Carbs get a bad wrap...And I don’t know why. It could be the
various low carb quick fix diets that are on the market these days that have
grown in popularity because of their success over short periods of time and
perhaps the fitness industry is at blame by promoting celebrities and products
and misleading you with how they achieve their results. What I do know is carbs
are an extremely important part of a healthy diet and especially for those
looking to build a muscular physique.
There is no doubt about it...protein is important! In order
to build or maintain muscle you need to consume protein; and your body does
this through the synthesis of the lengthy amino acids chains found in the
protein. However, the general consensus is you only need to consume between
0.8-1.8 grams per kilo of bodyweight (this varies on your goals and overall muscle
mass). Unlike protein, carbohydrates are
the main energy providers of human body due to its lengthy hydrocarbon chain (and
molecule consisting predominately of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) bonds), which
if your familiar with chemistry at all is the possibly natures most powerful
bond when it comes to providing energy. The human body breaks (the liver
specifically) these bonds and converts them to a simpler to use sugars such as
glucose. Glycogen is the main energy store in your muscles, and if your levels
are to low then your body will resort to breaking down protein for energy
instead (oh no! your precious muscles). Glucose is also the important fuel for
your brains function and performance and also mood and hormones balances.
That being said, not all carbs are equal! Carbohydrates can
be broken down into two main categories ... Simple carbohydrates and complex
carbohydrates. Simple carbs or simple sugars are found in most processed food
and drinks and also fruit and some vegetables (keeping in mind they also
contain important micronutrients like your vitamins and minerals), these sugars
are able to be used quickly (High GI) and provide a short lived energy source
as it promotes the pancreas to rapidly produce insulin and release into the
bloodstream (not to mention the long term health implications of stressing the
pancreas constantly like this - such as diabetes). This is the reason you are
hungry shortly after eating sugary foods and crave more sugary foods once that
energy wears off. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand, consist of unrefined
grains and starch vegetables that take the body a lot longer to breakdown and
undertake the insulin process (Low GI), providing you with a sustained energy
source and keeping you fuller for longer; whilst having the added advantage of
being loaded with micro-nutrients which are important for many other body
functions.
So hopefully this is a simple explanation of why you should
love your carbs...if you don’t already!!
Kennedy. R,. (2008): Encyclopaedia of Bodybuilding – The complete A-Z book on muscle building,
Robert Kennedy Publishing, Canada.
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