WHAT ARE CARBOHYDRATES?

Basically, all carbohydrates are monosaccharides. But, nonetheless they are not all alike! Carbohydrates are made up of individual sugar components, and are differentiated according to type and number of constituents as follows:

What happens when the carbohydrates hit the blood?
Carbohydrates are broken down to monosaccharides in the intestines, and then enter the blood stream. The glucose level in the blood increases and this triggers a release of insulin. Insulin “removes” the glucose from the blood. The glucose is transported into the muscles and into the fatty tissue.

A lot of glucose -> a lot of insulin -> fast deficiency of sugar
Fructose, however, does not cause a release of insulin, and thus is absorbed by the blood stream slower than glucose. In a mixture with glucose, fructose reduces the insulin reaction, so to speak, and thus prevents a fast drop in glucose level.

Dietary fibres
The fibres delay the emptying of the stomach, and slow down the flow of carbohydrates into the blood. For this reason, the glucose level and the insulin level do not increase as much. Resulting in the supply energy for a longer period of time.

Roughly speaking, dietary fibres are differentiated according to soluble and nonsoluble dietary fibres. Soluble dietary fibres, such as oatmeal, have a favourable water-binding ability, and are easier to digest. They swell up and form a gelatinous liquid, which surrounds the food constituents. Dietary fibres enhance our digestion, contribute to a healthy intestinal flora, and have an overall positive effect on our health. For this reason, we should digest about 30 g of dietary fibre every day. This is the reason why PowerBar Performance and Harvest have been developed on the basis of oats.

Which carbohydrates should be preferred?
Many polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates) rich in starch, such as cereals, bread, noodles, rice (whole grain), potatoes, PowerBar Performance and Harvest. Few monosaccharides, little sugar, such as in sweets, but rather a lot of fruit (fructose!)

Consequences of an insufficient intake of carbohydrates:

When our glycogen stores are well filled by a diet rich in carbohydrates, we can exert ourselves for a longer period of time. However, if the storages are empty, the typical symptoms of “out of energy” occur - the concentration deteriorates, usually accompanied with nausea and dizziness, and you have the feeling that you cannot continue any more… Almost all of us have experienced this at some time. The reason is that our brain is no longer supplied with sugar sufficiently due to an excessively low blood sugar concentration. We are suffering from an acute lack of carbohydrates! In order to prevent this happening, a regular intake of carbohydrates is important during endurance effort over a longer period of time.

Muscle glycogen content and maximum duration of a defined aerobic effort - on the bicycle ergometer - with different diets:

Glycogen storages can be “trained”
By means of specific fundamental endurance training (“slow but over a long period”), the glycogen stores can be increased. By means of a low-fat diet correspondingly rich in carbohydrates, more carbohydrates can be stored which translates into a longer performance at higher intensity during training and competition.

Storing carbohydrates
After hard or extended training or after a competition our carbohydrate stores are depleted, and we need fresh supplies. These supplies of carbohydrates can be stored especially effectively during the first two hours after the end of the exertion. Therefore, it is important to start replenishing our glycogen storage as fast as possible.

• fruit, such as bananas
• energy bars (Tip:PowerBar Performance or Harvest supply a good mixture of single and complex carbohydrates)
• beverages rich in carbohydrates, such as fruit juices (Tip: PowerBar Performance Sports Drink improves regeneration at the same time with amino acids added)
• noodles, rice, potatoes

“Carbo-loading” - super compensation before competitions
Carbo-loading is a special form of carbohydrate storage in conjunction with exhaustive training. In this respect one variant is the complete depletion of the carbohydrate stores (exertion about one week before the competition) is then subsequently replenishment beyond the actual capacity by a diet very high in carbohydrates.

Another variant of “carbo-loading” is the so-called “Saltin diet”. After the depletion of the carbohydrate stores a diet which is rich in protein and fat is taken for 2 or 3 days, prior to a rich carbohydrate diet. Durig these days, physical and mental disturbances may occur, in particular, if the training is continued. For this reason, the “Saltin diet” is rather critical in practice!