Evidence and references
Every recommendation in the lab comes from these peer-reviewed sources. The ranges are general guidance for healthy athletes and teach the principles; they are not individual prescriptions.
How the lab sets its numbers
| Recommendation | Range used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid refuel (under 8 h to next session) | 1.0–1.2 g carbohydrate/kg/hour for up to 4 h | Naderi et al., 2025 |
| Daily carbohydrate by training load | 3–5, 5–7, 6–10, 8–12 g/kg/day | Naderi et al., 2025 |
| Carbohydrate plus protein | 0.8 g/kg/h carbohydrate + 0.3 g/kg/h protein | Naderi et al., 2025 |
| Protein per meal and per day | 0.3–0.4 g/kg per meal; 1.2–2.0 g/kg/day | Mănescu et al., 2026; Naderi et al., 2025 |
| Fluid replacement | 125–150% of body mass lost | Naderi et al., 2025 |
| Timing matters most with short recovery | Under about 8 h | Cheng et al., 2025; Naderi et al., 2025 |
| Functional foods and supplements | Food first; targeted use in context | Farzana et al., 2026; Wang et al., 2024 |
| Young athletes | Food first; energy for growth | Vicente, 2026 |
References
- Cheng, G., Zhang, Z., Shi, Z., & Qiu, Y. (2025). An investigation into how the timing of nutritional supplements affects the recovery from post-exercise fatigue: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12, 1567438. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1567438
- Farzana, H. R., Vigriawan, G. E., Santini, A., & Nurkolis, F. (2026). From macronutrients to functional foods: Nutritional strategies for recovery following high-intensity exercise. Food Science & Nutrition, 14(9), e72331. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.72331
- Mănescu, D. C., Cerullo, G., Petri, C., Petcu, C., Bidiugan, R., Voinea, A., Bidiugan, S., Iacobini, A. R., Dragomir, A., Gavrilă, A. A., Alexandrescu, R., Băltărețu, C., & Petre, R. L. (2026). Nutritional strategies for recovery–adaptation coupling after exercise: From muscle damage to performance remodeling. Nutrients, 18(15), 2523. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18152523
- Naderi, A., Rothschild, J. A., Santos, H. O., Hamidvand, A., Koozehchian, M. S., Ghazzagh, A., Berjisian, E., & Podlogar, T. (2025). Nutritional strategies to improve post-exercise recovery and subsequent exercise performance: A narrative review. Sports Medicine, 55(7), 1559–1577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02213-6
- Vicente, F. (2026). Fueling the future: Advances in sports nutrition for young athletes. Nutrients, 18(14), 2327. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18142327
- Wang, L., Meng, Q., & Su, C.-H. (2024). From food supplements to functional foods: Emerging perspectives on post-exercise recovery nutrition. Nutrients, 16(23), 4081. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234081