Research

Hormonal

Ingestion of 100g carbohydrates post-resistance exercise improves net muscle protein balance primarily by reducing protein breakdown, but this effect is minor, delayed, and fails to achieve positive net synthesis compared to amino acid ingestion.

Eating 100g of carbohydrates after resistance training helps your muscles retain protein by slowing down breakdown, largely through an insulin response. However, this effect is small and slow compared to eating protein. Do not rely on carbs alone for muscle growth; they are a supportive tool, not a primary driver of synthesis.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
The improved net balance in CHO was due primarily to a progressive decrease in muscle protein breakdown. We conclude that ingestion of carbohydrates improved net leg protein balance after resistance exercise. However, the effect was minor and delayed compared with the previously reported effect of ingestion of amino acids.
Elisabet Børsheim et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2004

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with stable isotope tracing and direct measurement of leg blood flow and amino acid kinetics.

Source

Effect of carbohydrate intake on net muscle protein synthesis during recovery from resistance exercise

Elisabet Børsheim et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2004

DOI 10.1152/japplphysiol.00333.2003

rct · n=16Cited 233×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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