The Truth About Carbohydrates

Carbs are responsible for essentially fueling our brain and all physical activity we do, however, not all carbs are the same. Simple carbs such as white rice, white potatoes and white pasta are processed and tend to give our bodies a jolt of energy and then leave us lethargic. On the other hand, complex carbs such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, get converted into glycogen (or stored sugar) which feed our liver and muscles. The interesting part is that the liver feeds the brain and the muscles feed any activity. So, whenever you’re looking at an exercise session, a racing session, a hard training session, and you literally run out of energy, you are most likely falling short on complex carbs. Remember too, that complex carbs are rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) that are essential for fighting disease and building a strong immune system!

One of the biggest controversies with carbs and performance is due to the importance that carbs play in providing consistent energy during exercise/riding or racing. The higher the intensity levels, the faster your body “burns” carbs increasing the importance of proper nutritional intake to avoid the dreaded “bonking syndrome” where your blood sugar levels are too low to think clearly and continue exercising comfortably.

The body can return, from the liver to the muscle tissue, approximately four carbohydrate calories per minute (about 250-280 calories per hour). When an athlete consumes more than the 250-280 (depending on body size), the excess remains undigested in the stomach or passes unused into the bowel. Even if you are burning more calories than the number of calories you are consuming, trying to replenish calories at the same rate as depletion only causes problems. Instead of having more energy available, you will have a bloated stomach, and perhaps even nausea and vomiting. Many times, this is blamed on nerves and high intensity racing, but it is the result of improper caloric intake.

So how do you cover the deficiency of calories to expenditure – stored fat. Trained athletes can count on a reserve of up to 100,000 (that is not a misprint!) calories in the form of stored fatty acids. The good news is that body fat stores are the fuel of choice when exercises goes beyond about two hours, providing about 60-65% of your caloric expenditure. This is one of the important benefits of endurance training – teaching your body to utilize fatty acid storages as an energy source (resulting in improved endurance).