It is an unfortunate thing that Carbohydrates have been given a bad name by certain circles and people over the years without truly being understood. People all too commonly buy into the myth that carbs are bad for you, cause weight gain, need to be cut out in order to lose weight, cause inflammation and the list goes on. None of these things are true and the truth is that carbs are a very necessary and very important nutrient for both performance and recovery.
First, a few myths and why they are wrong
- Carbs cause weight gain. Carbs by themselves have nothing to do with weight gain. If you intake too much of anything, whether it be carbs, fat or protein (lets be honest, this one never happens), and it puts you into too much of a caloric surplus when you factor in input versus output, you will gain weight. Whether this weight is fat or muscle and how much weight it is depends on various factors such as training being done, how much of a surplus and where EACH of those macro nutrients are, not just carbs.
- You need to cut carbs to lose weight. Again, carbs by themselves are not the issue here. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit when factoring input versus output. If you want that loss to be fat and not muscle, you need to get A. Enough protein to support muscle growth and maintenance, B. Enough carb to spare protein to do what you want it to with that muscle repair (more on this later) and to fuel your training and hydrate muscle cells and C. Enough fat to support hormonal and structural processes. Where each of these needs to be depends on training being done, current and target weight goals and individual situations. Simply and blindly “cutting carbs” leads to muscle loss, weight loss that is too fast, poor gym performance and unnecessary muscle strains along the way.
- Carbs cause inflammation. Some people say that they feel better or less inflamed when they cut out carbs. This has nothing to do with the carbs themselves and everything to do with the SOURCE of the carbs. As an example, if you have wheat allergies, then you need to get your carb from a different source but don’t blame the carbs. Have some jasmine rice instead.
Why are Carbs so Important?
- Carbs are the ideal and primary fuel source for high intensity activity (like lifting). Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in our muscle cells, which is broken down into glucose to fuel training. This is done via a process called glycogenolysis. When we do high intensity activity such as lifting, sprinting, etc. we use an energy pathway called anaerobic glycolysis. WE NEED GLYCOGEN to effectively utilize this energy system. If we don’t have enough, your body will get it another way, which leads us to our next point.
- Carbs spare protein to do what it needs to do. If we don’t have enough stored, your body will use a process called gluconeogenesis to convert proteins into glucose, pulling from muscle tissue and/or protein intake to make this happen. This means that the same muscle you are trying to train and make stronger/build will be used as a fuel source rather than getting repaired, leading to strength and muscle loss and unnecessary muscle strains. You need enough carb to store enough glycogen, plain and simple. Glucose is also necessary for brain function and yes, brain performance suffers without enough carb intake.
- Carbs help hydrate muscle tissue. Glycogen pulls and holds water into muscle cells. Our muscle tissues are made up of about 70% water and if we don’t keep them hydrated, they feel like and perform like garbage. Not enough carb intake leads to not enough glycogen storage which leads to not enough hydration for that muscle tissue that you’re training, which again leads to strength loss and unnecessary strains.
- Carbs, along with fat, also have an effect on hormones and overall daily energy and brain function. A lot of people look in to testosterone levels and do things to boost this without looking at the underlying foundation of carb and fat intake. If this is low, energy, focus and overall feeling and thinking will be negatively affected. Trying to fix hormones without addressing the foundation is missing half the boat.
How do we get them? Good sources include rice, potatoes, fruits, vegetables (great to eat but won’t get you enough on their own), certain cereals, certain breads, certain bars, carb powders (for use during a workout) and pasta (different types work better for different people). Different people will do better with different sources.
How much do we need?
Trying to build muscle, add weight, maximize performance: 2-2.5 g/pound of bodyweight and POSSIBLY more for certain people
Trying to cut weight/lose fat properly: 1-1.5g/pound of bodyweight on average with some variance
Trying to maintain bodyweight and perform well 1.5-2g/pound of bodyweight for many
To give you a personal example, when I am in surplus mode and trying to put on size and maximize performance I take in 460-500 grams a day. Even when I was a month out from my bodybuilding comps and down to the 160’s (from low 200’s) with striations everywhere, I still was eating over 200 grams of carbs a day and loaded with as many as 700g pre show to fill out muscle cells maximally.
Stop shying away from one of the most important nutrients needed for performance and function, find the right sources that work for you and get after it. Want help figuring out your specifics? Schedule a nutrition coaching session with us and lets get started!
Train hard and recover harder -Nick
