Can Carbohydrates Provide Extra Energy To Power Through Our Workouts?

When it comes to working out, Carbohydrates will be the key to pushing you to the finish line. When you have nothing left in the tank, carbs are right there fueling you with the extra energy you need to keep going. In the fitness world, carbs have a reputation for aiding people through their workouts. Many athletes, professional basketball players, and regular gym goers use carbs to enhance their energy levels before and during their training sessions.

1 - Why should you eat carbohydrates during workouts?

Carbohydrates are known to increase aerobic performance later on during exercise. If you are training for a long time as an athlete, carbs would be beneficial. For example, when you usually work out, you do a 10-minute cycling session. After the first 10 minutes, you have nothing left in the tank. The next time you train, you eat carbs an hour or two before your session begins. Instead of only having enough energy to do a 10-minute cardio session, you could now push it to 12 minutes or even 15. The moral of the story is carbs provide you extra energy at the tail end of your workout. If you eat the right carbohydrates, your aerobic performance may enhance.

2 - Many athletes eat carbs before and during training

Many basketball players in the NBA eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before their games. There’s a theory that these carbohydrate-filled sandwiches help the players perform better on game day. If that’s the case, why not try it for yourself and get the benefits. During halftime, the players replenish themselves with carbohydrates.

Researchers mentioned, “Peanuts provide high energy levels for lesser consumption levels” (Kirkmeyer and Mattes 2000; Burton-Freeman 2000). “They are also referred to as energy-dense” (Alper and Mattes 2002). This correlates with the idea that peanut butter does help NBA players compete for a long time.