Macronutrients : CARBS

Carbohydrates have been getting a bad rep lately throughout the Health and Fitness space. Many people are buying into the idea that Carbs make you fat and with them, weight loss cannot be obtained. It seems like every company has a 'Keto' product or some sort of marketing plan to sway people into going 'Anti-Carb'. Whether Solid or Liquid form, one the reasons for this is that Carbs are normally very tasteful, easy to find and very easy to over indulge in and make your calorie intake go overboard.

I have never been one to totally bash diet plans of any sort, because if something like Keto or any other diet program works for you, then great! Sustainability is the number one goal when finding a plan. Although, if your body can process and use Carbs efficiently, then I would highly recommend using Carbohydrates to your advantage.

DIGESTION / USAGE

As soon as Carbs go into our mouths, they begin to be broken down and eventually sent into the bloodstream as Glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the preferred energy source for the body during an exercise activity and the process of metabolizing Carbohydrates into Glucose can happen in a few different ways. These include Glycogenesis, Glycogenolysis, Glycolysis, Krebs Cycle, and Gluconeogenesis. Once Carbohydrate reserves in the Muscles and Liver are full, any excess your body does not need will be stored as energy (Fat) for later use. The insulin our body releases in our bloodstream in response to the sugar, acts as a 'key' through the cell wall which allows other nutrients to be brought into the cell as part of the recovery process.

Carbs are non-essential in the human diet, but will fuel your body for training sessions and fill your muscles back up with Glycogen once depleted after the workout session. This is why I center most of my Carb intake for the day around my training/most active times of the day.

I recommend anywhere between 20 grams -45 grams of Carbs 15 minutes - 30 minutes before a training session. Post-Workout, when Carbs are depleted, anywhere from 60 grams - 90 grams taken with a sufficient Protein source would be a great start.

However not all Carbs are created equally. While all carbs eaten eventually turn into sugar, they do so at different rates. These rates are defined as their 'Glycemic Index' and can be searched for on Google! Any further questions feel free to reach out to me at any time.