Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for the body. Our body’s are only able to store 10-20 calories of carbohydrates per pound of body weight, and a one day fast or few hours of moderate intensity can use up most of these stored carbohydrates. A deficiency in carbohydrates will decrease performance, therefore you must replenish! Here are a few quick tips to help you enhance your performance:
1. Eat low
glycemic index foods before exercising. They are absorbed into the blood stream
at a lower rate which will sustain your energy level. Examples include:
bananas, pasta, fat free milk, plums, and cucumbers.
2. Carbohydrate
ingestion in the range of 30-60 g/hr during exercise appears to delay the onset
of fatigue in trained athletes. Therefore, ingest 30-60 g carbohydrates every
hour of exercise following 1st hr of exercise
3. After
exercise, ingest 0.5 g carbohydrates per pound body weight within 1 hr after a
training session ends. (Ex: a 130 lb female would need 65 g
carbohydrates post exercise)
4. Eat high glycemic
index foods after you exercise.
These foods increase blood sugar quickly and are absorbed and stored by
the body for your next training session.
Examples of these foods are:
watermelon, cheerios, total cereal, baked potato and dates.
Estelle L. Benoit, RD, LDN