Post Exercise Energy Repletion

Glucose the energy source for muscle and the brain, is stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen. Glycogen is a readily available energy source, and it is easily depleted during exercise. Normal meal feedings will not restore glycogen levels between bouts of exercise on consecutive days.

This means that as you start each subsequent day's work, you are starting with less stored glycogen than the day before. To maximize endurance, you can take steps to restore glycogen supplies.

It turns out that the muscle cells are very receptive to glycogen following exercise, so immediate post-exercise carbohydrate supplementation can lead to replacement of 50 percent of depleted glycogen in the first four hours of recovery, and nearly complete recovery after 24 hours. In contrast, only 75-80 percent will occur after 24 when only normal meals are fed.

Maltodextrin mixed with water is used for post-exercise carbohydrate repletion. It is recommended mixing about one ounce (a heaping 1/3 cup) of maltodextrin per 40 pounds of body weight mixed with two cups water. This supplementation must occur within 30 minutes, and preferably within 15 minutes, after exercise.