The Oh, so fear Carbohydrates. They are sugar, starches, and fiber.

They contain 4 calories per gram, the same amount as protein.

Carbohydrates are considered the primary energy source for all body functions and muscular exertion. This means our body uses them frequently and quickly creates rapid depletion states and replenishes the stores.

Sugars are considered simple carbohydrates and are classified as monosaccharides; mono, meaning one unit of sugar, and disaccharides, di meaning two sugar units.

Monosaccharides include glucose, galactose, and fructose. Disaccharides include sucrose, table sugar, lactose, the sugar found in milk, and maltose.

When many of these sugars are linked together, they form a complex carbohydrate, which is also known as polysaccharides, and poly meaning many sugars.

Examples of complex carbohydrates are starches.

Polysaccharides and glycogen are the storage form plants use, which is also how humans store carbohydrate in the liver or muscle tissue.

Through digestion, polysaccharides and disaccharides are broken down into monosaccharides.

The glycemic index or GI is the rate at which a carbohydrate raises blood sugar, blood glucose levels, and in turn, the rate in which insulin increases, which signals carbohydrates to be stored as glycogen in the muscle and liver.

Carbohydrates higher in fiber have a lower GI due to extending the amount of time it takes to digest the food.

Suppose you consume a surplus of carbohydrates and we are in a positive energy balance. In that case, these extra calories from carbohydrates will be converted in the liver to fat for storage in the fat cells.

On the other hand, if we’re in a negative energy balance, then the extra carbohydrates can be used immediately for energy or the stored form, glycogen, can be released from the liver and muscle for energy.

Simply put, it isn’t carbohydrates that cause people to gain weight. It’s the excess consumption of them that puts individuals in a calorie surplus that causes problems.

Because carbohydrates are the preferred energy source, when we train at higher intensities, it’s the only energy source above our anaerobic threshold or doing intense weight training. It’s important to consume carbohydrates before and after exercise.

Also, for exercise sessions lasting more than one hour, carbohydrates should be consumed during the workout to maintain blood glucose levels.

We need to consume carbohydrates during longer training sessions because the body cannot maximally burn fat without enough carbohydrates to keep the energy cycle or Krebs cycle going. Think of it this way, fat burns in the carbohydrate flame, and we need to keep the fire stoked to keep burning fat.

Carbohydrates are also important to help recover from exercise and refill glycogen stores. To maximize recovery, a person should consume 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight within 30 minutes of completing an exercise.

Waiting to eat carbohydrates by two hours can decrease the total muscle glycogen stores by 66%. Carbohydrate intake should make up 45%-65% of the total calorie intake, depending on how much someone is exercising and their preferences.

A common question I get is, do carbohydrates make me fat? The short answer is no. Overeating any macronutrient will lead to weight gain. Carbs provide energy for high-intensity exercise and are required for us to metabolize fats.

This is why runners crash when they exhaust their carbohydrate stores.

They also spare protein as a fuel source allowing the protein to be used for repair. And carbs provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

However, when we consume too much sugar, refined, processed carbs, and high glycemic foods, it can lead to uncontrolled spikes in blood sugar, low energy, and increased appetite making it hard not to overeat.

Fiber. Another essential carbohydrate is fiber. Even though fiber isn’t a source of energy, it has many other beneficial properties, such as providing bulk in the diet and helping with satiety or feeling fullness and maintaining good intestinal motility.

Higher fiber intake is associate with a lower incidence of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Fiber helps regulate the body’s absorption of glucose and has a stabilizing effect on blood glucose levels for up to five hours after eating.

It is recommended that a diet contains 38 grams of fiber for men per day and 25 grams per day for women.