All carbohydrates are not created equal

Athletes, endurance athletes and active people need more protein and carbohydrates, but there is still a debate about how many carbohydrates are needed.

Carbohydrates are not your enemy; they provide energy for biological functions. However, not all carbohydrates are equal. They range from monosaccharides or simple sugars, basic components of all carbohydrate chains, to polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are a major source of natural energy, and simple sugars, because of their rapid absorption and digestion, can trigger and cause an increase in insulin levels. With complex carbohydrates, there are enzymes that will break down these types of foods.

In both cases, we store energy in our muscles and our liver in the form of glycogen. Glycogen is the reason why some endurance athletes need carbohydrates before and, in some cases, after, for sports performance. They try to store more energy, so that their cells can break down these stored polysaccharides and have glucose to metabolize.

But here's the real catch: we can only store a lot of energy, and the excess glucose will be stored as energy fat. It 's there that carbohydrate hysteria began when people were sold to the idea that too much carbohydrate will make you fat.

That's why people started consuming carbs and low carbohydrate diets to avoid producing fat molecules, even though carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates, are healthy.

While it is true that we can survive without dietary carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates can promote constant energy production, provide a constant source of energy to your brain, limit starvation reactions and, with healthy fats, reduce the feeling of hunger.

In addition, complex natural and water-based carbohydrates contain essential fiber for a healthy, balanced diet, providing stool bulk and lowering LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels. Fiber is your friend and carbs are your friend. Eliminating complex carbohydrates from your "diet" can be complicated.

However, if you are an athlete, especially an endurance athlete, your relationship with carbohydrates and fat loss needs to be closely monitored. You have three options that are available to you:

1. ingest all the carbohydrates you think you need to perform and use ingested carbohydrates and stored glycogen;

2. Make use of stored fat by becoming a fat-adapted athlete;

3. Combinations of the two.

Before going any further, what you need to understand, is the quick and easy measurement of whether you are consuming too much energy for your performance. If there are no medical complications and you gain weight, you ingest more calories than your performance requires.

It may seem simple for most, but with the pressures that competitive amateur or professional athletes and all the voices in their lives face, it can become quite complex.

Any feeling of decreased performance is perceived as an attempt at weight loss, insufficient energy intake, but perhaps other problems such as stress, physical fatigue, sleep, mental or emotional fatigue. .

Sometimes eating excessively can be energizing, not because of the energy needed, but rather because of the emotional comfort it provides, and this is more likely to be seen in athletes struggling with weight gain problems. fat. Do not forget that if you eat for your activity and your weight increases, you ingest more energy than your body needs.

With regard to the fat adaptation solution, a growing number of studies show that low-carb endurance athletes (and not without carbs) burn more fat and that many produce better performance than their counterparts loaded with carbohydrates. However, I will set aside the discussion on the fat-adapted solution for another time, as this will require more attention.

So, for our endurance athletes who are loading carbohydrates, how much carbohydrate is recommended? If you get unique recommendations, such as "you need 500 grams of carbohydrates", think back to your source, your needs largely depend on your weight, gender, age and other individual factors.

It is also worth keeping in mind that distance athletes have optimized glycogen stores and can store between 1,700 and 2,000 calories of glycogen. When you consider that runners can metabolize about 100 calories per mile, stores can easily be exhausted at around 18 or 20 miles, which is usually great for half marathon runners.

Some endurance athletes recommended in relation to body weight and carbohydrate needs for a sustainable activity:

• Less than one hour: 2.3 to 3.3 grams per kilogram of body weight;

• One to four hours: 3.2 to 4.5 grams per kilogram of body weight;

• More than four to five hours: 4.4 to 5.5 grams per kilogram of body weight.

In other words, for a three-hour run, a 150-pound runner can ingest about 480 grams of carbohydrate, or 1,920 calories. This equates to 20 cups of potatoes or 32 slices of bread. In addition, for post-workout recovery, 0.5 to 0.7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight is recommended, plus protein.

Now, if you have fat loss goals, you may find that it can be disruptive without taking into account changes or careful adjustments, especially since we have not even begun to consider your protein or fat intake.

Essentially, you'll have to change these numbers based on your own performance and the next morning's weight. Make the necessary adjustments during your workout days, pre-competition and competition and adhere to a balanced calorie diet on other days. Of course, you could also consider adapting to fats by training your body to use fats for your endurance activities.

So for athletes who load carbohydrates and work to control body fat levels, write, record, record and track your scale. He will tell you the essential. Track and measure your carbohydrate consumption around your activity and adjust as needed.

Know your numbers Individuals vary, so understand how your body works. Examine your other factors, hydration, sleep, stress, anxiety, preconceptions and ideality of your carbohydrates and other food choices.

Always remember that insufficient rest, alcohol, flour, sugar and nicotine are critical factors.

Fitz-George Rattray is the director of the Intekai Academy, whose goal is to help people lead healthy lives through nutrition and weight management. If you are interested in losing weight or adopting a healthier lifestyle, call them at 968-8238 or visit their website at intekaiacademy.org.