Whether you’re training for a marathon or pumping iron like Arnold, intense physical activity depletes your muscles’ primary source of energy, glycogen. There’s a whole industry of post-workout supplements designed to help your muscles bounce back as quickly as possible. But according to a study recently published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, other foods--including fast food--could replenish glycogen just as efficiently as the special supplements.
In the new study, researchers tested the effects of glycogen supplements and fast food on glycogen recovery and exercise performance. But a lot of fast food includes nutritional components that can slow down glycogen replenishment, such as fat or fiber.
