Energy balance
High-volume resistance training (>10 sets per muscle group) performed in a fasted state may benefit from acute carbohydrate supplementation compared to fasting or non-caloric placebo, likely due to glycogen sparing effects.
If you do a very high-volume leg or back session (e.g., 15+ sets) and you train fasted, consider eating carbohydrates before or during the workout. It will likely help you get more reps or sets. If you train fed, or do low volume, you don't need to worry about pre-workout carbs.
Performance during higher volumes may benefit from carbohydrates... Positive findings of carbohydrate intake compared to fasting are not necessarily indicative of a metabolic advantage... Positive effects of carbohydrate intake were more prevalent when compared to fasts of four or more hours... In studies with performance tests consisting of more than 10 sets per muscle group (11–17 sets), significant positive effects of higher carbohydrate intake... were observed in three studies
Why this rating
Based on a subset of studies, many of which used non-isocaloric controls (fasting vs. feeding), making it hard to isolate the carb effect from the caloric effect.
Source
The Effect of Carbohydrate Intake on Strength and Resistance Training Performance: A Systematic Review
Menno Henselmans et al. · Nutrients · 2022
DOI 10.3390/nu14040856
More from this paper
- In strength-trained individuals, acute carbohydrate intake does not improve resistance training performance (repetitions to failure or total volume) when compared to a fed state with a 2-5 hour post-prandial window, provided the workout volume is moderate (≤10 sets per muscle group).Good
- Long-term carbohydrate manipulation (weeks to months) does not influence strength gains or hypertrophy in strength-trained individuals, provided total caloric and protein intake are adequate.Good
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