SPORTS NUTRITION HANDBOOK
CARBOHYDRATES: An Athlete’s Fuel Source
In today’s nutrition culture, carbohydrates (carbs) are often seen
in a negative light. Many athletes believe eating carbohydrate rich
foods will add to body fat and increase weight. The reality is that any
nutrient (carbohydrate, dietary fat or protein), when eaten in excess,
can make one’s body fat increase.
Athletes Eat & Train,
They Don’t
Diet and Exercise
The fact is that all types of carbs are an athlete’s only fuel supply
for their working muscles. There are two main types of carbs: simple and complex.
Simple carbohydrates (or often called simple sugars) are
typically more refined and chemically contain 1 to 2 sugar molecules.
Also, these forms of carbs usually do not contain other nutrient
density. The perfect example of a simple carb is table sugar or
sucrose. Other examples include fructose (fruit sugar) as well as
lactose (milk sugar). In comparison to table sugar, the whole foods
inclusive of dairy products & fruits offer other positive benefits along
side the simple carbs: fiber, vitamins, minerals, & even water. The
key for inclusion of simple carbs in your diet is the balance of other
essential nutrients the food provides to your overall health (and
even your athletic performance).
Complex carbohydrates are a more “complex” chemical
structure of at least 3 sugar molecules or more. Within our foods,
the complex carbs also offer higher levels of other essential
nutrients: protein, dietary fat & fiber. These carbohydrates are an
athletes best friend! The complex carbs work twice as fast in
creating muscle energy or muscle glycogen (the storage form of
carbohydrates in your muscles). Some examples of complex carbs
can be seen in the red table. On a food label, complex carbs can be
found by looking at the “Total Carbohydrate” content and comparing
the total grams listed to the grams of “Sugar”. As you see, the brown
rice has 22g of Total Carbohydrate however 0 grams of Sugar. Also,
it contains 2g of Dietary Fiber, 3g of Protein, and 1g of Total Fat.
That makes brown rice one example of a great energy source for
your working muscles!!
Complex Carbs
Brown Rice
Whole wheat pasta
Whole grain crackers
Oatmeal
Baked potato
Glycemic
Index
Choose 100% whole grains to fuel your muscles with complex
carbohydrates.
How Many Carbohydrates Do I Need?
When trying to understand how many grams of
carbohydrates you will need in a day, there are two factors to
consider: daily living & sport requirements. There is a baseline amount of carbohydrate you will need for optimal brain
function (you need to study!), to walk to classes, shower in the
morning, etc… This baseline has many variables which
influence energy needs such as age, gender, height & weight.
For example, a 5 foot tall, 115# woman will burn less calories
when walking the same distance to class as compared to a 6
foot tall, 195# man.
Carbohydrate Needs For Sport

Light Training
3.0—5.0g / kg / day

Moderate / Heavy Training
5.0—8.0g / kg / day

Pre-event Loading
8.0—9.0g / kg / day

Recovery Fueling
1.5g / kg within 2 hours
after activity
Determining your sport carbohydrate needs is not something where one-plan fits each day. Variables such as sport,
competition vs. training, & actual minutes of activity (playing
time) need to be considered for determining your most optimal
meal plan. Sometimes, an athlete may find they require more
carbohydrates to fuel a long, intense 2.5 hour practice as
compared to the actual time of their competition.
Regardless of specific amounts, spacing out your complex
carbohydrate sources with every meal and snack is one of the
most beneficial things an athlete can do every day. This
ensures a steady stream of energy to your working muscles!
Missing even one meal or snack during the day can send you
short on your muscle’s energy needs. And, if your muscles are
short on energy then you will be short in your performance!
When consumed, all carbs are
transformed into glucose. Glucose
conversion happens regardless of
the carbohydrate consumed. The
Glycemic Index is the rating system
for how fast glucose enters our
blood stream or fuel supply.
High glycemic index foods are
those quickly converted and, for an
athlete, provide the fastest forms of
muscle energy. High GI foods are
those desirable to consume 30-60
minutes prior to competition. An
example of this is Gatorade or
refined carbs such as pretzels.
Their glycemic index score would
be greater than 70.
Low glycemic index foods are
more “slowly” convert to glucose.
Their GI rating would be < 55. Low
GI carbs are best consumed more
than 4 hours prior to or immediately
after sport. In these foods, the
components of fiber, dietary fats,
and protein “slow” them down. Examples of Low GI foods are whole
grains, fruit & dairy products. While
a simple sugar, fructose has a
slower rate of change to glucose
even when compared to “white”
starches! All of these low index
foods should be your main carb
options throughout your day.