Day 69...Carbohydrates Part 2

A snooze button huh?  Alright, I warned you people...there's some science behind nutrition...and besides, I'm kind of a science geek.

Moving on in the world of CHO...

Complex Carbohydrates - These CHO are made up of many sugar molecules often linked in very long and complicated carbon chains.  There are oligosaccharides and polysaccharides...and that's all I've got to say about that.  I don't want to put you to sleep!

Complex CHO that are found in foods are referred to as starches.  We know 'starchy' foods as white rices, potatoes, breads, etc.  Are starches bad?  Well...there are good sources of starch and not-so-good sources.  Glycogen is a form of starch, as well as being the storage form of CHO in the human body.  So let's take a look at Glycogen...

Glycogen is also referred to as animal starch.  It is not found in plant foods, and it is a readily available source of energy for muscles, and is critical for fueling performance while performing moderate- to high-intensity exercise.

So there you have it...some very basic science...and I mean basic...behind the carbohydrate.  If you are truly wanting to understand how to eat properly, then it is necessary to know some of this relatively boring stuff.  But now let's move on to the effects of CHO in our bodies, and how they impact our performance.

But before we move on...I want you to try a little science experiment.  It never really pays to learn scientific 'stuff' unless you can put it to some form of practical use...right?  This little experiment will help you understand the boring stuff you have just learned.  Are you with me?  Good.

We are going to experience the digestion of a starch into sugar.  Oooh...sounds exciting huh?  So go grab a plain saltine cracker...you know, the ones that you used to eat with soup.  Do your best to brush off some of the salt, then take that cracker and chew it up...don't swallow yet...keep chewing until it actually begins to taste a little sweet.  The digestive enzymes in your mouth have begun to break down the long chains of sugar molecules into simple sugars...glucose, and the highly stimulating maltose.  I know, its amazing huh?  

Ok...enough fun...let's get back to work.  Oh sorry, that was the teacher in me sneaking out.  What are the functions that CHO play in our bodies?  How do they affect overall health?  What role does fiber play in the body?  What do 'Low Carb' and 'Net Carb' mean? What is the Glycemic Index?

If these questions sound intriguing to you, then you are in the right place.  If not...this is a good time for you to 'X-out' and sign back in another time.  

Some of you may have heard me say this before..."Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame." What that means is that CHO must be present to metabolize fats at the rapid rates required to support the caloric demands of exercise and sport competition.  Fat stores provide significant amounts of energy for the body...but they cannot be used (oxidized) without the presence of CHO...they have an interesting relationship.  Yet, many fad diets recommend reducing or eliminating CHO from the diet to stimulate the utilization of fat by 'tricking' the body into burning greater quantities of fat.  What I want you al to understand is that those practices are not sustainable, nor are they healthy.

Sorry, I got off on a little tangent there.  Let's get back to the functions of CHO.  CHO are the only macronutrient that can provide energy during anaerobic activities such as sprinting and many forms resistance training.  So how do we know if we are operating in an anaerobic state?  If you are exercising, and cannot hold a steady conversation with your 'treadmill neighbor' then you are likely anaerobic at that time.  It is during those bouts of exercise that fat plays a minimal, and often times, non-existent role in energy production...CHO is King!  Last but certainly not least..CHO are the primary source of energy for the nervous system.  This means that if you want your nervous system to operate efficiently, CHO must be present in your diet.

Ok, that's enough for one day.  In my next post, I will address how CHO affect overall health, and also talk a little about fiber.  

Sound good?