How Carbs Affect an Athlete's Performance
Introduction:
Consuming carbohydrates during exercise lasting longer than 60 minutes ensures that the muscles receive adequate amounts of energy, especially during some of the later stages of the workout as it gives athletes a boost of more energy to achieve their workout goals. But we wonder how this phenomenon occurs and what good or bad carbohydrates help our body work efficiently.
What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of the main three nutrient food groups found in foods and drinks which in turn all three have a major effect on how our body functions in our everyday lives. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose which is a blood sugar your body takes in to survive. Glucose is our body's main source of energy for our body's cells, tissues, and other vital organs. During digestion, sugars and starches are broken down into simple sugars. They’re then absorbed into the bloodstream. Extra glucose can be stored in the liver, muscles, and other cells for later use. However, some carbs are known to be “bad” and “good” for the body.
The difference between “Good” & “Bad” carbs:
Good carbs like whole grains, brown rice, and legumes, don’t raise blood glucose quickly which are considered as being complex carbs, promoting a healthy digestive system and metabolism. Bad carbs, such as white bread, cookies, and sugary sodas cause blood glucose to rise quickly and can harm and slow down your digestive system and metabolism.
Good Carbs:
Unprocessed whole grains like buckwheat, quinoa, barley, bulgur, and oats
Whole wheat and whole grain breads
Brown rice
Whole wheat pasta
Vegetables
Beans, lentils, dried peas
Whole grain cereals that are 100% bran
Nuts
Seeds
Fruits
Oatmeal
Popcorn
Black rice
Bad Carbs:
Sugary drinks like sodas and juices
White bread
Pasta
French fries and potato chips
Cookies, cakes, and pastries
Candy
Chocolate
Ice cream
White rice
Candy
Sweetened yogurt
Muffins
Choosing the carbs you eat and the effect on your body:
Eating fiber-rich fruits and vegetables - aim for whole and fresh fruits and vegetables without any added sugars. These whole fruits and veggies have many health benefits as fiber helps you maintain blood sugar, healthy gut health, prevent heart disease, healthy bowel movements, reduce risk of diabetes, and heart health
Choosing whole grains - whole grains are a better source than refined grains of fiber and other important nutrients, such as B vitamins. Refined grains go through a process that strips out part of the grain – along with some of the nutrients and fiber that your body needs to stabilize cholesterol levels, weight management, lowering insulin levels, creating a feeling of fullness/satisfaction, and blood pressure.
Sticking to low-fat dairy products - Milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products are good sources of calcium, protein, vitamin D, potassium, and other vitamins and minerals. These help for stronger bones and teeth, healthy blood pressure, and some amounts of vitamins A and D
Eat more beans, lentils, and peas - Beans, lentils, and peas are among the most versatile and nutritious of foods as they are typically low in fat and high in folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They are an amazing source of protein and digestion and can be a healthy substitute for meat which has more saturated fat and cholesterol
Limiting added sugars - Added sugar is not harmful in small amounts. However, there are no health benefits of added sugar which are in things like cookies and pastries. They are considered a “bad” source of carbs due to the harmful impacts it has on your gut, digestion, and overall metabolism making you feel drowsy and not as energized as compared to a “good” carb.
Why You Need Carbs if You Are Active:
Carbohydrates fuel the brain and muscles
Carbs are the main source of energy for our brains and are the fastest way for our bodies to produce energy. Carbs act as if they were fuel for a car.
Prevent muscle breakdown
By eating enough carbohydrates throughout the day, protein can do its main job: repair and build muscle tissue. If we limit carbohydrates, protein will be needed as an energy source and not utilized to build lean muscles. While it can be very common to see in sports that athletes only consume protein after a workout, a combination of proteins plus carbs is the key to a good recovery after an injury or intense workout
Carbohydrates before a workout can boost your energy
Fueling up with carbs 1-2 hours before exercise can help maintain optimal levels of blood glucose for our muscles. Choosing pre-workout snacks that are easy to digest such as bananas, English muffins with jam, or granola bars are all great sources of carbs.
Carbohydrates accelerate recovery:
Consuming carbohydrates after exercise helps replenish the energy stored that was just utilized during strenuous exercise. Muscles need protein and carbohydrates to properly recover and become stronger. Research has shown that there's a positive relationship between ingesting carbohydrates quickly and the rate of glycogen restoration in the first few hours following exercise. This is because the muscle is primed at this time by your prior exercise to rapidly uptake glucose.
Sources:
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