Carbohydrates = Energy

Let’s begin with the bottom line and build our way up: carbohydrates supply us with our most important tool – energy and fuel to power our exercise. Carbohydrates can be readily available for use when carbohydrate-rich foods are broken down into glucose or stored in our muscles and liver as glycogen.

What’s so important about energy? 

Your body needs fuel to function, even at rest. This helps your organs to operate, body to regulate, and brain to function. Athletes and individuals with active lifestyles require more carbohydrates to make the most out of exercise sessions and optimize performance.

Athletes cannot train or perform well without having enough carbohydrates to fuel exercise. This is because carbohydrates provide about 50% of the energy an individual needs for moderate-intensity activity and up to 100% of the energy needed for high-intensity activity.

How many carbohydrates do physically active individuals need? 

Experts in nutrition recommend that athletes, based on their level of exercise, consume 5 to 12 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight.   For a 65 kg athlete (about 143 lb), this equates to approximately 325 to 725 grams of carbohydrate per day!

What foods contain carbohydrates? 

Carbohydrates should come from nutrient-rich foods, containing vitamins and minerals that support energy production, recovery, bone health, immunity, oxygen delivery, fluid balance among many other important roles.

3 Types of Dietary Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are fuel, however, not all carbohydrates are created equally. There are 3 different types of carbohydrates that offer different benefits to your body and, therefore, can be utilized at different times and places.

1. Sugar

• Sugar can be naturally occurring in food, such as the sweetness of fruits, or added, like the sugar you’d use in your brownie recipe.
• Benefit: Sugars are fast acting. They provide energy that can be enacted quickly but not for long durations of time.
• It is best to choose foods with naturally occurring sugars such as fruits, vegetables, and plain low-fat milk or yogurt, which are also rich in vitamins and minerals.

2. Starch

• Starchy carbohydrates include whole grain breads, cereal, rice, pasta, oats, barley, whole grain rice, beans, lentils, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, peas, and corn.
• Benefits: Starchy carbohydrates provide us with longer-lasting energy.
• According to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, at least half of all grains consumed should come from whole grain products. This is because whole grains include the outer layer of the grain (the bran), that provides fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, and the next layer (the germ), which includes fatty acids and vitamin E. These nutrients are removed when eating a refined grain.

3. Fiber

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes contain an indigestible component called fiber.
• Benefits: Fiber is crucial for digestive health and also contributes to satiation (feelings of fullness).