Carbs are often given a bad reputation and blamed for causing fat gain, when in reality they have an important role in our bodies.
Our brains use carbs for energy which is why your liver is dedicated to making carbs out of proteins 24/7 if need be. So if you don’t eat carbs, you liver will turn your precious protein into carbs for your brain to survive. Consuming carbohydrates before and during exercise might boost performance during middle-distance and endurance exercise as well as exercise mating more than 30 minutes.
Increasing the amount of carbs eaten is probably better for more intense workouts. Effects have even been seen just by RINSING YOUR MOUTH with carbohydrate drinks and spitting it out before exercise! Interestingly this is not seen if rinsing your mouth with artificial sweeteners, indicating that our bodies CAN differ between sugar and artificial sweeteners.
So enjoy your carbs! Just make sure that you aren’t overeating since it’s too many CALORIES that will make you gain weight at the end of the day.
Sources:
1. Middle-distance running, track cycling, rowing, canoeing/kayaking, and swimming. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2011.589469.
2. Nutrition for endurance sports: Marathon, triathlon, and road cycling. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2011.610348.
