Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42828472›Full record

SynthesisScandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports2026

Dietary Carbohydrate Intake and Skeletal Muscle Glycogen: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis to Determine Optimal Carbohydrate Loading Strategies.

R O Jones, J L Areta, H O Fortis, J Pugh, J B Louis

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

5 authors.

R O JonesResearch Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences (RISES), Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1349-2361
J L AretaResearch Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences (RISES), Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6918-1223
H O FortisResearch Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences (RISES), Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8012-9871
J PughResearch Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences (RISES), Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5930-4709
J B LouisResearch Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences (RISES), Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9109-0958

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A high dietary carbohydrate intake in the days pre-competition is recommended to optimize glycogen stores for endurance exercise performance. However, previous reports show high variability in muscle glycogen concentrations between individuals following similar CHO intakes. Therefore, the amount of CHO, duration, and amount of exercise required to maximize glycogen stores pre-competition remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the relationship between dietary CHO availability and skeletal muscle glycogen, whilst identifying the effect of other covariates on muscle glycogen concentration. The analysis included trials (randomized or non-randomized from five online databases) published until June 2026, that reported CHO intake and exercise for ≥ 24 h prior to collection of muscle samples using biopsies to measure skeletal muscle glycogen. Included studies were assessed descriptively and quantitatively using linear and non-linear regression, and generic inverse-variance random-effects meta-analyses, including subgroups to investigate heterogeneity. Descriptive synthesis included 63 trials (n = 641 participants), 18 were included within the meta-analysis. Exploratory linear regression indicated a significant relationship between relative CHO intake and whole muscle glycogen for recreationally active (r

Indexed as

Dietary CarbohydratesDiet, Carbohydrate LoadingGlycogenMuscle, SkeletalExerciseHumansPhysical EnduranceDietary CarbohydratesGlycogen

Identifiers

PMID42828472
PMCPMC13633599

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.