Curriculum
Neuroscience, Technology and Society, XXXIX series
Grant sponsor
MUR PNRR DM 117 and Akern S.r.l.
Supervisor

Antonio Paoli
Co-supervisor
s
TBD
Contact
davide.charrier@studenti.unipd.it

Project description
The determination of intramuscular glycogen concentration plays a significant role in the field of sports nutrition, both due to its utilization as an energy substrate during athletic performances and its regulatory function in metabolism and muscle adaptation. Glycogen levels undergo considerable variations depending on exercise duration, type, training status, and diet. Maintaining adequate glycogen levels allows for sustaining intense efforts, preventing early onset of fatigue, promoting adaptation, and aiding recovery. At present, the reference method for assessing muscle glycogen concentration involves the collection of biopsy samples followed by subsequent analysis. However, this methodology, while considered the reference, presents limitations due to its invasiveness, rendering it impractical for application in athletes. Previous research, conducted both on animal models and humans, has documented that the increase in muscle glycogen following a high-carbohydrate diet, commonly known as carbohydrate loading, is concomitant with an increase in body water by approximately 2.7-4.0 g per gram of glycogen, primarily attributable to intracellular water. These findings suggest a consistent relationship between glycogen and intracellular water, thereby allowing the application of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) technologies within this context, owing to their capacity to detect changes in body hydration status. The GLYCOLAB project aims to develop and validate a specific algorithm for assessing muscle glycogen by bioimpedance analysis, using biopsy sample analysis as the reference method for measuring muscle glycogen concent.