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This page is always under maintenance. Rules change regularly and it can always be improved. And I am not a saint as a trainer/coach.
No wisdom is absolute, but with this website you should be able to do pretty well at a competition.
For nutritional advice and guidance, consult a nutritionist. This document is a starting point but may vary from person to person.
Basic nutrition: carbohydrates
The bottom layer of the sports nutrition pyramid contains basic nutrition. These are common products that you can buy in any supermarket: vegetables, fruit, dairy, nuts, fish, eggs, whole wheat bread, etc. These form the basis of healthy sports nutrition. In this blog, the focus is on carbohydrate-containing products. What are carbohydrates, where are they found and why are they important for you as an athlete?
What are carbohydrates?
The term 'carbohydrates' is the umbrella term for starch and sugars. In other words: all sugars are carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are sugars.
Sugars can consist of one molecule (monosaccharides) and two molecules (disaccharides). The best-known sugar is a disaccharide called sucrose, or the regular sugar cube. Sucrose consists of two monosaccharides that are linked together, namely glucose and fructose. Two molecules of glucose can also be linked together. The disaccharide is then maltose. When glucose is linked to the third monosaccharide (galactose), the disaccharide lactose is created, also called milk sugar. When hundreds of different molecules of glucose are linked together, a starch is created. There are also some intermediate variants that are not as short as two pieces but also not as long as a starch. This group is also described as oligosaccharides.
Where do carbohydrates come from?
Carbohydrates are found in many different products. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and other grain products such as oatmeal, crackers and quinoa mainly contain starch. Fruit and everything that is sweetened, such as candy, sweet spreads, lemonades, soft drinks and ice cream, mainly contain sugars. Sports nutrition products (drinks, gels, bars) often also consist of a significant amount of sugars. Milk naturally contains a little sugar (milk sugar). Meat, fish, cheese, eggs and poultry do not contain carbohydrates. Nuts contain very small amounts of carbohydrates. Legumes such as beans, lentils and peas contain carbohydrates in the form of oligosaccharides and starch.
What is the function of carbohydrates?
The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy (fuel). The more active you are, the more carbohydrates you need. In addition, the more intensively you exercise, the more your body relies on carbohydrates as a fuel source. Carbohydrates have the property that they can provide energy quickly. This is in contrast to fats, where it takes much more time before they can provide energy, which is of course less convenient during (intensive) exercise.
Your body can store a small amount of carbohydrates, but that capacity is limited. Carbohydrates are stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen (a type of human starch). These supplies are sufficient for an effort of approximately 1.5 hours in most somewhat trained people. Carbohydrates are not only important during exercise, they are also important for daily functioning. Your brain cells can, in contrast to all other cells in your body, only use carbohydrates and not fats as a fuel source.
Will carbohydrates make me fat?
Carbohydrates are very much in the spotlight in the media. They are supposedly bad for you and various books by gurus claim that they make you fat and that they cause diabetes. This is not correct. A surplus of energy ensures that you gain weight in the long term, but not specifically carbohydrates. Carbohydrate-containing products fit into a healthy and varied (sports) diet. Basically, choose the unsweetened, unrefined and whole grain varieties. So fruit instead of juice. Whole grain bread instead of white bread. Brown rice instead of white rice. Muesli instead of cruesli. Whole grain and unrefined products contain more nutrients and much more fibre and therefore form a better basis.
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