Carbohydrates for Athletes: Optimize Energy & Performance with Nutrient Timing

Overview:  

Carbs are arguably one of the most debated macronutrients. Are they essential? Are they non-essential? The answer is that it depends. Our bodies are capable of working with or without them. Carbohydrates are our body's primary source of energy for most types of exercise. There are various forms of carbohydrates, and they can be utilized in different ways. What you eat and when you eat it is called nutrient timing. The timing of your carb intake as an athlete is very important. Throughout this post, you will learn that carbs are very important for most athletes.  

Energy & Timing:  

Carbohydrates have four calories per gram, the same as protein. The difference is that carbs will be your body’s preferred choice when it comes to energy during workouts. The only exception to this is low-intensity exercise. Low-intensity exercise will choose fat as energy. Moderate-to-high-intensity exercise will use carbohydrates for energy until your glycogen stores run out. As I mentioned above, there are different types of carbohydrates, and they have different applications. The first type is simple carbs. These are going to be mono and disaccharides. The monosaccharides are glucose, fructose, and galactose. The disaccharides are sucrose, lactose, and maltose. All of these are digested and absorbed quickly, making them available quickly. The other type of carb is a complex carbohydrate. These are going to be starches such as whole grains, legumes, and starchy veggies. They are also going to be seen in the form of fiber. Fiber cannot be used as a form of energy, but it is good for the gut. Complex carbs take longer to digest and absorb. This then obviously means they aren’t readily available after consumption. One tool that helps with figuring out how quickly carbs will be available for energy is the glycemic index. This index ranks foods based on how quickly the sugars in the food are taken up into the bloodstream.  

There is one caveat with carbs being the first form of energy. It is possible to train your body to be better at using fat for energy. You just need to train in situations where you are low on carbohydrates. The body would then be forced to convert fat to glucose through gluconeogenesis. This can be useful for longer-duration exercise like long-distance running. If you can train your body to use fats for energy more efficiently, you’ll have a better gas tank.  

Recommendations:  

Proper nutrient timing before and after exercise can take your performance to the next level. You’ll be able to compete at a higher level for longer. For athletes who are not long-duration competitors, pre-training/performance fueling is crucial. The first step is to know your stomach. You don’t want to eat something that might bother you before your performance. Liquid carbs are usually the safest bet. Sports drinks are typically loaded with simple carbs that are available quickly. This is why sports drinks are also useful during exercise. If you’re eating shortly before a bout of exercise, then simple carbs will be your friend. When fueling the day before or hours before, I recommend going for the complex carbs. They will build up your glycogen stores and will be digested before you need to perform.  

Now, for the long-duration athletes, mixing simple and complex carbs before your performance is going to be helpful. The simple carbs will be used much more quickly. Starches will provide a steadier and longer-term energy source. Once those are used up, you will be using fat for your main energy source.  

Conclusion: 

As you can see from this post, carbs aren’t the bad guy either. Carbohydrates can be used to optimize your energy levels during exercise. The goal is to figure out what works best for you and your stomach. It’s important to replenish your carbs post-exercise as well. Remember that simple carbs are quick and complex carbs are long. Use timing to your advantage and maximize your performance.