ABSTRACT
Carbohydrate availability may influence not only the performance of prolonged exercise, but also the performance of high-intensity exercise (such as resistance training). Carbohydrates are the only macronutrient whose stored energy generates adenosine triphosphate (ATP) anaerobically, which becomes important during maximal exercise that requires immediate energy release above levels supplied by aerobic metabolism. As an example, heavy-resistance exercise (an anaerobic activity) relies on carbohydrates as the primary nutrient to fuel the activity (Bloomer 2005; Binzen, Swan, and Manore 2001). Also, postexercise carbohydrate ingestion decreases skeletal muscle breakdown and amplifies the anabolic signaling pathways in skeletal muscle by virtue of carbohydrate’s effects on secreting insulin. Both of these aspects of carbohydrate intake as it relates to optimizing resistance-training adaptations will be discussed in the following chapter.
