Slow muscle glycogen restoration after soccer?

How long does it take to fully recover muscle glycogen following a soccer game?

Carbohydrate is the main energy source during soccer. Carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen. However, only relatively small amounts of glycogen can be stored. Therefore, glycogen stores may become depleted during exercise and not fully recovered before the next game.

This study examined muscle glycogen levels in the days after a high-level soccer game. The players were put on a carbohydrate-rich diet and were supplemented with creatine to optimise muscle glycogen restoration. Muscle glycogen was measured in muscle biopsy samples, obtained at 24, 48 and 72 h after the soccer game. In addition, a control biopsy was taken several days before or after the game to assess full muscle glycogen stores.

Muscle glycogen levels were depleted by ~57% immediately after the game. Muscle glycogen levels were still ~27% and ~8% lower at 24 h and 48 h after the game, respectively. At 72 h after the game, muscle glycogen levels were fully restored.

Interestingly, this is much longer than the ~24 hours that are required to restore fully depleted muscle glycogen stores after cycling. This difference may be explained by the higher muscle damage that is caused by soccer when compared to cycling, which can impair muscle glycogen recovery. 

Study:
Krustrup et al. Maximal voluntary contraction force, SR function and glycogen resynthesis during the first 72 h after a high-level competitive soccer game. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2011

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