index enter the bloodstream relatively rapidly,
resulting in a high rate of glycogen storage.
Foods with a low glycaemic index enter the
bloodstream slowly and result in a lower rate of
glycogen resynthesis. Therefore it is recom-
mended that low glycaemic index foods should
not comprise the bulk of CHO after exercise
when a quick recovery is required.
Timing of CHO intake
During the first hours following exercise, glyco-
gen resynthesis proceeds at a somewhat higher
rate than later on (Ivyet al.1988a). Therefore, in
cases of short recovery times, CHO intake should
take place immediately after exercise. Although
this can maximize the rate of glycogen resynthe-
sis in the early phase, the full process of glycogen
storage still takes considerable time. Depending
on the degree of glycogen depletion and the
type of meals consumed, it may take 10–36 h to
refill the glycogen stores to pre-exercise values.
Therefore, it is impossible to perform two or
more workouts per day without affecting the
initial glycogen stores. Even when CHO intake
between training bouts or competitions is very
high, the muscle glycogen levels will be subopti-
mal when the next activity is started within
8–16 h.
The rate at which fluid balance can be restored
depends on (i) the quantity of fluid consumed
and (ii) the composition of the fluid, especially
the sodium content. Recent studies show that
the postexercise fluid retention approximates
50% when the fluid that is consumed is low in
sodium. This is the case with most tap and
mineral waters as well as fruit juices. After the
consumption of carbohydrate–electrolyte solu-
tions containing 25–100 mmol · l–1 sodium, the
water retention may be as high as 70–80%
(Maughan & Leiper 1995; Shirreffset al.1996).
From these findings, it can also be concluded
that, in order to restore fluid balance, the postex-
ercise fluid consumption must be considerably
higher (150–200%) than the amount of fluid lost
as sweat.
Practical considerations
Usually, appetite is suppressed after exercise and
there is a preference for drinking fluids rather
than eating a meal. Therefore, beverages which
contain high-glycaemic-index CHO sources in
sufficient quantity (6 g · 100 ml–1or more) should
be made available.
If preferred, the athlete may also ingest
easily digestible solid CHO-rich food such as
ripe banana, rice cake and sweets. When the
desire for normal meals returns, approximately
10 g CHO · kg–1 body weight of moderate- to
high-glycaemic-index CHO sources should be
eaten within 24 h. This can easily be realized by
consuming foods that are low in fat. For practical
reasons, a certain amount of low-glycaemic CHO
cannot be excluded from the diet.
Sleeping hours interrupt the feeding possibili-
ties. Therefore, it is recommended to ingest an
amount of CHO prior to sleeping which is suffi-
cient to supply the required 25 g · h–1(e.g. 250 g
for a 10-h period).Guidelines for postexercise nutrition
1 To maximize glycogen storage, it is recom-
mended to ingest 100 g CHO during the first 2 h
after exercise in the form of liquids or easily
digestible solid or semisolid meals. In total,
about 10 g CHO · kg–1body weight should be
eaten within 24 h, with two thirds of this prefer-
ably as high glycaemic index foods.
2 It is recommended to consume CHO sources
with moderate to high glycaemic index to hasten
recovery.
3 Addition of 25–100 mmol · l–1sodium to post-
exercise rehydration beverages improves fluid
retention and the recovery of fluid balance.Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Dr G. Leinders
and the Rabobank professional cycling team for
their friendly co-operation.