Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27408608›Full record

SynthesisJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition2016

A systematic review and meta-analysis of carbohydrate benefits associated with randomized controlled competition-based performance trials.

Martin Pöchmüller, Lukas Schwingshackl, Paolo C Colombani, Georg Hoffmann

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Martin PöchmüllerDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14 (UZAII), A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
Lukas SchwingshacklGerman Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, D-14558 Nuthetal, Germany.
Paolo C ColombaniSwiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen (SFISM), CH-2532 Magglingen, Switzerland.
Georg HoffmannDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14 (UZAII), A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
University of Vienna · ATGerman Institute of Human Nutrition · DESwiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen SFISM · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCarbohydrate supplements are widely used by athletes as an ergogenic aid before and during sports events. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at synthesizing all available data from randomized controlled trials performed under real-life conditions.

methodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched systematically up to February 2015. Study groups were categorized according to test mode and type of performance measurement. Subgroup analyses were done with reference to exercise duration and range of carbohydrate concentration. Random effects and fixed effect meta-analyses were performed using the Software package by the Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager 5.3.

resultsTwenty-four randomized controlled trials met the objectives and were included in the present systematic review, 16 of which provided data for meta-analyses. Carbohydrate supplementations were associated with a significantly shorter exercise time in groups performing submaximal exercise followed by a time trial [mean difference -0.9 min (95 % confidence interval -1.7, -0.2), p = 0.02] as compared to controls. Subgroup analysis showed that improvements were specific for studies administering a concentration of carbohydrates between 6 and 8 % [mean difference -1.0 min (95 % confidence interval -1.9, -0.0), p = 0.04]. Concerning groups with submaximal exercise followed by a time trial measuring power accomplished within a fixed time or distance, mean power output was significantly higher following carbohydrate load (mean difference 20.2 W (95 % confidence interval 9.0, 31.5), p = 0.0004]. Likewise, mean power output was significantly increased following carbohydrate intervention in groups with time trial measuring power within a fixed time or distance (mean difference 8.1 W (95 % confidence interval 0.5, 15.7) p = 0.04].

conclusionDue to the limitations of this systematic review, results can only be applied to a subset of athletes (trained male cyclists). For those, we could observe a potential ergogenic benefit of carbohydrate supplementation especially in a concentration range between 6 and 8 % when exercising longer than 90 min.

Indexed as

AthletesAthletic PerformanceBicyclingDietary CarbohydratesDietary SupplementsExerciseHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSports Nutritional Physiological PhenomenaDietary CarbohydratesCarbohydrate supplementationErgogenic effectsExerciseMeta-analysisSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID27408608
PMCPMC4940907
OpenAlexW2461539100

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.