So You Think You Can Exercise Without Carbs?

You've been searching for a new way to up your game, maybe you're a runner or maybe you lift weights. A quick search through Instagram tells you that carbs are OUT. They're bad baby, keto is in and your body is going to use fat to perform at its best. Oh and those white carbs? Those will make you gain weight and have no health value. What could go wrong?

Hitting a plateau in sport can feel really scary and often leads us to try extremes. Instead of small tweaks to training, we try to make big leaps, thinking that if what we were doing wasn't working we need a complete overhaul. One big leap too many athletes take is overhauling their diet and trying to eliminate foods that are "unhealthy". Now, sometimes there are big changes that need to happen to help us reach our goals. However, thinking that your diet needs to be "clean" or that you need to get rid of an entire food group will only hurt your chances as an athlete. Start small and ideally start with something backed by science.

No matter your level of athletics, you need variety and you need to eat enough to fuel both your activity AND your recovery. And for the lady, perhaps a salad?

Perhaps not. So what's the biggest mistake people make when they want to improve their performance? Cutting out carbohydrates. Did you know that your brain and red blood cells operate SOLELY on glucose aka broken down carbohydrates?! Seems kind of important if you ask me.

Carbohydrates play several roles in our bodies.

1. They give us energy!! Carbs are the primary source of energy that our bodies use during exercise.

2. Help us absorb water. Ever wonder why Gatorade has so much sugar? Sugars/carbohydrates in Gatorade help us to absorb more water into our cells, which is key after a long, hot practice.

3. They act as stored energy for later use. This means that when we perform longer bouts of exercise, our bodies can use that stored up carbohydrate to help us to play longer at the same intensity.

4. They play an important role in recovery. Your body is always thinking ahead. It will refill your carbohydrate stores in your liver and muscle before it goes in to rebuild the muscle that you broke down during your workout.

Let's bring it back to that little plateau you're experiencing. One of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your performance is to make sure that you are consuming enough carbohydrates. If you usually workout fasted, try adding a small dose of carbohydrates before your workout. Not only does taking in carbs pre-workout help you feel better during your workout, it also helps ensure you don't go to the well with those stored carbohydrates. By topping off the stored carbohydrates BEFORE you workout, your body will have to do less work to get to the muscle building phase of recovery. If your stomach gets upset easily start small, with an applesauce or plain toast with jam, you can even take a few sips of a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade to add some carbs to your system!

Post-workout? Now, I know it's hard to believe, but protein is not the only thing that matters for recovery. Remember, we have to refill our carbohydrate stores first before our body uses protein to build muscle. If you've been extra sore for several days following your big workouts or feel as though you aren't progressing as fast as you thought you would be, EAT THOSE CARBS. Adding a source of carbohydrates after you workout is huge for gaining muscle and for recovering properly.

But, refined, white carbs are bad right? Nope. Big ol' lie over here. Complex carbohydrates (like those in whole wheat products or whole grains like barley or brown rice) have more fiber, which is awesome for general health and keeping your digestive system healthy. White carbs, simple carbs or refined carbs are often touted as "bad" or "unhealthy" carbs, but these have a place too! Refined carbohydrates like those in gummies and white breads are easy to digest and give us almost instant energy. These are your go-to for pre-workout fuel and can also be helpful in combination with protein after a workout to get that carb quota!

What did we learn:

1. Carbs are friends. They are absolute essentials for performing at our best and helping us recover properly.

2. Adding carbs pre-workout can increase our energy during activity AND put us in a better spot to recover post-workout. Try eating simple carbohydrates like gummies, applesauce or toast with jelly before you workout and see how you feel!

3. White carbs/simple carbs/refined carbs are still welcome to the party. These are easily digestible, giving us instant energy without the stomach ache that can sometimes come from too much fiber pre-workout.

Have more questions about how to incorporate carbohydrates into your fueling plan? Check out the scheduling page and book a session or sign up for a 30-minute fuel plan review to learn more about how to tailor your carbohydrate intake to meet your needs!