Which Carbohydrate Source Is Best for Sports Performance?

Carbohydrates are essential for sports performancebecause they provide the main energy intake during exercise. Adequate carbohydrate intake helps sustain training levels, delays fatigue, supports aerobic and strength performance, improves muscle-mass gains and promotes recovery between training sessions and competitions. Adequate intake before, during and after physical exercise is therefore essential.

In general, the main carbohydrate sources are grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes and sugars, along with athlete-specific sources such as gels, drinks, bars and recovery products. The best source is not always obvious because it depends on the objective.

How Should We Choose Sources Before, During and After Exercise?

Pre-exercise intake should provide simple and complex carbohydrates as an easily absorbed, low-fiber energy source. Whole grains, legumes and excessive amounts of fibrous vegetables should therefore be avoided, while refined grains should be prioritized (white rice, pasta, white bread and potatoes) along with rapidly absorbed sugars such as jam, honey, carbohydrate-rich drinks and carbohydrate bars , among others.

During exercise, consume simple, easily absorbed carbohydrates with no fiber. Foods with a liquid or semi-liquid consistency, such as gels, may be optimal because they cause less gastrointestinal stress: they do not require chewing or mechanical digestion to break food into smaller particles as solid options do. Liquid and semi-liquid options are also absorbed more quickly and easily, so they are the main choice when exercise is not extremely long. During very long exercise sessions, such as an Ironman, solid carbohydrate options can be included because there is enough time to digest the solid food and absorb it. During exercise, options may therefore include carbohydrate-rich drinks, carbohydrate gels and carbohydrate-rich bars, or solid preparations such as rice bars or gummies when exercise is prolonged.

After exercise, the aim should be to include simple carbohydrate sources that restore glycogen as quickly as possible. Options of different consistencies—liquid, semi-liquid or solid—that are easy to digest can be selected. This allows solid servings such as fruit, bars and sandwiches to be combined with liquid servings such as carbohydrate-rich drinks, shakes and juices. When competitive events are repeated with little time between them, however, liquid or semi-liquid options should be prioritized to facilitate absorption.

Which Carbohydrate Sources Should We Choose for Other Meals?

Beyond intake before, during and after exercise to promote performance, carbohydrate-source selection may depend on the athlete's energy needs. We can distinguish between two situations:

1. Calorie-Surplus Situations or High Energy Needs

These situations may arise in: i) athletes with high training volume and energy expenditure; ii) athletes with a large body size and high energy needs; iii) competitive periods with high energy needs; or iv) muscle-hypertrophy goals with a corresponding calorie surplus.

In these cases, prioritize food options that provide a greater amount of carbohydrate in a smaller volume, with soft consistencies and without excessive fiber. Some simple, practical examples include: i) using purées, such as potato purée, instead of the whole food; ii) blending preparations, such as hummus instead of whole chickpeas; iii) choosing “soft” options that permit greater intake without gastrointestinal stress, such as sliced bread instead of whole-grain bread; iv) choosing liquid preparations, such as juices and carbohydrate-rich drinks; and v) including foods rich in simple carbohydrates, such as breakfast cereal and honey.

2. Low-Calorie Diet Situations or Lower Energy Needs

We may also encounter situations in which athletes must reduce or regulate energy intake and avoid excessive carbohydrate intake. Examples include: i) periods of a low-calorie diet to reduce body weight; ii) rest days with no training; and iii) periods outside the competitive season.

In these cases, recommendations are the opposite of those above. The athlete needs options with greater volume, more fiber and a firmer consistency to produce greater satiety. Simple examples include: i) prioritizing whole fruit and vegetables over juices and purées or soups; ii) prioritizing firm or whole foods over softer foods, such as whole chickpeas instead of hummus, toast or crackers instead of sliced bread, and rice cakes instead of cooked rice; and iii) reducing foods rich in simple sugars, such as carbohydrate drinks and cereal.

Conclusions

Carbohydrates are essential for sports performance. The primary carbohydrate sources may vary, however, according to the situation—for example, before, during or after exercise, or during diets with high or low energy intake.

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AUTHOR

Lucas Jurado Fasoli – PhD in Biomedicine (UGR). Dietitian-Nutritionist. Postdoctoral researcher at the Joint University Institute of Sport and Health and the Department of Physiology, University of Granada.