Today’s topic covers an important subject to many and to me, and one that very important in the off season – carbohydrates!
One question often thrown forward by trainers/bodybuilders alike: is a carb a carb? Can a simple sugar drink make you fat whilst a pile of brown rice keep you lean? Well today we thought we’d look into it and suggest our take on it!
First of all we need to say what different types of carbs there are – simple and complex carbs. To quote Wikipedia:
Carbohydrates are chains of sugar molecules. Simple carbohydrates are chained only a few molecules in length. They are easily broken down into single molecules providing quick and short energy.
Complex carbohydrates are long chains. They have many sugars attached and are often folded into different shapes, normally for storage. These carbohydrates provide a slow and steady release of energy as their break-down is slower and prolonged.
So, do complex carbs allow better weight loss than simple carbs?
Studies done comparing complex and simple carbohydrates when all macronutrients remained balanced (e.g. they were all the same percentages) revealed weight loss was exactly the same between a control group on complex and the simple carb group – that was to say there was no difference the average weight lost and importantly for bodybuilders, muscle mass.
What about body composition?
In terms of fat lost and muscle levels gained/lost again, there is no marked changes in body composition. Again, a key aspect for bodybuilders.
What about high GI foods making me hungry?
Indeed, in other studies done where the glycemic index (defined as a number representing the ability of a food, relative to that of glucose, to increase the level of glucose in the blood) was tested, comparing the different GI levels of food, no change was found in higher and lower GI food and indeed in terms of fullness, perceived hunger etc. – there was no difference found when the same levels of macronutrients were consumed.
Surely carbs have an effect on exercise performance?
Surprisingly (to me!) no! When tested it has been shown there is not a difference between the types of food and performance. Indeed, where carb levels in the diet and thus body is constant, there is no marked change between types.
You may find one is easier to consume and thus sit in the belly and not feel ill as you train, but that’s perhaps the limit in terms of difference in performance when in the gym.
We found this all quite interesting ourselves as for years we believed eating ‘cleaner’ food was indeed better for the body. Now however we can see differently. We tend to stick to the ‘cleaner’ foods as we enjoy eating them more but the reality is stark – there is no marked difference between the types of carbohydrates!
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