km cycling time trial (TT).Methods Seven male cyclists completed glycogen-depleting exercise followed by a 3-h recovery period, when participants consumed either a high or low GI meal providing 2gkg(-1) BM of carbohydrate. Participants then performed a 5-km cycling TT. Blood samples were analysed for glucose insulin, free fatty acid (FFA) and triglyceride.Results There was no significant difference between the median (IQR) cycling TT time of 8.5 (3.0) min in the LGI condition and 8.4 (1.8) min in the HGI condition (p=0.45). Serum insulin was significantly higher in the HGI condition throughout the 3-h recovery period (p=0.025), FFA concentrations were higher in the HGI condition only at 30min into recovery (p=0.008). The respiratory exchange ratio (p=0.028) and carbohydrate oxidation rate (p=0.015) increased over time in the HGI condition, whereas the rate of fat oxidation demonstrated the opposite response (p=0.001). No significant differences between conditions were observed for any physiological variables at the end of the 5-km TT.Conclusions Although the GI of the two meals indicated important metabolic differences during the recovery period, there was no evidence suggesting these differences influenced subsequent 5-km TT performance.
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The influence of glycemic index on subsequent exercise performance appears inconsistent.
“However, the influence of GI on subsequent exercise performance appears inconsistent.”
From Nutritional Strategies to Improve Post-exercise Recovery and Subsequent Exercise Performance: A Narrative Review (2025) · cites this paper as [42]
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- Authors
- Brown, L. J. S., Midgley, A. W., Vince, R. V., Madden, L. A., & McNaughton, L. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Hull (GB)
- Edge Hill University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- McNaughton, Lars R.
- Venue
- Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-09
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 450-454
- ISSN
- 1440-2440 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2036347787
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of science and medicine in sport (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Edge Hill University Research Information Repository (Edge Hill University) (submittedVersion)
- Research at York St John (York St John University) (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 › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- glycemic index, glycogen depletion, muscle glycogen resynthesis, liver glycogen, cycling time trial, carbohydrate oxidation, fat oxidation, insulin, free fatty acids, respiratory exchange ratio, cyclists
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Bicycling, Humans, Male, Exercise, Cross-Over Studies, Recovery of Function, Glycemic Index, Athletic Performance, Young Adult
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