Carbohydrates - Friend or Foe?

If you are interested in practising strength sports, you are certainly not indifferent to the topic of the right diet for an athlete. Rationally consumed meals help to achieve better results and build your dream figure more effectively. Should there be carbohydrates in the diet of the training person? You may have already heard a lot of contradictory information on this topic. Let's check their authenticity together!

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates, also called sugars, are chemicals made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. They are an irreplaceable source of energy for living organisms that obtain it through the oxidation of glucose - the most popular simple sugar. The human body stores glucose in the form of glycogen chains.

Why are carbohydrates important in an athlete's diet?

Strength exercise requires the muscles to use up a lot of energy. The training will not be effective if the muscles have nowhere to get it, then we will get tired quickly and we will have to take a longer break. Therefore, to have satisfactory training, we must provide the body with the right amount of sugar.

Thanks to the energy derived from carbohydrates, it is easier to burn fat, which is why it pays off to manage them rationally. Carbohydrates drive metabolism, and their deficiency in the blood destabilizes insulin levels and exposes us to more frequent hunger pangs.

Carbohydrates - a daily requirement

According to the data of the National Center for Nutritional Education, the need for carbohydrates depends on the length and intensity of training performed by the athlete. This can be:

• For people in light skill training: 3 - 5 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight;
• For people who exercise intensively for one hour a day: 5 - 7 grams per kilogram of body weight;
• For people who exercise intensively 1-3 hours a day: 6 - 10 grams per kilogram of body weight;
• For people who exercise intensively for more than 3 hours a day: up to 12 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Foods high in carbohydrates

To ensure the right amount of carbohydrates in the diet, we must remember which products are best obtained from. Before we list them, however, let's try to delve into the topic of the glycemic index.

When the glycemic index of carbohydrate is low, our body will convert such a molecule into pure glucose very quickly. Blood sugar levels will rise at an express pace and fall just as quickly, which is usually not beneficial for our health and training. Rather, low GI carbohydrates should be avoided, and sometimes we can use them to regain energy during strenuous exercise. We will find them in the following products:

• Sweets, cakes, crisps;
• Sweetened jams, plum jam and honey;
• Fatty milk;
• Bananas, grapes, corn.

Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index are absorbed slowly without a sharp rise in blood sugar levels. On the contrary - they help stabilize the sugar level and prevent its unfavourable drops. These types of sugars should form the basis of an athlete's diet and should be consumed two to four hours before planned exercise. Here are carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index:

• Whole grain bread;
• Bran, oatmeal, barley flakes, coarse groats;
• Raw carrots, beets, celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers;
• Chicken eggs, fish and beef;
• Almonds;
• Cherries;
• Soybeans and their products.

Carbohydrate supplements

Sports supplements containing carbohydrates are especially useful in the pre-workout period when we feel that our muscles are lacking the necessary energy. They are usually supplemented with vitamins and the most important minerals that should not be forgotten by any responsibly training athlete.