When it comes to performance, athletes swear on proper nutrition. And this is where carbohydrates enter the game. Discover why and how carbs help athletes and gym-goers improve their performance.
For many, carbs equal weight gain. But nutrition is never as black and white. You definitely should not overindulge on simple carbs in day-to-day life – think white bagel at breakfast, white pasta for lunch, and a sandwich for dinner. But if you have a demanding practice, a day of trekking or a marathon to run, carbs become your best friend.
If you want to brush up on the basics, head to our blog post about all things carb, while we dive into what they bring to the table for athletes.
Carbs are the ultimate energy-source
50 years of research has been consistently proving that athletes need carbs to reach their peak performance.
Carbohydrates are our fuel which we store as glycogen in muscles and liver. During an intensive physical exercise such as running or cycling, those stores need to be topped up to sustain your body’s efforts. If your nutrition doesn’t include enough carbs, you won’t have the energy and will get fatigued really fast.
Competitive athletes usually need more carbs than an average gym-goer. How much, depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise. For example, sport nutrition experts generally recommend that runners get as much as 60% of their daily calorie intake from carbs.
Immediately before, during, and after high-intensity exercise, athletes need simple carbs with a high glycemic index. Those are rapidly absorbed and also used immediately.
Some of the best quick-acting carbs include bananas, pasta, couscous, rice, wholemeal bread, sweet potato, and sweetcorn.
