Blonyx Research Update: The Science of Carb Loading, Seaweed’s Potential for Athletes, and Creatine for Teens

The Sweet Spot for Maximizing Your Glycogen Stores

This study examined how different carbohydrate intakes affected muscle glycogen storage, gastrointestinal comfort, and body composition in endurance-trained athletes preparing for competition. Participants consumed between 6–12g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per day. Researchers found that muscle glycogen stores increased as carbohydrate intake increased, with the highest glycogen levels occurring at approximately 10g/kg per day. Importantly, increasing intake beyond this level provided little additional benefit. Athletes generally tolerated the higher carbohydrate intakes well, with gastrointestinal symptoms remaining manageable despite the substantial amount of food required.

Read more about carb loading or why 2:1 glucose-to-fructose has become the standard ratio in endurance nutrition

My thoughts: We all know about carb loading, but what should that actually look like? This study suggests around 10 g/kg body weight per day is the sweet spot for maximizing glycogen stores before competition. For many athletes, that's a lot more carbohydrate than they realize. The next question should be whether this translates into meaningful improvements in race-day performance, because ultimately that's what athletes care about most.

Seaweed Could Be the Next Sports Nutrition Trend

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated studies investigating seaweed and microalgae supplements and their effects on exercise performance and recovery. Researchers found modest improvements in endurance performance, oxygen efficiency, and some recovery markers, particularly in aerobic exercise settings. However, results were inconsistent across studies, with benefits varying depending on the supplement used, dosage, training status, and exercise type. The authors concluded that while the findings are promising, the evidence remains limited and more high-quality studies are needed before strong recommendations can be made.

My thoughts: Seaweed? What next? Sports nutrition is always looking for the next ingredient that might offer a performance advantage. Some seaweeds and microalgae contain nitrates, antioxidants, and other compounds that could plausibly benefit athletes. The challenge is that "seaweed" covers a huge range of different species and products, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Interesting findings, but I'd like to see much more research before putting it alongside supplements with stronger evidence behind them like creatine, dietary nitrates, protein, HMB, and tart cherry juice.

Is Creatine Monohydrate Safe for Teen Athletes?

This review examined five studies involving adolescent athletes and physically active youth who supplemented with creatine monohydrate. Researchers evaluated markers of kidney function, liver health, cardiometabolic risk, and adverse events. Across studies lasting from several weeks to several months, creatine supplementation was well tolerated, with no meaningful negative effects on kidney function, liver enzymes, blood markers, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar control, or other health measures. One long-term observational study following adolescents into adulthood also found no association between creatine use and future cardiometabolic health risks. No serious adverse events attributable to creatine supplementation were reported. 

My thoughts: Creatine is widely available on the market without restriction and I'm sure there are adolescent athletes who have been taking it for years. It's also naturally present in foods, especially meat and fish, so I'm not surprised it appears to be well tolerated by younger people. The main limitation is that there still aren't many long-term studies in healthy adolescent athletes, but the evidence we do have continues to support creatine's strong safety profile.