Carbohydrates are one of the three Macronutrients.
Primary function
Carbohydrates carry four calories per gram, and you’ll get it in fruits, starches, grains. Their primary function is to support energy levels and provide enough fibre to aid digestive health and help the absorption of nutrients.
Why do carbs have a bad name
Despite the carbophobia brigade doing their best to make us all never put a bowl of pasta in front of us again because “carbs make you fat”. The whole idea that carbs drive fat gain doesn’t add up. Thank God for science! Yes, excellent clinical control trials have shown that the one variable that causes weight gain and loss is CALORIES, not carbohydrates or fat while we’re at it.
Let me explain; every well-conducted study that has tested different diets and compared diets against each other, including high carb vs high fat, vegan vs vegetarian, Paleo vs the Mediterranean, etc., has come to the same conclusion – CALORIES alone are the sole predictor of weight gain.
Daily carbohydrate intake requirements based on intensity and activity in g/kg
Adapted from Thomas et al. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Mar.
Article by: Declan Doyle PhD Scholar & Combat Fuel Nutritional Expert.
