Why are Carbs Essential for Athletic Performance?

Carbs are the main fuel for your body that keep you charged up when doing a grueling workout or sprinting down the track. However, carbs have been long misunderstood and overlooked in the fitness journey. You need to understand the role of carbs in energy production so that you can incorporate them into your diet smartly and elevate your athletic performance. Utilizing the science of carbs along with the energy boosters like ashwagandha capsules can peak your physical potential. Keep reading to learn more.

The Science Behind Carbohydrates

Let’s start with the basics. Carbs are one of the 3 major macronutrients that energize and build our body, the other two being protein and fats. Carbs break down into simple sugars that fuel our body. There are two types of carbs:

• Simple Carbs: These contain short-chain molecules that are digested quickly and release sugar rapidly for an instant energy boost. Examples of healthy simple carbs are fruits, berries, honey, dairy, etc. When you feel drained, consuming these can quickly replenish your energy.
• Complex Carbs: These are longer-chained sugars molecules that take time to digest and slowly release sugar steadily over time. Examples are, whole grains, fibrous vegetables, legumes, whole fruits, etc. For sustained energy production for hours, eating a healthy meal with complex carbs is important. There’s a reason why a healthy breakfast is recommended in the morning.

What if You’re Low in Carbs?

Most people have the idea that carbs are bad, protein is good, but that’s not entirely true. Without carbs your body struggles to produce energy. Protein also produces energy but they take way longer to digest. In absence of simple and complex carbs, you’ll feel drained during workouts and have poor recovery. So, your body primarily prefers and looks for carbs when it needs energy. 

Now that you have learned the basics of how carbs fuel your body, let’s understand how different types of physical activities are supported by them, in the next section.

Carbs for Different Types of Physical Activities

The role of carbs varies depending on the type of activity you’re doing. Opting for the right carb strategy for the activity type can boost performance and recovery optimally:

• High-Intensity Activities (HIIT): These activities include sprints, CrossFit WODs, intense circuit workouts, etc. To these you need explosive and quick bursts of energy, and for that you need fast-digesting carbs to peak instant performance.
• Endurance Sports: Endurance activities like long-distance running, & cycling, demand a steady energy supply, which complex carbs provide through sustained sugar release. This helps delay fatigue and maintain performance over extended periods.
• Strength Training: While not as carb dependent as endurance sports, strength training benefits from carbs for replenishing sugar stores, supporting recovery, and promoting muscle repair and growth after intense sessions.

Timing Is Crucial

Here’s a quick breakdown of when to take carbs to achieve peak performance:

• Pre-workout (Carb-loading): Carb-loading maximizes sugar stores in the body to sustain energy levels for demanding, endurance activities. This helps boost performance and prevents fatigue. Prefer complex carbs for this phase. 
• During Exercise: Consume easy-to-digest carbs, such as sports drinks to quickly replenish energy levels between the sessions to perform longer. Along with carbs, you can also rely on supplements like shilajeet tablets to bolster your stamina and performance.
• Post-workout (Glycogen Replenishment): Post-workout your body again needs to restock the energy stores and boost muscle recovery. This time you need to pair carbs with protein to enhance muscle repair and growth and reduce soreness so that you can perform consistently the next day.

To Sum Up

Carbs are not your enemy. Choosing a balanced ratio or simple and complex carbs can fuel your body and keep you energized during intense workouts, while also supporting recovery. Have healthy, simple carbs for quick bursts of energy and pair with complex carbs for endurance workouts. This carb strategy can benefit your workout greatly!