Carbohydrates provide the body with energy to complete everyday activities. The majority of your diet should be obtained from carbohydrates. In recent years, carbohydrates have been given a bad reputation by claims it contributes to obesity and other health related diseases like diabetes. These conditions, however, are only brought on if you have too much of the bad carbohydrates. Yes, carbohydrates can be classified into good and bad.
Bad carbohydrates are basically carbohydrates that have gone through processing. They are not natural and the chemical alterations they go through strip them of their original nutrients (Build Muscle With Whole Foods). Examples of bad carbohydrates are white rice, white bread, candies, pastries, ect. The effect of these foods is that they cause your blood sugar level to spike, as energy from these foods is released very quickly into the bloodstream. They provide a brief, short lasting energy to the body.
If you feel tired and lacking energy all the time you can blame it on consuming too many bad carbohydrates. The processing that these foods go through result in the extraction of fiber and bran which slows down the speed at which these foods are released into the bloodstream. Good carbohydrates can be obtained from vegetables, brown bread, brown rice etc. They are released into the bloodstream slowly, preventing the spike in your blood sugar level and giving you long lasting energy.
Consuming good carbohydrates will leave you feeling fuller and more satisfied, not to mention they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your body. Having too many bad carbohydrates can cause you to get fat. If you consume good carbohydrates then you may increase portions without having to worry about getting fat. On the other hand, bad carbohydrates are empty calories and provide no nutritional value, so the body does not really know what to do with it and much of it is stored as fat.
You may ask: “Why would they do such a thing? Why would they extract all those nutrients and minerals?” The purpose is for taste and a longer shelf life for these foods. If you want to successfully build muscle I suggest replacing bad carbohydrates with good carbohydrates in your diet as much as possible. You will feel healthier, have more energy and get the vitamins and minerals necessary that encourage muscle growth.
Training for muscle is only one part of the equation, you also need to get nutrition right. Consuming bad carbohydrates will only sabotage your effort to build muscle.
Niko
9 years ago
I always try to fuel my body with good carbs during the early part of the day. For my last 3 meals of the day (afternoon snack, dinner and evening snack), I go carbs free. I find this means my insulin levels won’t be spiking around bed time.
Chris
9 years ago
Hi Niko, I don’t think you necessarily have to go carbs free for your last 3 meals of the day though. As long as the carbs are good then your insulin levels won’t be affected very much. But people are different and you have to know your own body so if you find it works for you then you should stick to it.
Trey
9 years ago
I try to limit my carbs to 100 grams per day if I’m trying to lose weight and 150 if I’m maintaining. I try to get as many as I can from vegetables and eat very little bread, rice, grains, milk, and beans. It works for me and I usually don’t miss them, but I definitely understand that isn’t for everyone.
Carbs are definitely necessary for that quick energy your body needs to fuel and intense workout.
Chris
9 years ago
Thanks for your input Trey, choosing the right type of carbs is surely important.
Trey
9 years ago
I probably get less than 100 carbs a day and all in the form of green leafy vegetables and fruit. It works well for me since I have tons of energy and my lifts have actually increased.
Chris
9 years ago
Good for you Trey! Green leafy vegetables and fruits are such excellent sources of carbohydrates because they give you REAL, LONG LASTING energy! Great work. 🙂