The role of carbohydrates in the development of the performance athlete

What are carbohydrates

Carbohydrates (or carbohydrates / sugars), represent the main energy source for the body, providing 50-55% of the total energy intake. They have a dual role: they support the energy organism and structure it. As the name tells us, they are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are the main factors involved in ensuring the energy necessary for the body to function, both in daily activities and in the effort involved in performance sports.

What role do carbohydrates play

Carbohydrates provide the energy needed to function all the cells of the body and especially the brain. These are the main source of energy, when we make effort, and a good understanding of their types and their role helps us to support the effort made in performance sport more easily.

What types of carbohydrates exist

Depending on their chemical component, there are several types of carbohydrates.

1. Monozaraids (mono = one, sugars = sugars) are the simplest forms of carbohydrates. The most important monosaccharides are GLUCOSE, FRUCTOSE and GALACTOOSE.

Glucose is the main form in which carbohydrates are transported into the body. This is naturally found in foods and can be obtained by degrading other types of carbohydrates. It can also be "manufactured" by the human body in certain situations. Glucose is the carbohydrate that provides the body's energy, can be stored in muscle or liver in the form of glycogen and can be converted into triglycerides for later use.

The second monosaccharide, as important, is the fructose found in fruits, honey and corn syrup. Once consumed, it turns into glucose.

2. Disaccharides are monosaccharides that bind to each other. The most important disaccharides are sucrose, lactose and maltose. Sucrose is the most common presence in the diet and sugar is the best example. It is found in large quantities in plants, such as sugar beet. By processing the vegetables that contain sucrose, white, brown or powdered sugar is marketed in stores. Sucrose consumption is directly related to obesity. Lactose is another disaccharide, found only in mammalian milk and can sometimes cause digestion problems.

3. Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrate molecules. They are found both in the structure of plants and in the body of mammals.

Vegetable polysaccharides are in particular starch and food fiber. Starch is found in foods such as seeds, cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread. Food fibers play an essential role in digestion. Animal polysaccharides are mainly glycogen, which is the main form of carbohydrate storage in the body.

Carbohydrate metabolism

In the human body, carbohydrates have the role of breaking down, through chemical processes, to generate energy.

To get energy, carbohydrates break down either quickly or slowly. When they break down rapidly, lactic acid is formed, which is the main responsible for muscle fever. Their rapid decomposition does not require oxygen consumption, which is also the main reason why in short samples of 25-50 meters it is not important to breathe often. When they decompose slowly, it will take longer until energy is formed. Only lactic acid is formed in a limited amount in this process, and oxygen plays a very important role. Through this slow process, energy is obtained in long samples, which is why it is important to breathe as often as possible so that the effort can be sustained.

When we consume and how carbohydrates are absorbed

More detailed information on this aspect will be provided in a future article. We will, however, expose some more important aspects, namely those that not all carbohydrates are absorbed in the same way. These are carbohydrates that are rapidly absorbed and generally are those represented by monosaccharides and disaccharides (carbohydrates from fruit juices, from all sugar-containing products, from processed cereals (foods that mainly contain white flour). These fast-absorbing carbohydrates are recommended. to be consumed before the sample / training, during the training and immediately after to restore to the optimal level the glycogen level (carbohydrate reserve). Those with slow absorption are represented especially by those from whole grains (products which mainly contain flour wholemeal - wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, whole grains without the addition of sugar), seeds and products that are high in dietary fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains).

What amounts of carbohydrates is recommended to consume?

Carbohydrates must provide 50-55% of the daily energy intake. Thus, an average-weight adult (70 kg) who has moderate physical activity needs 300-400 g carbs per day, and carbohydrate sources are recommended to be high in complex carbohydrate and glycemic index foods.

Dr. Mircea Purcaru