Carbohydrates can often get a bad rap, but they are essential in allowing our bodies to perform efficiently.
Nutrition can always be a difficult subject to navigate when it comes to your fitness and overall health goals. With all the available information, it is easy to get caught up in what’s out there, leading to confusion on how to properly fuel your body relative to your specific goals.
Some see carbohydrates as ‘bad’, yet others find a way to utilize them properly to fuel a healthy lifestyle.
Here, we will talk about why carbs (carbohydrates) are important for the functionality of our bodies, and how we can incorporate them into a healthy diet.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates (or carbs) are one of the body’s primary sources of energy. Found in foods like bread, fruits, vegetables, and grains, carbs are broken down into glucose (a type of sugar) when consumed. This glucose fuels our cells, tissues, and organs—especially the brain and muscles—helping us stay active and alert. They are essential for many bodily functions, such as muscle movement, brain function, and regulating blood sugar levels.
Overconsuming carbs (as with any macro-nutrient), can lead to weight gain, and may end up negatively impacting our health and performance. But this does not mean we need to cut them out. Instead, begin the process of seeing carbohydrates for what they are: fuel for our bodies. We need to give ourselves what we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Lifestyle: Moderation is key
Ideally, we would like to consume carbohydrates made of ‘real’ (or unproeccessed) foods. Things like potatoes, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. These keep us more satiated than high-processed foods with high amounts of sugar, and deliver more nutrients to our bodies as well.
However, moderation is always key. Try to maintain a diet of 80% real, healthy and nourishing foods. 20% of the time, allow yourself to have a treat if you desire.
Carbohydrates play many vital roles in our body (for a more in-depth look, take a look here). However, overconsumption can lead to unfavorable results. To combat this, practice mindfulness at meals and control your portion sizes. Eat slowly and listen to your body’s hunger signals. View carbohydrates as nothing more than fuel for our bodies.
Utilizing carbohydrates in our workouts
Other than offering support for our brain and muscle function, carbohydrates can be a tool used in our sports performance.
Carbs are our body’s primary source of energy. They are also the easiest source to access, making them ideal for any high-intensity workout. Having that energy available can allow us to push harder in the gym and have more effective workouts. A piece of fruit, oatmeal, or perhaps a slice of bread with jam are all great pre-workout options to allow your body a store of energy before working out.
Carbs are also important right after a workout to replenish our muscles and aid in the recovery process. But a workout is not an excuse to overindulge in large portions of junk food. Our workouts are building our bodies to be stronger and more resilient, and we can aid this process by giving ourselves sufficient and nutrient-dense food afterward.
For any who train endurance or are in the gym for over 90 minutes, intra-workout carbohydrates can be another tool to utilize. If you do find yourself feeling depleted during one of these longer sessions, consider looking into intra-workout options.
Let go of restriction: eat to perform.
Overall, carbohydrates are a tool. They are fuel for our bodies, enabling us to live healthily and perform at our best. Everyone’s nutritional journey will be different, so experiment to find the best options for you.
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