Consuming Carbs for Performance
Whether you’re an endurance athlete or the weekend warrior here at BHC, the proper intake of carbohydrates can increase your intra-set performance and fuel your long-distance run. But, the question is: how?
Carbohydrates and the Body
To understand how carbohydrates are the optimal fuel for both anaerobic and aerobic performance, we must first grasp how carbohydrates are utilized in the body.
To simplify for our purposes, however, we will focus on glucose- since all carbohydrates are converted to glucose during digestion¹. Glucose is our bodies’ preferred source of energy and is what our brain demands nearly 20% of out of our total intake², despite only accounting for ~2% of our body weight.
Our muscles and livers contain the only stores of glycogen in our body (the stored form of glucose). The liver’s stores are for blood glucose (blood sugar) regulation, while the muscles’ stores are meant purely for muscular activity and cannot be released back into the bloodstream. These stores, along with the floating blood glucose, are what our bodies use for energy during exercise.
When Glycogen Runs Out
Firstly, in order to require replenishment of glucose to the muscle cells, consistent exercise lasting 60 minutes or longer must occur. You do not need to worry about “running out” unless you are running long distances or are exercising at a moderate to high intensity for the time specified above.
However, if you do begin running out of glycogen, you’ll need to provide your body with more through the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods or supplements (like gels or sports drinks). When consumed, glucose will be put into the bloodstream as quickly as your body can do so through your small intestine and liver. From the bloodstream, if your body needs blood glucose for energy, its journey will effectively end there. If exercise has subsided or your muscles’ glycogen stores are available to be replenished, the glucose will be stored in the cells of your muscles as glycogen to be used again.
“How do I Impact My Performance?”
In order to affect your performance through the consumption of carbohydrates, you can either “carb load,” the act of increasing total glucose within cells and your blood, which needs to be managed closely in certain conditions and isn’t advisable for normal populations, or consume carbohydrates 30 minutes to 4 hours before prolonged exercise.
An increased carbohydrate intake (closer to 65% of your total caloric intake) can naturally increase glycogen stores and resting blood glucose, providing a positive impact to anaerobic performance like weight lifting, powerlifting, strength training, etc. 3-12g/kg of body weight is a good range for daily carbohydrate intake³ for training instances. The more intense and prolonged, the higher the total carbohydrate should be.
Consuming carbohydrates immediately prior to or during exercise or training, especially for endurance sports, can be more beneficial than the former because of the immediate spike in energy caused by the short-term absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. This can also prevent fatigue as a result of prolonged exertion. In these cases, consuming quicker-release forms of carbohydrates like gels or sports drinks is advisable to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort from digestion and decrease the total time of digestion and absorption.³ Water will also aid in the absorption of carbohydrates, so sports drinks with a total concentration of 6-8% carbohydrates may be the preferred method of supplementation for endurance athletes.³
Need Help?
Revving up for an upcoming marathon or wanting to increase intra-set performance on the gym floor through proper nutrition? Don’t hesitate to reach out today to the email below or join one of our Nutrition Programs for total support in every aspect of your journey.
-Kyler | kyler@ballardhealthclub.com
Cert. Nutrition Coach, CPT
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