Carbohydrate supplementation and Sport. A Review.

Carbohydrate is an essential fuel for prolonged, strenuous exercise, although the carbohydrate stores of the body are limited. Research studies have provided evidence that carbohydrate depletion is associated with fatigue, decrease in exercise intensity, and even exercise cessation. With the appropriate diet and supplementation, however, the carbohydrate stores of the body can be substantially increased and exercise performance improved by carbohydrate supplementation before and during exercise or at the end of exercise. While early research focused on means of increasing the muscle glycogen stores in preparation for competition, recent research has focused on the most effective means of promoting its replenishment during the early hours of recovery. In this review, the role of carbohydrate supplementation for increasing carbohydrate stores before exercise, maintaining blood glucose during exercise, and the rapid replenishment of the carbohydrate stores after exercise are discussed.