What are Carbohydrates and How do they Work?

Most people are reluctant to ask the simple question, "What are carbohydrates?" I'm not really sure why...maybe embarassment? Anyway, I'll give you the lowdown on carbs and how they can work for you.

As an introduction, carbohydrates are going to be the main sources of energy in your workouts. It's obvious what'll happen if you don't get enough of them...you'll run out of energy!

It's easy to tell when you haven't had enough carbs before a workout. Your feet will drag during you jog and your lifting form will fail much more quickly. You'll be tired even if you're not working out!

A good understanding of nutrition and what carbohydrates are will take you a long way in creating your own diet to complement a great strength training program.

So let’s get going!

What are carbohydrates?

I’ve always been curious as to how many people know exactly what carbohydrates are. There’s so much bad information out there, who do you believe? Well the truth is all here…from the beginning. When you start to understand what carbohydrates are and how they function, you'll be well on your way to success!

So, what are carbohydrates in the first place?

You’re probably aware that carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap in recent years. Many individuals feel that carbs are fattening, unhealthy and, well, kind of boring. Let’s put all that stuff aside and think about what carbohydrates are and how they’re used. And this time, let’s start from the beginning.

What are Carbohydrates?: Energy!

Carbohydrates are the Earth’s major source of energy – heck, without them, life would cease to occur. If you could bare thinking back to high school, remember all that stuff about photosynthesis and how plants make their own sugars from sunlight and carbon dioxide? Enter carbohydrates.

These plants use the carbs for energy to grow and flourish, and so do we when we consume them! Simple examples include wheat, fruit, lettuce and other vegetables. The fact is that carbs supply the energy for life to continue.

Carbohydrates = energy. It’s that simple. They’re essential.

What are Carbohydrates?: Health!

So what’s with the bad rap they’ve gotten recently? We’ve all been exposed to the media hype and craze over the idea that carbs make you fat. This is only amplified with the publications of “secret” low carb diet plans, fitness models and what it means to be “normal” in society. And no, almost no one actually looks like the models we’ve all seen on TV and in magazines. Even if we did look like them, we’d probably be unhealthy…

It’s one thing to be thin, but it’s quite another to be fit and healthy. Of course, I’m going to focus on how you can use carbs to be fit and healthy throughout this website. But first, let’s gain a deeper understanding of what carbohydrates are.

Through the media craze, marketers have coined the terms “good carbs” and “bad carbs” to denote “healthiness” of some foods. But what are they supposed to mean?

Good Carbs

These types of carbohydrates have been slated a “healthy” image, mostly including complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, pastas and other wheat products.

Bad Carbs

Also known as junk food! These products contain a much higher proportion of simple sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and many others. I really don’t like this term, especially since there are tons of “bad carbs” in lots of “good”, healthy foods such as fruits and some vegetables.

But I have one major problem with these designations – there’s no such thing as good or bad carbohydrates! Only misguided individuals feel that different types of carbs are either healthy or unhealthy. This is a concept that most people have a hard time understanding.

As with any other foods, your simple (bad) and complex (good) carbohydrate intake should be evaluated in the view of your diet as a whole and your level of activity (do you lift weights or jog regularly? An active parent? A construction worker?). No matter your walk of life, carbohydrates will fuel your days, whether you like it or not.

What are Carbohydrates?: Fattening?

The fact is that carbs are your best and most efficient source of energy, no matter who you are or what your daily activities encompass. Whether you're a bodybuilder, cross country runner or a busy mom, make sure you're getting enough carbs to support your day!

The key is however, to only take in the amount that you need – this is where the fat starts to pile on. What society has failed to notice is that more people have been couch potatoes! It’s actually been shown that obesity is more related to an inactive lifestyle and increased portion sizes rather than solely carbohydrate intake. There are plenty of healthy individuals out there that eat carbohydrate rich diets.

A lot of this obesity can also be attributed to the fact that many people aren't aware of what carbohydrates are, exactly. Carbs provide energy. If you don't use that energy, it'll be converted to fat for storage. If you do nothing but sit on the couch and eat pizza and pasta, then yes, you'll gain weight. But then again, you’ll get fat eating anything in excess than what your body needs.

We've all seen the ads, the articles and media hype over the idea that carbs make you fat. Removed them from your mind! Yes, carbs make you fat, along with proteins and fats if you eat too much of them and don't get any exercise.

What are Carbohydrates?: Muscle-Building!

On the flip side, if you're in a strength training program and/or lead a very active life, you'll burn carbs constantly throughout the day, even when you're resting! So, what's the secret to losing weight and being fit as opposed to being "thin"?

I’ll try to explain this with an example…

A high carb diet will have different effects on different individuals. Let’s think about the couch potato. Does he really need that extra energy (in the form of fructose) he’s taking in to fuel his activities?

The answer is no (and no, you don’t need much energy to push the buttons on your remote!). He’ll store this energy in the form of fat since his glycogen storage is probably full. Where else will this extra energy go if you don’t use it? It’s like filling up your gas tank just to let your car sit in the driveway for months.

On the other hand, a woman comes home from a hard day at work and eats a healthy, carb-rich dinner with a bowl of fruit for desert. Later in the evening she heads to the gym to work on her glutes. Her weight has been steady for years and is getting stronger with each passing week. What’s the difference?

She’s using the carbs she ate for fuel! Case in point? Carbohydrates, no matter what form they’re in, are used for energy. They fuel your day, your workouts and your muscles to help keep them efficient and healthy. As you can guess, when we don’t eat enough carbs, as in those low carb diets, we have no energy! Fatigue, hunger and misery will result.

On that note, don’t let people tell you that you need to cut down your carbs if you want to lose weight or get back into shape. A deficiency in carbohydrates can lead to significant muscle wasting. This happens because your body is searching for an energy source aside from the carbs – your muscles! Why?

In the absence of carbs, muscle proteins are broken down to their component amino acids and metabolized for energy. So, reducing your carbohydrate intake below your needs will also reduce your muscle tone. Got it?

What are Carbohydrates?: Misunderstood!

Now it's time to remove all those carbohydrate myths you've accumulated in recent years.

We've all seen the ads, the articles and media hype over the idea that carbs make you fat. Well, yes, carbs make you fat, along with protein and fats if you eat too much of them and don't get any exercise.

On the flip side, if you're in a strength training program and/or lead a very active life, you'll burn carbs constantly throughout the day, even when you're resting! So, what's the secret to losing weight and being fit as opposed to being "thin"?

Eat your carbs, try to get in 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 days a week and, most importantly, forget all the low carb diet hype! Even having an active lifestyle requires significantly more carbs than a lot of people ingest on a daily basis on a low carb diet. Take a look at my daily diet page and see where you stand!

If you already follow a strength training program, expect to make some significant gains when you get your carb intake back up to where it should be! But remember, this scheme is only valid when you're also exercising regularly.

These are just the basic aspects of carbohydrates that you should be aware of. Whenever you're in doubt, remember that pivotal question - remember to ask yourself, "what are carbohydrates anyway?" Start from the basic concept and work out how you want to structure your diet. An understanding of what carbohydrates are is essential to having a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.

Next time you're faced with a decision whether to eat your carbs or to follow the media craze, ask yourself again -"what are carbohydrates?" I can't stress this enough! Hopefully you'll come to the conclusion that more carbs are better than less (but don't overdo it!). Do yourself and your body a favor and get out of the low carb rut we've put ourselves in - take in enough energy to make it through the day!

I've layed out plenty more information on carbohydrates and other macronutrients - check it out!