Sports Fitness Training

Carbohydrate, which carries kilocalories per gram, is the macronutrient needed in greatest amounts during training and competition. The primary function of carbohydrates is to fuel the body’s energy to power muscular contractions and numerous physiological functions. This is accomplished via the breakdown of ingested carbohydrate and stored glycogen to its active energy form, glucose.However, relative to fat, the stored glycogen present in liver and muscle is relatively small. This becomes apparent during endurance exercise in particular, where a lack of available energy can be detrimental to performance.

However, endurance exercise is not the only form of training and competition in which carbohydrate depletion can compromise performance; it can also occur during high-intensity exercise as well especially during activities that involve high quantities of repeated anaerobic bouts. This depletion can then trigger a phenomenon known as gluconeogenesis, a process by which additional energy is formed by the synthesis of glucose from protein and fats. Unfortunately, a prevailing disadvantage of this compensatory energy-producing mechanism is the potentialloss of muscle tissue. This, of course, flags the significance of adequate carbohydrate intake and its role in the maintenance of the body’s protein stores.

Furthermore, a dangerous side effect of inadequate carbohydrate intake is impaired central nervous system (CNS) function, considering that the brain uses glucose almost exclusively as its primary fuel. This is apparent during starvation and prolonged endurance exercise, when depleted glycogen stores can induce feelings of dizziness and general malaise. In the case of low-carbohydrate diets, prevalent side effects are symptoms of fatigue, weakness, and hunger Conversely, excess carbohydrate intake can lead to undesired weight gain. Because ingested carbohydrates are converted to muscle and liver glycogen, once their carrying capacity is achieved, the rest is converted to fat. Obviously, this is an unwanted result for those who want to lose weight and improve body composition. It is also critically disadvantageous for those athletes engaged in events in which weight gain can diminish performance (i.e., distance running). Therefore, this signifies the extreme importance of a dietary regimen that strikes a balance between adequate energy production and physique maintenance or improvement.