Nutritional Revolution Podcast · Kyla Channell, MSc Nutrition & Human Performance

Carbs & Training Adaptations: What Athletes Need to Know with Dr. Mark Hearris

·53 min·3 clips

Protein with dual-source carbohydrate did not impair liver or muscle glycogen resynthesis.

1. Nutritional Revolution Podcast centers on carbohydrates, training adaptations, and post-exercise recovery with Dr. Mark Hearris. 2. Kyla Chanel hosts the episode, and Dr. Mark Hearris is a senior lecturer at Manchester Met University who studies exercise metabolism and nutrition. 3. The episode asks whether adding whey protein to carbohydrate recovery feeding changes glycogen storage in muscle and liver. 4. Hearris says the study came from observing endurance athletes who already consume protein in recovery. 5. He explains that protein can raise insulin, which helps store carbohydrate, and glucagon, which can push in the opposite direction. 6. The experiment used good-level cyclists who trained about 15 hours a week and arrived in the lab fasted. 7. Participants completed a glycogen-depletion session early in the morning before a five-hour recovery period. 8. During recovery they consumed 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour in either maltodextrin-only, fructose-only, 50-50, or 50-50 plus whey protein conditions. 9. The protein trial added 30 grams of whey immediately post-exercise and again three hours later. 10. A 3 Tesla MRI scanner measured muscle and liver glycogen without invasive biopsies. 11. Hearris says the scanner detects the carbon signal from glycogen and uses signal strength as the readout. 12. He notes that coils can be placed over the thigh, calf, or liver to measure glycogen across that region. 13. The main result was that adding protein did not negatively affect glycogen storage in either muscle or liver. 14. He says that matters because athletes often use recovery drinks with about 60 grams of carbohydrate and 20 to 30 grams of protein. 15. Hearris reports that fructose-containing dual-source drinks replenished liver glycogen better than maltodextrin alone. 16. He adds that maltodextrin-only feeding increased glucagon more clearly, suggesting both poorer storage and more breakdown in the liver. 17. He contrasts the recovery period with fueling during exercise, saying the hormonal response is different there. 18. The interview style is conversational and technical, with Kyla Chanel asking follow-up questions on glycogen, carb loading, and periodization. 19. Athletes with back-to-back sessions, stage races, or tournament schedules would get the most from this discussion. 20. Casual gym-goers with long recovery windows may find the level of detail less urgent.

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