ALL IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT CARBOHYDRATES
Among the nutrients, carbohydrates are the most important energy suppliers for our body. In addition to their role as "energy carriers", they are responsible for a variety of metabolic tasks. They can also be converted by the body into fat or glycogen as energy storage forms.
The basic building materials of CARBOHYDRATES are the simple sugars (monosaccharides), the most important of which are glucose, fructose and galactose. A combination of two monosaccharides is called a disaccharide; three to ten monosaccharides form so-called oligosaccharides and more than ten monosaccharides form so-called polysaccharides. The two most important substances in carbohydrate metabolism are glucose and its storage form, glycogen.
Glycogen is made up of a large number of glucose molecules in branched chains. Glucose is the most important sugar circulating in the blood and keeps the blood sugar level largely constant by breaking down liver glycogen. The daily glucose requirement of the brain and spinal cord is around 100 to 150 g.
Due to heavy exertion, the carbohydrate reserves in the form of muscle and liver glycogen are used up within a few hours to days, depending on the intensity. To continue to supply the organs with energy, new glucose is then formed from the body's own protein (muscle) (gluconeogenesis = hormonally controlled formation of new glucose from non-carbohydrate substances).
This loss of muscle mass can be prevented to a certain extent by increasing PROTEIN INTAKE compensate, thereby preserving muscle mass. However, as the body becomes more accustomed to the state of hunger, part of the energy requirement can also be covered by utilizing the breakdown products of fatty acids (ketone bodies). This principle is the basis of the Atkins diet (see: WHICH DIET IS THE BEST? ), in which almost exclusively protein and fat-rich foods are consumed.
However, there is a minimal requirement for carbohydrates (carbohydrate minimum), which is 40 to 50 g of glucose per day. This amount is needed by the body and brain for basic functions.
The common argument that radically eliminating carbohydrates from the diet would cause the body to burn more fat is not always true.
"A REDUCTION OF CARBOHYDRATES TOO MUCH IS OFTEN COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, BECAUSE FATS ARE BURNED IN THE FIRE OF CARBOHYDRATES!" (QUOTE: A. FREY)
There are many athletes who only burn fat effectively when they consume a certain amount of carbohydrates every day. It is not for nothing that they say: "Fats are burned in the fire of carbohydrates!"
However, the amount of carbohydrates needed by each individual should be determined through trial and error and the individual experience gained from this.
THE CLASSIFICATION OF CARBOHYDRATES
| Carbohydrate types | these include | are included in |
| Monosaccharides (simple sugars) |
Glucose Fructose Galactose |
Honey fruit milk |
| Disaccharides (double sugar) |
Sucrose Maltose Lactose |
Household sugar Malt beer milk |
| Oligosaccharides (complex sugars) |
Maltotriose Maltopentose Dextrins |
Sports drinks toast crispbread |
| Polysaccharides (polysaccharides) |
cellulose Glycogen pectin |
potatoes liver Vegetables |
One gram of carbohydrates contains 4.1 kcal. In a normal mixed diet, the carbohydrate content should be between 50 and 60% of the food consumed. However, this value is subject to considerable fluctuations when following different diets (Atkins diet, high-carbohydrate diet, etc.) and can be between 10 and 70%.
Human glycogen stores are around 300 to 400 g. One third of this is stored as liver glycogen and two thirds as muscle glycogen. With appropriate training, i.e. strength training and a targeted diet, muscle glycogen stores can be more than doubled.
The most important carbohydrates in the usual diet are bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, oatmeal, sugar and fruit.
CARBOHYDRATE-RICH FOODS
| food | Carbohydrates (per 100 g) |
| MALTODEXTRIN | 95 |
| cornflakes | 83 |
| rice | 75 |
| Apricots, dried | 70 |
| oatmeal | 66 |
| Beans | 58 |
| Whole wheat bread | 47 |
| Bananas | 23 |
| potatoes | 19 |
| orange juice | 11 |
THE GLYCEMIC INDEX
The glycemic index (GI) is very important for a goal-oriented diet, as you can specifically influence your body's insulin levels by choosing the right foods and taking the GI into account.
INSULIN IS BOTH FRIEND AND ENEMY!
Insulin is one of the most anabolic hormones in our body and is both a friend and an enemy. Friend because it transports nutrients into the muscle cells, has strong anabolic (= muscle-building) properties and can prevent muscle breakdown. Enemy because it stores excess nutrients, i.e. calories that are consumed in excess of the daily requirement, as fatty tissue. When dieting, you should therefore ensure that your insulin level is low in order to ensure an optimal basis for fat loss.
During build-up phases, "insulin peaks" make sense, especially in the morning after getting up and immediately after training, in order to quickly put the body into an anabolic metabolic state. Read more in the article THE INSULIN THEORY .
The glycemic index is a general guideline for how quickly the carbohydrate portion of a food enters the blood compared to glucose and how quickly the blood sugar level rises. In the table below, glucose has been assigned a GI of 100 as a reference value. The glycemic index is subject to individual fluctuations and varies slightly depending on the type of preparation. Foods with a GI > 70 have a relatively high value, i.e. their carbohydrate portion enters the blood relatively quickly.
In general, it can be said that foods with a lot of complex sugars and fiber have a low GI. Eating such carbohydrates does not lead to a significant insulin release, which is why they should be preferred during diet phases. Foods with a lot of simple sugars and a low fiber content, on the other hand, have a high GI, which leads to a high insulin response after consumption. The latter should definitely be avoided in a diet, especially since they not only increase fat storage, but can also trigger cravings due to the strong insulin fluctuations. Complex carbohydrates in the form of whole grain products, fruit and vegetables are broken down slowly and gradually flow into the blood. In a diet, the permitted amount of carbohydrates should consist largely of these in order to keep insulin levels low.
INSULIN LEVELS SHOULD BE INCREASED IN THE MORNING AFTER GETTING UP AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER TRAINING!
As mentioned before, insulin does not only have negative aspects, but can also have advantages. In order to take advantage of these, it must be released specifically at times when there is an increased need for nutrients.
There are two times that are suitable for this: in the morning, immediately after getting up, and immediately after strength training. Here, the intake of short-chain carbohydrates is useful in order to replenish the glycogen stores in the muscles. There is no danger of the carbohydrates being stored as fat due to the increased insulin secretion, as they are first channeled to where they are needed, namely the muscle cells. The increased carbohydrate intake also activates the metabolism, which is particularly beneficial when dieting.
| food | Glycemic Index |
| MALTO 95 | 120 |
| Maltose (malt sugar) | 110 |
| Glucose (dextrose) | 100 |
| French fries | 95 |
| crisps | 90 |
| Honey | 85 |
| cornflakes | 85 |
| White bread | 75 |
| Sucrose (table sugar) | 70 |
| Corn | 70 |
| pasta | 65 |
| Rice, white | 65 |
| Raisins | 65 |
| Bananas | 60 |
| Spaghetti, white | 55 |
| Shortbread | 55 |
| Rice, natural, basmati rice | 50 |
| oatmeal | 45 |
| Beans, red | 40 |
| Apricots, dried | 35 |
| Carrots, raw | 30 |
| Dairy products | 30 |
| Beans, green | 30 |
| Lentils, green | 25 |
| Fructose | 20 |
| peanuts | 15 |
| tomatoes | 10 |
| Onions | 10 |
Knowledge of the glycemic index is the basis for a successful diet and for targeted insulin manipulation. In the article THE INSULIN THEORY the facts and principles of the GI are explained in more detail and implemented in a targeted manner. The Glycemic Index is also one of the principles of COMMUTER DIET represents.