Discover Carbohydrate Importance in Body Building

Perhaps one of the most important keys to body building success is nutrition because it provides the fuel you need not only to survive but also to build muscle and provide energy. For body builders, eating small frequent meals throughout the day will increase metabolism and prevent your body from feeding on muscle mass to maintain energy. You have the carbohydrate importance in body building as well to balance within a diet.

Role of Carbs

Carbohydrate importance in body building is significant as carbs are one of the most significant nutrients your body needs for energy. In fact, carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of fuel because it kick starts your pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that plays a huge role in how proteins and fats are stored.

Insulin’s role in carbohydrate importance in body building is this: This hormone latches onto the carbs and will store them as fat or within the muscle. Plus, the insulin snatches the amino acids that make up protein and uses it for the rejuvenation and repair of muscle cells. It is important to eat the right amount of carbohydrates so that the body uses it as fuel rather than produce too much insulin and end up storing it as fat.

Types of Carbs

When talking about carbohydrate importance in body building, it should be noted that there are two types of carbs – simple and complex. The simple carbohydrates are those that give you an immediate energy release whereas the complex carbohydrates slowly release energy over a period of time.

The complex variety should be consumed throughout the day during your frequent mini-meals to keep you energized. The simple carbohydrates should only be consumed immediately after a workout when your energy stores are depleted and you need an immediate pick-me-up. As you can see, carbohydrate importance in body building can be a bit involved and requires in-depth knowledge of nutrition as well as what foods will provide the best energy bang at the appropriate times.

To give you an idea of the different foods out there that are considered simple carbs, here are a few suggestions: apples, bananas, grapes, pears and pineapple. Complex carbohydrates are many and can be split into two categories – fiber and starch. Some examples of these types of carbs include oatmeal, potatoes, rice, corn, broccoli, lettuce, mushrooms, spinach and peppers.

To accurately interpret carbohydrate importance in body building and strike a healthy balance in your daily diet, it is important to assess your training needs first so then your diet can be arranged to accommodate those needs. The frequency, intensity and duration of your workouts as well as your overall performance body mass goals all play a part in determining the overall carbohydrate importance in body building.