Carbohydrate Cause Weight Gain – You may have heard this around your club or from the friend who seems to know everything about nutrition. However, with some knowledge you can easily dispute this argument. Carbohydrates bind with water… approximately 2.7-4-g water binds each 1 g of glycogen.
So, if we go back to school for a moment – when we consume carbohydrates.. we store this as glycogen.
This means when we consume carbohydrates the natural consequence is weight gain on the scales. Does this mean a permanent weight gain consequence… no. This is a short-term impact on your scales but also another reason why the number on the scales may be misleading. Furthermore, you will only gain weight if you eat more than you total daily intake.
This means you can eat too much protein, carbohydrates and fats in your diet.
We can maximise our milk consumption alongside our sleep routine.
There are so many – from energy, cognitive function and overall happiness.
We typically use carbohydrates as energy source during high-intensity activity. What this means is – you should plan or have an idea of the amount of carbohydrates needed to fuel your sessions. This can range from 6-12g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body mass.
For example. If you weight 70kg and you play football every day – you should consume a minimum of 6g of bodyweight per kilogram.
This looks like: 70 x 6 = 420g of carbohydrates. Please don’t just eat to a number – everyday is different and you may need adjust accordingly. However, if carbohydrates are so bad for you – why do we nearly always want our athlete to eat more?
This is the most important question we should be asking – timing and what type of carbohydrates we should be using.
Think about this:
Monday – Training & gym
Tuesday – Training & gym
Wednesday – Training & gym
Thursday – Training & gym
Friday – Training
Saturday – Match day
Sunday – OFF
What do you think the carbohydrate intake should be? Typically we want to build towards the game – The general week can be similar intake and then close to the match day we should increase our carbohydrates.
Think about your own week – how can you increase the carbohydrate intake based on the needs / scheduling of the week.
There are none.
There is, however, ones with more nutrients.
People like to compare a potato to a packet of Haribo’s or vegetables to sweets.
Why… this daft.
Of course the majority of our diet should come from nutrient-dense foods. But – adding in jelly babies during a run.. with only 4 jellies equalling around 25g of carbohydrates. Nearly the same as a Lucozade.. can help with performance and recovery measures.
My aim is to use all foods to maximise health and performance. If you think you can reach the carbohydrate guidelines without adding in the so called “bad carbohydrates” then you will struggle.
Don’t be afraid – be curious about what you can have.
Now.. there is one consideration which typically athletes and general population struggle to achieve.. optimal fibre intake.
We want an intake of 30g of fibre per day.
Intake of optimal daily dietary fibre is linked to fewer diseases and improves intestinal health. A diet rich in higher fibre foods is to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, improve bowel function and improved gut microbiota, leading to better long term health outcomes.
There are two types of fibre ‘Soluble’ and ‘Insoluble’
Soluble Fibre includes: Oatmeal, beans, nuts, seeds, and peas
Important for digestion, satiation, and linked to better health outcomes
Insoluble Fibre includes: Wholegrain foods, nuts and cauliflower
Important for regular bowel function
Our daily diet should have a mixture of both soluble and insoluble fibre – However, try to avoid high fibre food before training or matches.
Now you know.. carbohydrate have a natural consequence to weight gain but it means little in the long wrong. Try not be afraid of any of food or create a carbohydrate fear.
Use all foods to maximise your performance and recovery… which will support long-term health.
No good nutritionist would demonise carbohydrates.
Physiology, Carbohydrates – PubMed (nih.gov)
Carbohydrates for training and competition – PubMed (nih.gov)
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