Research summary · Nutrition and hydration
Environmental stress can change how exercise fuel is absorbed and used
This review examines carbohydrate consumed during exercise when athletes face environmental stress or insufficient energy availability. It considers absorption, transport and oxidation of ingested fuel, including evidence relevant to heat, cold and high altitude.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Narrative physiological review
- Journal
- Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews
- Population / context
- Endurance sport · Heat, cold and altitude exposure
What the publication reports
The reviewed evidence indicates that physiological stress can blunt the oxidation of ingested carbohydrate and reduce its ability to spare stored fuel. The article discusses why fuelling responses under demanding conditions may differ from those measured in standard laboratory settings.
Limits and interpretation
This is a synthesis of existing physiology research, not a new intervention trial or a validated universal fuelling protocol. Findings across different stressors and exposure conditions should not be assumed interchangeable; mechanistic observations alone do not identify an optimal competition intake.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Exogenous Carbohydrate Metabolism Under Energy Deficit and Environmental Stress
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42841769DOI: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000397Reader discussion
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