Carbohydrates: necessary or harmful?

Athletes, in their eagerness to find more effective ways to achieve their goals, are always attentive to all the information about foods or more effective ways to train that circulate in gyms and on the networks. Much of this information is true and beneficial, while other information, although presented as scientific, confirmed in practice or "miraculous", spreads erroneous theories that can harm not only the athlete's physical performance, but also his health.

In this topic we will talk about the myths and true opinions that we have heard the most in relation to food for the practice of "fitness". To get into this subject, in this presentation we will try to refute some of the comments that do not recognize the primordial role of carbohydrates in the diet of athletes.

Do all carbohydrates cause blood sugar disorders?

One of the negative approaches to the use of carbohydrates in the diet is to associate their consumption with the onset of type 2 diabetes. In order to convince us of this, they do not mention the nutritional differences between the different types of carbohydrates, attributing to all of them certain negative qualities that in reality only a part of them possess.

It is true that after eating rapidly assimilated simple carbohydrates (such as sugary soft drinks, sweets and refined grains), glucose "blood sugar" levels rise rapidly and then fall sharply; and that frequent consumption of excessive amounts of these foods when done on a regular basis is associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

However, when complex carbohydrates (fruits rich in fiber, whole grains (oatmeal, bread, rice, breakfast cereals) and legumes are consumed, digestion slows down, causing the carbohydrates to break down into glucose molecules and pass into the bloodstream gradually, providing the body with the continuous supply of energy essential for the performance of physical and intellectual activities.

Therefore, to avoid blood sugar peaks caused by the consumption of simple carbohydrates, instead of eliminating or reducing carbohydrate intakes, the important thing is to reduce simple carbohydrate intakes as much as possible; and if we are not diabetic, we are not obese and we do not lead a sedentary life, we should eat enough complex carbohydrates, these will provide us with the energy and nutrients essential for muscle growth.

Are carbohydrates the main responsible for obesity?

Many misinformed people think so, since they have heard many times that "we should not consume large amounts of carbohydrates at dinner" or that "carbohydrates accumulate in our body in the form of fat"; statements that although they are true, do not mention the important role that carbohydrates play in our diet, nor the ways in which we can avoid their possible negative effects on our health.

Obesity is a chronic disease of multifactorial origin, where the excessive consumption of nutrients (all nutrients and not carbohydrates in particular) and a sedentary lifestyle play a determining role. This means that even if you do not eat any type of food rich in carbohydrates, if you follow for a long period of time, a diet of proteins and fats that provides greater amounts of energy than your body demands, you run the risk of becoming overweight and obese.

But if you eat the recommended amounts and types of carbohydrates as part of a diet that includes healthy proportions of fats and proteins, and you do not have any underlying chronic conditions, you are not at risk of obesity if you lead a physically active life.

Of course, at dinner you should not eat too many carbohydrates, nor too many fats and proteins either, because our body requires less energy to function during the hours of rest, and all excess energy is stored in the form of fat, regardless of whether they are the result of excessive consumption of carbohydrates, fats or proteins.

Is protein the only macronutrient that boosts the response of physical training to the athlete's muscular development?

Of course not, although proteins enhance the repair and growth of muscle tissue and perform other important functions in the body, they provide only a small part of the energy necessary for the muscles to exercise; therefore, in order to achieve a very intense physical training, it is essent