The Carbohydrate Game

After working with a client the other day, I realized that carbohydrates play a double-edged sword to people trying to either lose weight or gain endurance.

When eaten in excessive amounts, carbs will definitely be stored as fat, yet eating too few carbs and training intensely for any length of time can become quite difficult. In a nutshell, if you avoid carbs you will become fatigued easier and will be starving the body of needs, but if you are a spaghetti hound you will blow up in weight.

I have found, being in this field for nine years, that counting total calories and carbohydrate intake is the best way to help build lean muscle. Try and eat more of your daily total of carbs in the morning or after your workouts. (unless you are working out late at night) If you break up your daily meals into five or six small meals, it will be hard to over consume carbohydrates at any one sitting.

Try these:

1. Avoid refined carbs (sugars)
2. Minimize carbs without fiber, such as white bread or white flour pasta.
3. Eat carbs with fiber such as grains.
4. Eat carbs after training, your optimal window for carb breakdown to glycogen (energy) is 20-50 minutes. (be sure to balance with lean protein sources i.e.: chicken, fish, tofu, beans)
5. Do not starve all day, you are setting yourself up for an evening binge.
6. Try to plan evening meals and snacks in advance, don't just grab or shovel it in.
7. Drink plenty of water.

I can't stress the importance of proper nutritional balance enough. If you have any questions as to options of carbohydrates proteins etc., just e-mail me please. I will be happy to talk
with you.

Remember to train and eat smart! You are your own best coach.

Chris Kaiser
Nationally Certified Strength and Conditioning Instructor
cbkexercise@worldnet.att.net