Good nutrition is essential to perform at your best. It can help delay fatigue, improve skill and concentration, and prevent injury and illness. A good diet will not turn an average athlete into a superstar, but a poor diet will prevent you from achieving your potential.
What ARE Carbs Anyway?
If you're confused about carbohydrates, you're not alone. Carbs are one of the six nutrients used by the body for energy and 1 gram=4 calories. Carbs are important because they:
- Are the main main source of fuel for the body
- Are quickly and easily used by the body for energy
- Can be stored in the muscles for exercise
- Provide lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber
- Help your body function properly without fatigue
The trick is to choose the right kinds of carbs and, of course, eat a reasonable amount of them. Too many carbs (or too much of anything, really) can be stored as fat.
Simple Carbs
Simple carbs such as candy, sodas and juice are quickly digested and can be used immediately for energy. However, they also spike blood glucose levels, which inevitably leads to a crash when your blood sugar drops. Simple carbs (such as honey) can be an ideal choice just before an intense cardio workout like sprints, but they're not a great choice for snacks or meals since they can leave you hungry and tired.
Complex Carbs
Complex carbs take longer to digest and come from things like whole grain products, vegetables, and fruits. They are slowly released into the body, unlike simple carbs, so you don't get that sugar rush followed by the painful sugar crash.
Regardless of the type of carbs you eat, all are treated the same way in your body--they are all broken down into sugars during digestion. But, complex carbs are almost always the best choice because they are naturally low in fat, high in fiber and provide tons of vitamins and minerals.
The Thinking Behind Low-Carb
Every low-carb diet is different and requires varying amounts of carbs, protein and fat. However, the common theme is this: eating high-carb causes an overproduction of insulin which leads to overeating, obesity and insulin resistance.
Here's how carbs work:
- High-carb foods cause a rapid rise in blood sugar
- This blood sugar causes the body to produce insulin which carries nutrients to cells
- Our cells use this sugar for energy
- If there's too much sugar, it is stored as fat
Proponents of low-carb diets believe that when you eat too many carbs, insulin becomes less effective at carrying sugar to the cells which results in more sugar being stored as fat.
Scientists aren't sure if this is true and some researchers believe that this insulin insensitivity is only true for people who eat too many calories in the first place. So, who's right? We don't know. There's no proof that a high-carb diet causes overweight and there's an ongoing debate on the value and science behind low-carb diets.
So what is 'low-carb'?
- The National Academy of Sciences recommends no less than 120 grams of carbs per day
- The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 300 grams of carbs per 2000 calories (about 60% of total calories)
- Atkins initially recommends 20 grams per day (less than 5%)
- Protein Power recommends about 12-15% of calories should be carbs
- The Zone advises keeping carbs at 40% of total calories
While we don't know which, if any, recommendation is right, recent studies in the New England Journal of Medicine report that participants who successfully followed low-carb plans for six months lost more weight than those who ate low-fat. Those on the Atkins diet raised their levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol.
A general rule of thumb is to eat high fibre (lots of veggies) and protein - they challenge the body during digestion (a natural thermogenic process) and therefore burns more calories than carbohydrates.
Use your common sense. Any diet that restricts entire food groups or foods that you know are good for you (like fruits and veggies) should raise a red flag.
Choose moderation. Carbs aren't bad. Fat isn't bad. Protein isn't bad. But too much of any or all of these can lead to weight gain.
Create your own healthy diet. What small changes could you make to make your diet more healthy? It's possible to eat the same amount of food and lose weight, if you cut your fat even a little.
You don't have to give up carbs completely. Simply choosing complex carbs (fruits and veggies) over simple carbs (soda/candy) can make a difference.
In the end, it's your choice what diet you want to follow. It all comes down to calories...too many and you gain weight, while a safe reduction will help you lose weight. Period. It's much easier to reduce your calories by making small changes in your current habits than to change your entire lifestyle overnight, as many of these diets require. Oh, and don't forget to exercise!
Below is a table to help determine your recommended Carb intake from the The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute
SITUATION RECOMMENDED CARB INTAKE
Light Activity (3-5 hours a week) 4-5g per kg body weight / day
Daily refuelling needs for training 5-7 g per kg body weight / day
programs less than 60-90 min per day
or low intensity exercise
Daily refuelling for training programs 7-10 g per kg body weight /day
greater than 90-120 min per day
My weight is ________ kg My carbohydrate requirement is
_______ g
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