Importance of carbs

[ShZ]

Hey guys,

Just something that has bothered me for a while.. I understand that carbs are the preferred fuel source for unaerobic work. If your muscles are loaded with glycogen you can perform better, thus generate a greater stimulus. Ingestion of carbohydrates triggers the release of insulin which helps absorb the nutrients required for growth. But apart from that, how do they contribute to growth and recovery? I found after being in ketosis for a while you can work out with the same intensity too and amino acids trigger the release of insulin as well. Carbs are so inflammatory and make fat gain so much easier when in a surplus. So, why can't you build muscle as good with a surplus of fats than with carbs?

 

[thethinker48]

You can.

You need calories to grow.

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[old timer]

I think carbs help fuel a workout and for that reason they're beneficial, but they're the one macronutrient that's not essential. Think of the eskimos. One internet site said that birds, caribou, seals, walrus, polar bears, whales, and fish provided all the nutrition for the Eskimos for at least 10 months of the year. Perhaps not optimal, but definitely sufficient to grow muscle.

 

[TrenosaurusRex]

Easier to grow with carbs because the body utilizes energy from carbs so much easier. If on a zero carbs diet,,,,the body must make glucose via gluconeogenesis which in itself requires energy. So again, muscle can be put on but with carbs its more optimal

 

[brutus69]

carbs get such a bad rap. yall think u can eat 1000 calories a day over maintenance and stay lean on fat and protein only.
wont happen.
carbs eaten with everything else slow digestion and complez carbs slow it even more. insulin spikes are irrelevant in mixed meals.
that whole gi thing was done with people eating a carb source by itself after an 8 hour fast or so.
NOT in a regular meal or in a regular day's eating.
but do whatever u want if u think it makes u cool.

 

[LATS]

Too many carbs will make you fat.. Too many fats will make you fat.. Etc etc.. Once you are over your requirement of any nutrient it will backfire.. Personally I'd rather take in too much protein than carbs.. But that me..

 

[kinglewy]

The body uses the glucose stored in the muscle that you are training....if that muscle is depleted of glucose your strength will not be optimal and you wont progress in the strength needed to put on muscle. My strength always drops when carbs are pulled from the diet....and the pumps suck so id say carbs are essential for growing.

I've also always been under the impression that amino acids "piggy back" there way into muscle cells with the glucose causing protein synthesis.

 

[rippedyearround]

I don't like carb because it makes me hungry, which makes dieting more difficult.

This is fine for training with low volume/high intensity. However, as soon as rep requirements are in the 10+ range, or time is being used as an intensity variable, the carbs become very necessary.

Anaerobic glycolysis is the main energy system in the 20-70 seconds range - and it is severely compromised without glycogen.