Carb consumption starts with the two main types of carbs, simple and complex. Knowing about these two types of carbs can help you know when and how many carbs you should consume. 

Simple carbs are found in sugary foods, like candy, fruit, juice, and honey. This type of carb will give you quick energy that doesn’t last. Simple carbs should generally be used right before a workout. For example, try eating an apple a few minutes before increasing your deadlift weight. You will likely find that you have more energy and you will make more progress. 

Complex carbs come from whole foods like grains and vegetables. Complex carbs break down more slowly, giving you energy over a longer period of time. Complex carbs should be consumed a few hours before exercise. Four to two hours is the general recommendation. 

In addition to same-day complex carb intake, you should also “carb load” for a few days leading up to a competition or race. Carb loading is eating a higher amount of carbs than is normally in your diet. For example, if you have a marathon race coming up, you should start increasing your carbs three to four days before the race. 

Several years ago, a study was conducted to take a look at the effects of simple carbs during a game. For the study, Marshawn Lynch, a football player who is known for candy popping on the sidelines was given a performance test without any sugar, then he loaded up on Skittles and took the same performance test. Before the first test, Marshawn’s blood was measured for sugar and ATP, (adenosine triphosphate) a compound found in cells that produces energy. The performance test consisted of exercises to test grip strength, reaction time, and agility speed. 

After the first test, Marshawn rested for twenty-minute before eating some Skittles and starting all over again. The second test found these improvements and differences:

• 55% increase in blood sugar
• 35%  increase in ATP
• 13% increase in grip strength
• 5% faster reaction times
• 2/10 second drop in agility times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4e-qkY8H8k 

The bottom line is sugar can and should be used as a way to boost performance, but it has to be used correctly. Consuming too much sugar can cause adverse effects and decrease performance. The type of sugar also creates an impact on performance. If the test above had been performed with a piece of fruit or another healthier simple carb, the results would’ve been similar, but the other nutrients and benefits of the fruit would create a better long term effect. 

How many carbs should you consume daily? Or after a workout? Or before a workout? What types of carbs should you consume? And when? 

Every athlete is different and has different dietary needs. People with different goals require different amounts of carbs. For example, a sedentary person who performs little to no exercise would require around 4-5g/kg body weight/day. A high intensity athlete would require around 5-7g/kg body weight/day. An aerobic moderate intensity athlete like a mile runner would require around 7-10g/kg body weight/day. A low-intensity, high-volume athlete like a half marathon or a marathon athlete would require as much as 11g/kg body weight/day. 

An athlete completing a high volume of exercise needs to have a high level of endurance. To maintain a high level of endurance, more energy is required. The more energy you need, the more carbs you should consume. 

Now, let’s talk about a client wanting to lose weight. You may have heard that the “secret” to fast weight loss is a low-carb diet. A common misconception in the weight loss world is that carbs cause fat gain, so many trainers focus on a low-carb diet in order to accomplish weight loss. This is why the keto diet is so popular, because it mainly focuses on low-carbs. Many people rely on a high-protein: low-carb diet to lose weight. Precision Nutrition conducted a study to learn more about the correlation between protein, carbs and weight loss. They tested four diets, 

• Normal Protein/ Normal Carb
• Normal Protein/Low Carb
• High Protein/Low Carb
• High Protein/Normal Carb

The two high protein groups actually lost the most weight! And the differing levels of carbs didn’t make much difference to body composition. 

They also studied a base level of protein with three levels of carb intake, high, moderate, and low. Interestingly, the moderate carb group lost about the SAME AMOUNT of total body weight and MORE body fat than those on the low-carb diet. 

Why does it work this way? Carb intake doesn’t cause fat gain on its own; carbs get stored as fat only when you eat them in excess. When it comes to weight loss, the secret is not low-carb dieting, it’s actually high-protein. 

Protein helps you feel full longer by promoting satiety (feelings of fullness). The more protein you consume the longer you feel full, the longer you feel full the less often you need to eat. The less food you eat the fewer calories you consume. If you eat fewer calories, your body won’t have to store excess calories as fat. If you want to lose weight, eat more protein. 

While the general rule is more protein, every body is different. Your activity levels and fitness goals may require different nutritional goals, so popular diets like the keto diet don’t always work for all people. Your carb intake and your nutritional plan should be tailored to you and your needs and goals. 

Get a diet plan specific to YOUR BODY’S NEEDS! Sign up for Fitness Adaptive’s nutritional course and learn what your body needs. The course will teach you how to calculate your needs based on your goals and body type and put you on the track to a perfect nutrition plan. Or get a meal plan made to fit you and your goals by a nutrition expert and personal trainer attuned to your fitness goals. This is my personal invitation to you, to take the next step forward, and get the results that YOU WANT!