Energy balance
Female endurance athletes can achieve muscle glycogen supracompensation comparable to men by increasing total energy intake alongside high carbohydrate intake, whereas increasing carbohydrate percentage alone is insufficient.
If you are a female endurance athlete, simply increasing the percentage of carbs in your diet (e.g., to 75%) may not increase your muscle glycogen stores because your total calorie intake is likely too low. To maximize glycogen stores, you must increase your TOTAL energy intake alongside the high carbohydrate diet. This allows you to consume enough absolute carbohydrates (approx. 8-10 g/kg body weight) to trigger supracompensation, matching male responses.
The novel finding was that the women were able to increase their muscle glycogen stores by a magnitude that was similar to that seen for men in response to a higher energy and carbohydrate intake.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with small sample size (n=12) but rigorous dietary control and biochemical analysis.
Source
Gender differences in carbohydrate loading are related to energy intake
Mark A. Tarnopolsky et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2001
DOI 10.1152/jappl.2001.91.1.225
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