Dieters are always looking to wage war on the elusive cause for their weight gain. We live in a time of gluten free, dairy free, low carb, low fat, no sugar, low sodium, non GMO warriors of nutrition. Everyone seems to have a different "demon" on which to blame their excess pounds. "If you just take XYZ our of your diet, you'll lose all of the weight!" is a statement I've heard ad nauseam. Food companies are adapting--coming out with new products catered to the health craze of the minute.
You've probably heard friends and fitness professionals blab about how carbohydrates are evil and should be avoided or you will surely be slovenly and obese. I am here to tell you that carbohydrates are not, in fact, a vicious macronutrient out to kill you.
A while ago, I did a small survey, in which I asked my readers to define what they deemed to be "healthy" food, as it is often a blanket term used to market products to consumers. Many people wrote that they believed a diet lower in carbohydrates to be healthier.
Now, there are three main macronutrients, which are in every food you eat to a varying degree: protein, carbohydrates and fats. Each of these macronutrients are absolutely necessary (to an extent) in a healthy diet. For active individuals, the roles of these three are increasingly important.
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| I love me some carbohydrates. |
Put simply, carbohydrates will give you energy for your workout, and they will also help you recover once you're done. If you find that you're dragging through your training sessions or you're not fully recovering from them, perhaps you need to increase your carbohydrate intake.
According to the Poliquin Group, "a large review found the greatest benefit of a 6.5 percent increase in athletic performance from taking between 0.9 g/kg/hour of exercise of carbs with 0.2 g/kg/hour of protein. Both longer duration, high-intensity (such as team games) and endurance exercise lasting more than 2 hours can benefit from carb supplementation."
Other studies have surmised that lower carbohydrate diets may impair cognitive function, which is crucial for optimal performance in sport or in the gym. [1] In particular, Batatinha et. al. found that gymnasts consuming post workout carbohydrates fell off of the balance beams fewer times than their placebo counterparts.
Carbohydrates, in conjunction with protein supplementation is presumed to have an additional anabolic effect. One study in particular found that "the addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement may [...] increase the rate of glycogen storage due to the ability of protein and carbohydrate to act synergistically on insulin secretion," and another study "[concludes] that postexercise [carbohydrate] and [carbohydrate-fat-protein] nutritional supplements can increase glycogen resynthesis to a greater extent than Pl for both men and women." It can be deduced that these macronutrients, when consumed immediately after exercise, have a tremendous benefit for recovery and muscular hypertrophy (growth).
Personally, I try to have a substantial amount of carbs both before and after my workouts, and then eat higher protein and fat throughout the rest of my day. This is what I have found, through trial and error, to be most effective for me.
Does this mean you should go drown yourself in a bag of candy? Hell no. Any macronutrient (or all of them together) can cause weight gain when consumed in excess. I am a firm believer that no one macronutrient is to blame for fat gain. If you cut out carbohydrates altogether but still consume a tremendous amount of protein and fat throughout the day, your body composition likely won't change too much.
While some diet books give carbs a bad name, you may actually use them to your advantage, in moderation. The key is to find the optimal amount of carbohydrates for your needs. Obviously, more active people will need more carbohydrates. Experiment with the timing and amount of your carbohydrate consumption and see what works for you!
Don't hate, carbohydrate.
(Ha...ha?)
