Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39352665›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2025

Responses to Exercise with Low Carbohydrate Availability on Muscle Glycogen and Cell Signaling: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Javier Diaz-Lara, Gorka Prieto-Bellver, Amelia Guadalupe-Grau, David J Bishop

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
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.

Javier Diaz-LaraPerformance and Sport Rehabilitation Laboratory, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071, Toledo, Spain. javier.diazlara@uclm.es.ORCID 0000-0003-1970-6313
Gorka Prieto-BellverPerformance and Sport Rehabilitation Laboratory, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071, Toledo, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-0166-0695
Amelia Guadalupe-GrauGENUD Toledo Research Group, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071, Toledo, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-2573-4572
David J BishopInstitute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6956-9188

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe growing interest in how exercise and carbohydrate (CHO) restriction may modify molecular responses that promote endurance adaptations has led to many interesting controversies.

objectiveWe conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis regarding the effect of low-carbohydrate availability (LOW) pre-, during, or post-exercise, on the mRNA content of commonly measured genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α, TFAM mRNA) and metabolism (PDK4, UCP3 and GLUT4 mRNA), and on muscle glycogen levels, compared with a high-CHO (CON) condition.

methodsMEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines (with an end date of November 2023). In total, 19 randomized-controlled studies were considered for inclusion. We evaluated the methodological quality of all studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized clinical studies. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD), estimated by Hedges' g, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

resultsThe LOW condition was associated with an increased mRNA content of several genes during the early recovery period post-exercise, such as PDK4 (SMD 1.61; 95% CI 0.80-2.42), GLUT4 (SMD 1.38; 95% CI 0.46-2.30), and UCP3 (SMD 2.05; 95% CI 0.40-3.69). However, overall, there was no significant effect on the mRNA content of PGC-1α or TFAM. Finally, CHO restriction and exercise significantly reduced muscle glycogen levels (SMD 3.69; 95% CI 2.82-5.09). A meta-analysis of subgroups from studies with a difference in muscle glycogen concentration of > 200 mmol kg dw

conclusionThe meta-analysis results show that CHO restriction was associated with an increase in the exercise-induced mRNA content of PDK4, UCP3, and GLUT4, but not the exercise-induced mRNA content of PGC-1ɑ and TFAM. However, when there were substantial differences in glycogen depletion between CON and LOW CHO conditions (> 200 mmol kg dw

Indexed as

Dietary CarbohydratesDiet, Carbohydrate-RestrictedExerciseGlycogenMuscle, SkeletalSignal TransductionDNA-Binding ProteinsGlucose Transporter Type 4HumansMitochondrial ProteinsOrganelle BiogenesisPeroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alphaPyruvate Dehydrogenase Acetyl-Transferring KinaseRNA, MessengerTranscription FactorsUncoupling Protein 3Dietary CarbohydratesDNA-Binding ProteinsGlucose Transporter Type 4GlycogenMitochondrial ProteinsPDK4 protein, humanPeroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alphaPPARGC1A protein, humanPyruvate Dehydrogenase Acetyl-Transferring KinaseRNA, MessengerSLC2A4 protein, humanTFAM protein, humanTranscription FactorsUCP3 protein, humanUncoupling Protein 3

Identifiers

PMID39352665

What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.