02/23/2022
Its not very uncommon to hear nowadays that if you are athlete, you should stay away from carbs because it will make gain excess weight. But let me tell you, CARBS ARE YOUR FRIEND!🍌🥔
Carbohydrates are our body’s main source of energy during moderate and high intensity exercise. This means that for most athletes, not consuming ENOUGH carbs can drastically affect performance. As the intensity of exercise INCREASES, the amount of carbohydrate you should eat INCREASES.
Carbs are stored as glycogen in the muscles, and not having enough stores of carbohydrates in the body is a limiting factor during exercise. Aside from consuming enough carbs throughout the day, consuming them at specific times around exercise is helpful for performance. Here are a few helpful guidelines for timing of carb intake around exercise:
◾️Consume 1-4 g/kg (0.45-1.8 g/lb bodyweight) of carbs 1-4 hours BEFORE exercise to top off glycogen stores. Example for 150 lb. (150/2.2 = 68 kg) athlete: 68 x 2 = 136 g of carbs 2 hours prior to exercise
◾️For exercise lasting >90 minutes, a general guideline is to consume at least 30-60 g/hr DURING exercise. This helps to maintain glycogen stores, prevent further fatigue and stabilize blood glucose levels. Example of food: Gatorade, hydrolyte, animal crackers, pretzels, etc.
◾️For optimal recovery post-workout, consume at least 1-1.5 g/kg (0.45-0.68 g/lb) of high-glycemic carbs AFTER exercise. Then continue to keep a consistent intake of carbs throughout day. Examples of high glycemic carbs: fruit, dried fruit, Chocolate milk, nature valley bars, peanut and butter jelly sandwich, or cherribundi
