-These results highlight the importance of considering liver volume changes when interpreting glycogen storage responses.
Still in press, with the final version on the way, but glad to already share these insights.
Key findings:
-Muscle glycogen concentrations and content did not change.
-Liver glycogen concentration rose postprandially, but total content did not because liver volume declined at the same time.
Breakfast is often ingested prior to competition to ⬆️ liver glycogen. In this study, we simultaneously assessed both muscle and liver glycogen before and 3 h following ingestion of a practical carbohydrate-rich breakfast (3 g carbohydrate per kg BM) in well-trained cyclists
🚴♂️ Breakfast may not “top up” liver glycogen as quickly as you might think.
Excited to share our new study, now online (in press) in the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism:
journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1...
4️⃣ 👉 Takeaway for cycling & endurance sport: the liver refuels fast, but the legs don’t — full muscle recovery takes much longer. Critical for stage races & heavy training blocks.
Stay tuned — more work is coming soon in this space.
📄 Full article: physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
3️⃣ Findings (2/2):
Sucrose (glucose+fructose) proved very effective for rapidly restoring liver glycogen
7T 13C-MRS validated vs biopsies, enabling accurate non-invasive tracking of glycogen
3️⃣ Findings (1/2):
Liver glycogen fully replenished in 6 h (and exceeded baseline) with sucrose 🚀
Muscle glycogen only ~70% restored after 12 h, even with high carb intake
2️⃣ Cyclists either:
1. Recovered fasted (water/tea only)
2. Consumed 10 g carbs/kg BM (sucrose drinks at 1.2 g/kg/h for 6 h + CHO meals)
New insights into glycogen recovery in endurance athletes 🧵
1️⃣ Our new study in The Journal of Physiology tested how muscle + liver glycogen recover after exhaustive cycling in well-trained cyclists.
•Prehabilitation, especially ahead of elective procedures, may improve physical reserve and support faster recovery.
The bottom line: Preventing muscle loss in the hospital requires a multimodal approach — combining smart nutrition, physical activity, and, if needed, NMES.
•Even light physical activity, such as walking or simple bed-to-chair transfers, can help preserve muscle mass by stimulating muscle protein synthesis.
•For patients unable to move voluntarily, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has shown to preserve muscle mass.
Key takeaways:
•Physical inactivity and inadequate energy/protein intake are the primary drivers of muscle atrophy.
•Maintaining energy balance and aiming for 1–1.5 g of protein/kg/day can help mitigate muscle loss.
Our new brief review, published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, summarizes evidence-based strategies to preserve muscle mass during hospitalization.
Read the full review here:
journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnut…
Key takeaways ⬇️
Even short periods of bed rest can lead to rapid and significant muscle loss, contributing to reduced mobility, longer ICU stays, and increased risk of complications and mortality.
Illness or injury can affect any of us — and often results in hospitalization.
Yet the impact of hospital stays on muscle health is often underestimated.
⬇️
🧊 Our newest study out in MSSE!
Post-exercise cold-water immersion:
⬇️ Reduces muscle microvascular perfusion
⬇️ Lowers amino acid incorporation into muscle
🔗 Strong link between blood flow & blunted anabolic response
Led by @milanwbetz.bsky.social
🔗 journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/ab...
Our New study in EJSS!
2 weeks of bed rest causes ~5% leg muscle loss in healthy adults.
DXA, CT & MRI detect similar decline. MRI-based automated analysis offers a fast, reliable alternative to manual muscle quantification.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#musclehealth #MRI #research
Our groups new paper is now out in @expphysiol.bsky.social looking at the reliability and repeatability of total creatine levels across 3 brain regions. Take a look if interested.
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
Part of our free Thermal Physiology #ebook is this article from @casfuchs.bsky.social (@maastrichtu.bsky.social) et al., which investigates passive heat treatment effects on muscle tissue and protein synthesis!
buff.ly/48QW4tw
Download the e-book here:
buff.ly/3Wi2XyY