How to optimally time carbohydrate intake?

Carbohydrates, for many otherwise known as the number one enemy, the nutritional devil, something you eat and it immediately gets stored in your fat. Yes, carbs are one of the most debated parts of fitness nutrition ever, do they help build muscle or just fat? Should we even eat them, if so when and how much and what sources should we actually choose? Do you still have doubts about eating carbohydrates, especially before and after training? Let's be clear then.

Carbohydrates are a very important source of energy for both the body and the brain. Weight gain is caused by CALORIC EXCESS, in other words, if you eat more than your body needs, not by consuming this or that macronutrient. If you are in caloric excess and eating carbs you will (probably) gain weight, if you are in caloric excess and not eating carbs you will (probably) gain weight too.

Whether you gain or lose weight is a question of CALORIC INTAKE, the negative balance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure, not whether you eat carbs or not. You can have a caloric surplus (and therefore gain weight) from any food in the world if you can't control the amount in which you ingest it.

Carbohydrates are definitely not a bogeyman, and on the contrary, they can be very beneficial to you. During exercise, carbohydrates stored in the muscles (referred to as glycogen) are broken down into glucose (sugar) and delivered to the muscles to produce energy. The more intense your exercise, the more your body uses these carbohydrates as fuel. So carbohydrates are very important for performance during training, but not all types of carbohydrates are the same, and logically some carbohydrates are better at certain times than others.

Does this seem complicated to you? Don't worry, we'll break it all down calmly and tell you which types to eat and when ideally.

Not all types of carbohydrates are the same.

We're not going to go into complicated carbohydrate theory, so just a lot of generalities. There are two main types of carbohydrates - simple and polysaccharides, or complex carbohydrates. The suitability and ideal times of each type are different. Simple carbohydrates are a quick source of energy without much satiating effect. Other names you may hear in relation to simple carbohydrates include: high glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates, monosaccharides, low-fiber carbohydrates, and sugar.

Common examples include dextrose, maltodextrin, sports drinks, biscuits, sweets and sometimes white flour products are included in this group.

Complex carbohydrates , on the other hand , release energy more slowly, gradually, due to their higher fiber content. Complex carbohydrates may also otherwise be referred to as low GI carbohydrates, fiber-containing carbohydrates, or starches. Common examples include oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas, buckwheat, quinoa, buckwheat, couscous, and other side dishes.

An important piece of information about carbohydrate consumption to mention is that carbohydrates are very essential for our brain and nervous system. In fact, the brain uses up a whopping 20% of the body's total energy, which is more than any other organ. That's also why a lack of carbohydrates makes us irritable, tired and can have a negative effect on our concentration.

Timing and choosing the most appropriate type of carbohydrate

The type and amount of carbohydrates you consume has a major impact on your ability to train, and also on your subsequent recovery. Choose the wrong carbohydrates, or eat too many, you may become too full or sleepy to train to your full potential. Carbohydrates are the only source that may or may not have oxygen to activate, hence they tend to be used by the body as an energy source during exercise. So when and what carbohydrates to consume?

3 - 4 Hours before training

It's probably better to eat some time before a workout than directly before it, at least for some of us. But as you already know from our previous articles, the optimal time to eat before a workout is a very subjective matter. This "section" will be for those of you who workout in the afternoon or eveningand will talk about carbohydrates for lunch.

Eating food this far in advance of your workout allows you to take in quite a few nutrients because you have plenty of time to digest them. The focus should be on complex carbohydrates with sufficient fiber content, such as oatmeal or cereal.Eating simple carbohydrates so far in advance of your workout can cause your energy levels to drop quickly, which will eventually kill your motivation to train altogether.

The choice of the "optimal" amount is again individual and requires considerable alchemy. What is meant by this? That we all have slightly different needs and to find the optimal amount of carbohydrates to take in, you need to know your body well, understand its requirements and signals and find what works for you.

When looking for the optimal amount, you should also take into account factors such as the length, type and intensity of your training, your nutritional goals (i.e. reducing, gaining, maintaining) and also your performance goals.

One hour before training

What should you focus on if, for example, you're working out in the morning, or simply didn't get a bigger meal in before your workout? An hour before a workout is too late for most people to consume high-fiber carbohydrates, and too early for simple carbohydrate intake.

Too much fiber immediately before a workout can make you feel too full and bloated. Quickly absorbed carbohydrates, such as candy or sugary pastries at this time, can also make you feel too tired and out of energy during your workout.

If you want to eat an hour before you exercise, a relatively short time before your workout starts but a long time to take in quick saccharides, the trick is to find the ideal mix of foods that are low to medium in fiber.

In this situation, you can reach for a smaller amount of oatmeal, rice or other complex carbohydrate, and be sure to supplement with enough protein to balance the glycemic load of the meal.

Again, the amount of carbohydrate that is optimal to consume about an hour into training is a highly individual matter. Some individuals may consume larger amounts of carbohydrate even at this time, others the opposite. You need to experiment and learn to take in the signals your body is giving you, whether in terms of digestion or with regards to performance.

15 Minutes Before Training

If you are still feeling hungry or tired in this short time before your workout, after your biggest meal was about 3-4 hours ago, a small snack can help to ensure maximum performance during your workout.

This is a good time to grab a quicker carbohydrate, like a piece of fruit, or a higher carb drink. Be sure to choose only light foods (or drinks) to avoid feeling a full stomach and digestive discomfort during your workout.Don't overdo the amount at this point!

Carbohydrates during training

The type, duration, and intensity of your workout will determine whether or not you need to take in carbohydrates during your workout as well. Although we rely heavily on carbohydrates for fuel during intense exercise, depletion of carbohydrate stores does not occur as easily as some may think.

For example, 10 six-second sprints have been shown to deplete glycogen, or muscle carbohydrate stores, by only about 25%. A gym workout of about 20 setswill deplete glycogen stores by about 25-40%. So, a typical strength workout of about 60 minutes does NOT require replenishing carbohydrates during its course.

But if your workout is longer than 90 minutes, you are running a marathon, or playing hockey or other strength endurance sports, then consuming carbohydrates during your workout can provide a significant boost to your performance.

Carbohydrates after training

Post-workout carbohydrate intake is actually a rather overrated artifact. If you train once a day and consume carbohydrates in all of your daily meals, you have around 24 hours until your next training session, which is plenty of time to replenish the stores you depleted through training.

After your workout, feel free to reach for higher GI carbohydrates, i.e. simple carbohydrates, as they will help you replenish energy faster than complex sources. But it's definitely not necessary, see the introduction to this paragraph. Ideally, treat yourself to complex carbohydrates in reasonable amounts after your workout, but you don't need to go to extreme lengths.

How much carbohydrate to take after training? Again, the optimal amount is an individual matter and depends on many factors - length, time, type of training, performance and nutrition goals, etc. Many exercisers take in much more carbohydrate after training, but research shows that roughly one gram of carbohydrate per pound of body weight is enough to support general daily activity.

The average male has a reserve equivalent to about 400g of carbohydrate in his muscle tissues. If we manage to use up an average of 30% of that during strength training in the gym, we can assume that about 120 grams of that amount has been used up (assuming the stores were full before the workout), which is another reason why we don't need to completely overdo it significantly with post-workout carbohydrate intake.

What to take away from the article?

Carbohydrates, especially for athletes, are a very important nutrient that has a strong influence on athletic performance. Each type has its appropriate time of use before or after training and has its own importance. Carbohydrates are definitely not the bogeyman and demon of a healthy diet that causes fat stores to increase. If you can control the amount you take in, you can reap many benefits from consuming them! Today, we're focusing on consuming them around the time of your workout to give you clarity on when and what type to actually consume to maximize our performance.

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