Are Carbs Really For You?
“Don't eat carbs after 6 bro or you’ll put on fat”, “Carbs turn into fat so you should stop eating them”. These are some of the things we’ve heard many people say or make claims about within the fitness industry and it's no wonder why carbohydrates have such a bad reputation amongst other things. Are they really that bad for you? Or are people just misguided by fitness professionals? In this article we will be discussing the truth about carbohydrates and why they are crucial for health and performance.
The first thing to understand is that carbohydrates are a completely different makeup from fat. They are two different cells similarly to comparing juice with milk. Carbohydrates do not turn into fat nor does fat turn into muscle for those who still believe so. Our body uses carbohydrates as a source of energy for intensive exercise such as lifting, sprinting, jumping or throwing. This means that being deprived of carbohydrates can cause fatigue, sluggishness and a decrease in performance. Our body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose and glycogen which not only is used by our muscles but our other organs. Blood glucose is used by the brain to maintain adequate cognitive function, our liver stores and uses glycogen and ultimately we use muscle glycogen during exercise. A lack of carbohydrates ultimately means that our energy stores for intensive activities are depleted resulting in feeling flat or depleted. Carbohydrates come in three different forms such as Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides. To make it easier you can split the three into two categories, simple and complex carbohydrates. Monosaccharides and Disaccharides are simple carbohydrates or more known as sugars which the body can use quote instantaneously for energy. Due to this however, they release within the bloodstream much quicker and can be used up much quicker. Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates which are absorbed at a much slower rate within the bloodstream and this provides a slow but constant fuel source. To give you an example you have white rice which are listed as simple carbohydrates and then you have brown rice which are complex carbohydrates.
Overeating carbohydrates also does not directly lead to weight gain by itself, overeating in general results in weight gain. This could mean too much consumption of fats or proteins and not purely just carbohydrates. Fats contain 9 calories per gram versus carbohydrates containing 4 calories meaning that we can eat double the amount of grams of carbs and yet still be consuming less calories than from fat. Especially during high performance activities where an athlete is weight cutting, it is crucial to fuel the body with the right sources to maintain the highest level of activity eg weight cuts for a MMA fight or Powerlifting meet. Eating an excess of each macronutrient leads to poor caloric distribution. A common example is excessive consumption of protein typically mentioned in many bodybuilding diets to repair muscles within the body. A human body can only use so much protein to repair cells before it starts to use it as energy once consumed at a high rate. Protein in itself is a very poor energy source for the body to use compared to carbohydrates or even fats. This could mean eating the same amount of calories however your body inadequately using the calories to fuel the right exercise. Eating carbohydrates after a specific time also does not lead to excessive weight gain and this goes back to energy balance where if you overeat then you will gain weight and if you undereat then you will lose weight. For example, if you starve yourself the whole day but eat a massive bowl of pasta right before bedtime, you will not magically absorb it and turn it into fat as you are under your daily caloric expenditure. Eating the right amount of food and within the right balance helps to improve your ability for fat loss whilst helping to maintain your fitness.
To summarise, carbohydrates are used as your first source of energy for intensive exercise. They won't magically turn into fat and are crucial for not only your muscles but organs to use for daily function. Understanding the right balance between not only carbohydrates but protein and fats helps to improve your ability for weight loss or weight gain and lead to sustainable and healthy eating.
We would also like to add that this article will be our last one for the year as the Christmas period approaches! We thank everyone for their support and hope that our articles help in the slightest. We will pick up again within the New Year with more exciting content to further help you on your fitness goals! We hope everyone has a good end of 2019!
Peace out Movement Fam!
Coach Matty