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All Carbs Good for Athletes |
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Written by Superhuman
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Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
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There are no bad carbs for intensely training athletes. The kind of carbohydrates you eat, however, depend on ...
whether you are training, recovering from training, or doing normal daily activities. Thomas Nesser from Indiana State University discussed dietary strategies for athletes that maximize performance, recovery, and metabolic health. Carbohydrates are the most important fuels during exercise at intensities above 65 percent of maximum effort. Carbs are also critical during recovery for restoring glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels in the liver and muscles. Choose high glycemic index foods during and after training and lower glycemic index foods during the rest of the day. Glycemic index is a measure of how fast a food increases blood sugar. Examples of high glycemic index foods are honey, table sugar and corn flakes, while low glycemic index foods include peanuts, kidney beans and apples. Consuming protein with carbohydrates during and shortly after exercise promotes recovery and reduces muscle damage. A good post-exercise supplement might include 50 grams of carbohydrates and 25-50 grams of protein. It’s important to take the supplement during the first 45 minutes of recovery to maximize muscle and liver glycogen replacement. Careful consideration of sports nutrition principles will help you recover faster and maximize perfpormance. (NSCA Performance Training Journal, 6: 17-19, 2007)
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