Carbohydrates provide energy more quickly than protein and fats. They are the body’s main  energy source . They are the lowest calorie content of all nutrients. One gram  contains 3.75 calories.

If you exercise regularly,  around 60% of your energy should come from carbs. There  are two types of carbohydrates.  Simple carbs are basically sugar, and  they  are found in fruits, veg, milk, honey and sugar;  complex carbs are essentially starches and are found in food such as  whole grains, bread and veg – they are broken down into glucose during digestion, which is absorbed steadily into your bloodstream and used for energy. Simple carbs are broken down quickly   and  provide an instant energy.

How carbohydrates work

Carbs are broken down into glucose which is eventually transported around the body by the bloodstream. This glucose is then absorbed by cells along the way and converted into energy. The hormone insulin tightly controls how much glucose is converted into glycogen, which is stored in muscles. When your body needs extra energy, it dips into these glycogen stores and converts the glycogen into glucose, pushing it into the bloodstream.  The body can only store so much – that’s why so much glucose is stored as fat.

If you muscle cells run out of glycogen, fatigue will set in and your performance will suffer, so it’s important that you eat a meal based around carbs before any training session.

A large part of  an athlete’s diet should be made of carbs-rich foods  such as pasta, rice, cereals, starchy veg, fruit and bread. These provide immediate energy and are vital for mind and body to function properly. The brain, too,  relies on constant supply of glucose  to function properly.

When glucose supplies  run low, your body will start taking proteins from other parts of the body in order to feed the brain, which can  result in you losing precious muscle mass.