Why Carbs Are Your Friend
There always seems to be a plethora of online articles toting the benefits of a low carb or keto diet, but today I’m going to be telling you why you should definitely be eating carbs and why not eating them may be impeding on your performance and physique goals.
Carbs are everywhere and there is no reason to be afraid of them! They are in vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. They provide energy, fiber, and can help regulate blood sugar.
Carbohydrates are organic molecules comprised of a carbon chain. These chains may connect to form a complex carb (polysaccharide), but on their own they are known as simple sugars (monosaccharides).
Simple sugars are easier to digest than complex carbs because when metabolized, polysaccharides are broken down into monosaccharides, which can take longer than digestion of simple sugars. Upon digestion of all carbs: blood sugar levels increase, the body uses glucose as energy and the rest is stored as glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscles. The storage of glucose in muscles is what makes them look full. Without carbs, muscles may look flat and deflated.
One of the biggest reasons it is SO important to keep a steady flow of carbohydrates throughout the day is because if blood sugars drop too low, the body will use protein as an energy source. When this occurs, muscle synthesis decreases and muscle can actually break down. This can cause a decrease in energy, make it harder to recover from workouts, and maintain a healthy body composition. Glucose is also the only source of fuel recognized by the brain. While glucose can be produced by breaking down proteins and fats, having insufficient glucose intake can result in decreased cognitive function, causing ‘brain fog’.
If you are trying to build muscle or get stronger, not eating enough carbs can significantly sabotage your progress. Resistance training uses an energy pathway that functions best when carbohydrates are available. Eating carbs pre-workout will help fuel the workout and will also initiate muscle-synthesis.
If nothing nothing else, eating carbohydrates post-workout should be considered a necessity. A phenomenon occurs after exercise where glucose uptake spikes and fat metabolism also spikes. This means that consumption of carbs at this time can result in muscle growth and fat loss at the same time!
I hope this helped convince you to eat more carbs today!
