Carbs To Power Your Bench Press

Endurance athletes typically have a lot of experience fueling performance with carbohydrates. That’s not usually the case with bodybuilders. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition gave 7 adults varying levels of carbs while they engaged in a strength and conditioning program designed for college athletes.
 
Subjects received an amino acid and electrolyte supplement or the same supplement with a 2:1 ratio of glucose to fructose at levels of 15, 30 or 60 grams per hour. The workout consisted of sprints, full body resistance training, 2-foot line jumps and 137 meter shuttle runs.
 
Carbs helped subjects perform more reps to failure on the bench press. There was a significant difference between subjects who drank the amino acid and electrolyte supplement and the one that delivered 15 grams of carbs per hour. Higher doses of carbohydrates didn’t further improve performance, supporting the concept that more isn’t necessarily better.