Final Essay

Ever feel exhausted in the middle of training or even too tired to get up and motivate yourself to go workout? Low energy could be due to not enough carbohydrates consumed or even too much, causing blood sugar to be decreased as a response by the endocrine system. To train for an extended duration of time, especially periods of high intensity, athletes would require adequate amounts of calories to meet the energy demands of exercise. Inadequate energy intake can lead to loss of muscle mass and bone density (Kleiner 2013). Athletes need to consume an appropriate amount of calories to maintain body weight and maximize hypertrophy of muscles and fat loss. Carbohydrates, in particular, are essential to energy production and just cellular function

Studies show that athletes usually exceed their dietary reference intakes (Kleiner 2013). Some bodybuilders estimate to have a caloric intake in excess of 6000 calories daily which is almost triple the DRI of an average person which is about 2000 calories for women and 2700 for men. The amount of nutrients you need is dependent on a number of factors such as age, gender, and activity level. Carbohydrates are important when replenishing glycogen storage after an intense workout (Maiorana 2002). Usually, after exercise, the body is more insulin sensitive due to the body’s natural response to

They usually follow diets where only about half of the total daily calories come from carbohydrate because usually 6-7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight are required daily. Many bodybuilders follow a diet low in carbohydrates because they believe it promotes faster weight loss. These diets deplete glycogen which the body uses as a form of storage for carbohydrates. If the body’s glycogen stores are emptied then the body begins to use protein as its primary source of energy. The protein is pulled from muscle tissue to meet energy demands and forces the body into a catabolic state. “Many fitness-minded people think carbs will make them fat. Which is a myth that is partially responsible for unbalanced strength-training diets, which are typically too high in protein,” Rodriguez says. To maintain a healthy weight and build muscle mass the secret is to select natural complex carbohydrates that are close to its natural form. Whole food carbohydrates are much better than refined and processed carbohydrates that we usually find in modern