Mardiana, Safrina Oksidriyani, Farida Dwi Rokhmah, Miftahul Faizin, Shoofia Rihadhatul Aisy, Salsa Billa, Syifa Salsa Bila
High-intensity exercise induces substantial glycogen depletion and metabolic stress in skeletal muscle, thereby requiring appropriate nutritional strategies to facilitate recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sport gel formulations containing isolated soy protein combined with different carbohydrate sources on glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) responses following exhaustive exercise in Sprague–Dawley rats. A randomized-controlled experimental design was conducted using 24 male rats assigned to four groups receiving maltodextrin, maltodextrin + isolated soy protein, honey + isolated soy protein, or dates + isolated soy protein. Rats performed repeated high-intensity swimming sessions every two days over a 7-day intervention period. Blood samples were collected at baseline, immediately post-exercise, 3 h after exercise, and on day 7. Plasma GLUT4 concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant effects of time, treatment group, and the time × group interaction (p < 0.001). GLUT4 levels decreased markedly immediately after exercise in all groups, followed by a substantial increase during early recovery, particularly in the honey- and dates-based supplementation groups. Differences between groups were significant during the early recovery phase but not during the later stage of the intervention. These findings suggest that carbohydrate source may influence the temporal pattern of glucose transport responses during post-exercise recovery. Sport gel formulations containing natural carbohydrate sources combined with plant-based protein may support metabolic adaptation following exhaustive exercise. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag Italia S.r.l., part of Springer Nature 2026.
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
