Quote:
Originally Posted by cadre
+1 This is why I eat 50% carbs. I do a lot of endurance training and cardio and carbs allow me to run as long as I need to.
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Yeah, I think most athletes realize this. I've read articles about athletes experimenting with low-carb diets only to find it had a negative impact on performance.
The key to exercise is glycogen, which is essentially glucose that is converted into muscle storage. During exercise (especially resistance/weight training), glycogen becomes depleted. Immediately afterward, the body will seek out glucose to replenish the stores in the muscles. The most efficient way to ensure this is by ingesting carbohydrates, and this is why insulin is actually important: it facilitates this process.
Athletes who don't eat enough carbs will have diminished recovery times and possibly will "hit the wall" while training due to low glycogen stores. Glycogen is the primary fuel for muscles. When it cannot be found, it will seek glucose because it is the most readily available fuel source. If the body needs to turn to fat or protein or muscle itself, it does so but not very efficiently.
In recovery, the body will expend many calories to replenish glycogen. This includes both glucose and fat. I'm pretty sure in my case, most of my fat burning happens during recovery, rather than in training sessions themselves. Consider the energy required to convert glucose into glycogen in addition to the protein synthesis required to rebuild muscle tissue.
This is why I'd recommend
intense resistance training sessions mixed in with cardio before I'd turn to diet pills. Forcing your muscles to deplete glycogen really ramps up your metabolism. Add to that the demands for repairing damaged muscle tissue. This is why I tend to eat more while on a program. This is why my carb intake goes beyond 400 g daily. My metabolism is through the roof.