Topic
Every study covered on this subject, newest first.
Among 5,301 US adults aged 55 and over followed for about nine years, a low-carbohydrate eating pattern tracked with lower dementia risk and a low-fat one did not. But splitting each pattern by food quality reversed the picture within it: plant based and higher quality versions tracked with less dementia, animal based and lower quality versions with more. Inherited risk did not change the pattern.
The American Journal of · Chen et al. · Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health · 7 August 2026 · PMID 42567320
A review models obligatory glucose demand across six stages of hominin evolution and argues the roughly fivefold expansion of the brain was underwritten by dietary sugars from fruit and honey rather than by meat. Its headline figures currently trace to press coverage rather than the paper itself.
Science 393(6811):574 to 581 · Brand-Miller et al. · 6 August 2026 · PMID 42561068
A conference presentation citing Gatorade Sports Science Institute data reported that 50% of female athletes surveyed consumed zero carbohydrate during training, 43% started workouts already underhydrated, and only 20% replaced sodium losses afterwards. None of the figures can yet be checked against a method section.
Badshah et al. · 4 August 2026
British sugar rationing ended abruptly in September 1953, which splits a UK Biobank birth cohort almost cleanly in two. Those conceived and born under rationing showed lower rates of several cancers decades later, and were still eating less sugar in their fifties.
Proceedings of the National · Zhu et al. · China Agricultural University · 4 August 2026 · PMID 42550905
Sixty grams of maltodextrin during hard intervals cut muscle glycogen use by about 40 percent and left the liver untouched. Adding caffeine and four other actives cancelled the sparing, because the riders simply went harder.
American Journal of Physiology · Hannon et al. · Manchester Metropolitan University · 4 August 2026 · PMID 42552237
Trained cyclists who finished a 160 minute ride 2.8% of body mass down oxidized about 16% less of the glucose they drank than when fully hydrated, with no change in gut comfort or gut barrier stress markers.
Journal of Applied Physiology · Macrae et al. · 1 August 2026 · PMID 42420769
Sixteen adults spent two separate four day blocks at the same low energy availability, once on 1.5 and once on 4.0 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram per day. The endocrine response tracked the carbohydrate, the shift in fuel use did not.
Journal of Applied Physiology · Nusser et al. · Technical University of Munich · 16 July 2026 · PMID 42461760
Among female triathletes at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championships, 6 of 23 reached the 8 to 12 g/kg carbohydrate loading guideline, with a mean intake of 6.4 g/kg. Interviews found the shortfall was not a knowledge gap.
European Journal of Sport · Fortis et al. · Liverpool John Moores University · 1 July 2026 · PMID 42274547
A systematic evaluation of the carbohydrate loading performance literature found that only two of fourteen studies were double blind and placebo controlled. Both of those also fuelled athletes during exercise, and neither found a performance benefit.
International Journal of Sport · Jones et al. · Liverpool John Moores University · 24 June 2026 · PMID 42342234
In a double blind crossover of 12 healthy adults doing four hours of simulated occupational heat stress, a 55% fructose sports drink and a matched sucrose drink produced the same rise in a kidney stress marker. A useful null on the fructose side of multi carbohydrate fueling, from a June paper.
American Journal of Physiology · Tourula et al. · 16 June 2026 · PMID 42302737
Nine well trained female cyclists were emptied of glycogen and then fed either a great deal of carbohydrate or almost none for the next day. Power at the first ventilatory threshold fell by nineteen watts, and gross cycling efficiency fell with it. The all out sprint at the end was unaffected.
European Journal of Applied · Main et al. · the Auckland University of Technology · 2 June 2026 · PMID 42228164
In a double blind crossover trial, a 2:1 glucose to fructose blend oxidized more of the ingested carbohydrate than glucose alone, and the advantage held after 48 hours on half energy intake. Better oxidation did not rescue performance after the deficit.
The Journal of Nutrition · Barney et al. · 13 May 2026 · PMID 42134413
A major review, From Metabolism to Medals, revisits contemporary carbohydrate guidelines for fueling endurance athletes during exercise, written by an author list that spans the field's main carbohydrate research groups.
Journal of Nutrition 156(5) · Morton et al. · undefined May 2026 · PMID 41759826
The only quantitative meta analysis of carbohydrate loading protocols pooled 30 studies and then tested which parts of the protocol predicted the size of the glycogen overshoot. Two variables mattered and four did not, and one of the four was maximal oxygen uptake.
Frontiers in Physiology 16:1620943 · Solem et al. · the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences · 18 August 2025 · PMID 40901614
A personalized carbohydrate test produced individual doses of 49 to 80 g per hour, averaging about 65, that matched the oxidation achieved by a generic 90 g per hour protocol with 28 percent less carbohydrate, lower perceived effort and less stomach fullness, as reported by the University of Birmingham.
Performance Nutrition 1:2 · Podlogar et al. · 9 April 2025
Thirteen world class race walkers spent five to six days on a ketogenic or a high carbohydrate diet, then everyone ate a full carbohydrate day and raced. The retooling arrived in under a week. It did not leave in a day. Carbohydrate oxidation came back to 61 and 78 percent of where it started.
The Journal of Physiology · Burke et al. · the Australian Catholic University · 19 August 2020 · PMID 32697366
Twenty nine elite race walkers trained hard for three weeks on one of three controlled diets. The ketogenic arm reached fat oxidation rates higher than any previously published. It also needed more oxygen to walk at race pace, and it was the only arm that did not improve its ten kilometre time.
The Journal of Physiology · Burke et al. · the Australian Institute of Sport · 14 February 2017 · PMID 28012184
Seven cyclists ate the same food in two different orders around an evening interval session. Going to bed with the carbohydrate already spent raised the fat side of the programme by morning, including a shift in DNA methylation. It did not raise the markers of mitochondrial building the practice is usually sold on.
Journal of Applied Physiology · Lane et al. · RMIT University · 25 June 2015 · PMID 26112242
Seven cyclists trained for five days on either a high fat or a high carbohydrate diet, then ate a full carbohydrate day. Muscle glycogen ended up identical. Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity did not. After the fat week it was lower at rest and throughout exercise, and glycogen was broken down more slowly.
American Journal of Physiology, · Stellingwerff et al. · the University of Guelph · 27 September 2005 · PMID 16188909
Seven men emptied their muscle glycogen with exhausting exercise, then ate either almost no carbohydrate or a great deal of it for two days. The high carbohydrate arm raised the glucose transporter message and lowered the message for the brake on burning carbohydrate. The low carbohydrate arm did the reverse on the fat side.
American Journal of Physiology, · Arkinstall et al. · RMIT University · 3 February 2004 · PMID 14761878
Twenty five men were put through either a depletion protocol or a taper only protocol and then fed identically for six days, with muscle glycogen measured every day by magnetic resonance. On day five the two protocols were level. On day seven the depletion group pulled ahead.
American Journal of Physiology, · Goforth et al. · the Naval Health Research Center · 5 August 2003 · PMID 12902321
Fourteen trained cyclists ate five days of high fat and five days of high carbohydrate in a crossover. Resting muscle taken after the fat diet carried more of the message for the main fatty acid transporter, and more of the transporter protein itself.
The American Journal of · Cameron-Smith et al. · Deakin University · 1 February 2003 · PMID 12540388
Eight endurance trained men ate 10 grams of high glycaemic index carbohydrate per kilogram a day and did no training. Muscle glycogen roughly doubled within 24 hours and then stopped moving, and every fibre type had already reached its ceiling.
European Journal of Applied · Bussau et al. · the University of Western Australia · 28 May 2002 · PMID 12111292
An earlier trial had reported that women could not supercompensate muscle glycogen at all. When carbohydrate was prescribed per kilogram of lean body mass instead of as a share of habitual energy intake, women loaded as well as men.
European Journal of Applied · James et al. · the University of Western Australia · 1 October 2001 · PMID 11718281
Seven well trained cyclists rode a 100 kilometre time trial twice, once after carbohydrate loading and once after a placebo controlled moderate carbohydrate diet, eating carbohydrate during both rides. Loading raised muscle glycogen significantly and did not change the time.
Journal of Applied Physiology · Burke et al. · the Australian Institute of Sport · 1 April 2000 · PMID 10749820
Trained runners went through three exercise and diet regimens before a 20.9 kilometre run. The classical severe depletion arm and a moderate carbohydrate arm reached the same muscle glycogen, and no arm produced a faster run.
International Journal of Sports · Sherman et al. · 1 May 1981 · PMID 7333741
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