Essential Energy Source: Carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates: Enemy or Essential Source of Energy?


Professional athletes are aware of just how important it is to get the proper nutrients from their food.  Many "weekend" athletes, however, are being led to believe that a low carbohydrate diet is a way to maintain weight.  The sport nutrition field is warning athletes of the dangers of this recent trend.  The number of athletes using a low carbohydrate diet has risen at an alarming rate the last couple of years.  The fact that these diets can have serious long-term complications, and can make weight-loss and weight maintenance more difficult in the future adds to concerns of this low-carbohydrate diet trend.

An essential energy source that all athletes need in order to maintain the stamina to exercise and perform, Carbohydrates play an important role in everyone's diet. A diet deficient in complex carbohydrates increases  without this vital energy, it is much easier for injuries to occur from exhaustion as well as body strain. This is never an advisable outcome, but sadly, it occurs much more often in recent years. A proper diet for an athlete involves consuming quite a few carbohydrates.

Typically, the amount of carbohydrates that are required to be consumed by athletes is much higher than the amount required for people who are sedative. The proper amount of carbohydrates that each athlete needs varies greatly with some requiring much more than others. To determine the exact amount of carbohydrate consumption that you should personally aim for it is important to talk to your sports medicine doctor.

Special circumstances that increase the caloric and energy demand of athletes suggest a change in diet.  Athletes are encouraged to increase their carbohydrate intake for tournaments and competitions. This is to ensure that your body has enough energy to handle the rigours that you are placing upon it during especially strenuous activities. Additionally, there are times when your doctor may recommend you cut back carbohydrate consumption. All serious adjustments to your diet should be carefully monitored by your sports medicine team to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrients.

As the number of fad diets appearing on the markets increases, it is especially important to listen to your health and wellness team. Athletes are recommended to store as much as 15 grams per kilogram of body weight in the form of carbohydrates. This translates into as much as 15 grams for every 2.2 pounds. For an average 180-pound athlete this translates into as much as 1227 grams of carbohydrates.

How are carbohydrates are related to calories? Here is an easy to use conversion. One gram of carbohydrates equals about four calories of energy.

Remember, cutting back on carbohydrate levels can be quite damaging to the body. If your body is not consuming enough carbohydrates, then the body starts using protein as energy. This can be dangerous because protein is designed to help fuel your muscles and provide the muscle mass for the body, rather than simply providing energy for the body. The end result for many who are not consuming enough carbohydrates is an overall weakened condition and less energy to actively engage in the sport of their choice.

An important consideration is who is giving you the advice on your dietary needs. Many coaches do not always know the most up to date nutrition information. This makes it highly risky to simply take a coaches word about how much you should be consuming each day in calories and carbohydrates. In order to achieve the best results possible you can consult with your coach as well as your doctor to work out the best possible solution that has both your fitness goals, athletic goals and your health goals in mind.

Keeping your own personal health as the top priority is vital to ensuring you are as healthy as possible. Remember, it is sometimes necessary to adjust your carbohydrate consumption however; it should always be done with a doctor`s supervision to ensure that you are not potentially damaging your body or your overall health. Your physical safety is a much greater consideration that reducing your carbohydrate intake.



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