Carbohydrates are the main source that the body
draws energy from. The body requires carbohydrates each and every day but
should only be consumed in moderation to avoid excessive fat gain. People have
been terming different carbohydrates simple and complex.
1. Simple/ High Glycemic (The
Bad Carbs) :
Being the carbs that hit the
system & converted into energy faster & accumulated. This energy if not
being use immediately, will convert into fat within 3 hours. Using simple carbs foods only for post
workout can benefit you greatly, as we need certain amount of simple carbs to refuel our glycogen level
back into the muscle, but please avoid anything
deep fried and overly sweet stuff (moderation is important).
After training you want the insulin levels to rise causing
the proteins, carbs, and other nutrients to be shuttled into the starving
muscles. Higher GI foods are suggested for this recovery purpose. However, nowadays people use post-workout
supplement to substitute in order to avoid excessive bad carb into the
body. Anything prepared at a restaurant should only be consumed on rare
occasions. The bad sources of carbohydrates includes:
§ Sugars (from high to low: Maltose, Glucose,
Sucrose)
§ Honey
§ Puffed cereals (white rice, wheat, corn, rice cakes)
YES! RICE CAKES
§ Potatoes ( regular russet, instant, mashed, French
fries)
§ Candy
§ Breads (especially white bread, doughnuts,
pizza)
§ Instant products ( instant: rice, oatmeal, wheat,
grits)
§ Carrots, corn, peas
§ Flaked cereals (corn flakes, etc.)
§ Corn chips
§ white pasta
§ Energy Drink ( high sugar content: livita/redbull/
etc)
2. Complex/ Low
Glycemic (The Good Carbs):
Which
enters the system & the energy will released slowly or steadier supply of energy. It will less likely being accumulate in our
body and being store as fat, but will be used by the body from time to time as
we needed. It fuels our body throughout the workout session. These choices of
foods should make up the prime area amount of your carbohydrates. If you
are going to eat before training, you should pick low glycemic carbohydrates.
The good sources of carbohydrates include:
§ Nuts
§ Legumes
§ Fructose (Basic sugar found in fruits)
§ Brown Pasta
§ Dairy ( Ice cream, skim milk, whole milk, yogurt)
§ Dairy ( Ice cream, skim milk, whole milk, yogurt)
§ Fruits (ONLY-plums, peaches, apples, oranges,
pears, grapes, grapefruit)
§ Rice (polished), or brown
§ Sweet potato
§ Oats
§ All-bran
§Most Vegetables ( exceptions- carrots, corn, root
vegetables)
The introduction of the Glycemic Index has
proven to be beneficial in knowing the rates at which certain carbohydrates are
released into the blood stream. The Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly
a particular carbohydrate is formed into glucose and enters the body.
So inconclution, consume complex carbs throughout the day. And keep simple carbs, only after your work out session. Another tips to make it easier to for you guys, is to consume more brown carbs and stay away of the white carbs.
Thanks, see you guys on another post.
Izwan Yusop,
Advanced Personal Trainer