Nearly all bodybuilders know that carbohydrates are necessary to build muscle mass. As an important source of energy, carbohydrates are valued for their ability to enhance performance, improve muscle structure, and aid recovery. However, it is important to note that carbohydrates do not have the same sources. It is therefore important to choose between low, medium and high glycemic index carbohydrates. This section will present the 5 best carbohydrate foods.
How to choose the right carbohydrates
It has always been said that carbohydrates help adjust calories. This means that it is the carbohydrates, in general, that will help you gain or lose weight. If carbohydrates are consumed too much, it is possible to have a high fat stock. However, if not enough is consumed, there is a risk of rapid depletion. Therefore, the only ideal option is to consume them in the right quantities and to know how to dose them.
To keep it simple, here is an example of a case: a person should follow a 3000Kcal diet for mass gain. Her diet should contain 1g of fat and 2g of protein per kilo of weight. If she weighs 90kg, then the daily dose of fat is 90g and 180g of protein. You should know that 1g of protein provides 4kcal and 1g of fat provides 9kcal. In this case, 1530kcal are already filled. Therefore, to balance the food programme, the remaining 1470kcal will have to be provided by carbohydrates. Carbohydrates will thus serve as a food supplement to reach the daily target.
As mentioned above, carbohydrates can be distinguished and classified according to their glycaemic index. It is advisable to choose carbohydrates with a low or balanced glycemic index as much as possible.
The 5 foods rich in carbohydrates
- Fruit
Thanks to their high fibre and antioxidant content, and low calorie content, fruit is one of the important foods for exercisers. The advantage of fruit is that it can be eaten at any time of the day, according to taste and craving. However, they are not very popular with some people because they contain fructose, a simple sugar component. Theoretically, excessive fruit consumption could stimulate fat storage. But in practice, all excess is harmful. It is therefore wise to balance your intake by eating one or two fruits in the morning, at midday and as an afternoon snack.
Not only for sportsmen and women, but it is good for everyone to eat fruit as a source of carbohydrates. It is also beneficial because of the dietary fibre it contains. However, it should be remembered that eating fruit alone is not enough, which seems right to some.
- Vegetables
Eating vegetables is beneficial to your health, not to mention that they are an important source of vitamins. For the proper functioning of the body as well as to keep it healthy, it is important to provide quality carbohydrates. To put it simply, you need to add more vegetables to your diet and you also need to eat as much of them as you want. There are many vegetables to choose from, but for ease of selection, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, green beans, and tomatoes are of interest in terms of higher carbohydrate content.
- Oats
Compared to the many industrial cereals available on the market,oats are even more excellent. Almost all cereals have undergone modifications, i. e. additions of sugars or sweeteners for example, which is not the case for oat flakes. This is not the case with oatmeal. The main advantage of oatmeal is that it is natural, since it is always advisable to choose unprocessed foods that are beneficial to health. Another advantage of oats is that they can be cooked in a variety of ways, with water or a vegetable liquid, in porridge, or in bowlcake.
Besides, bodybuilders eat a bowl ofoat flakeseach morning to promote their mass gain. Indeed, eating oats at breakfast, or before training will help to accumulate energy, essential for intense exercises.
- Rice
Rice seems a better alternative for those who want to increase their carbohydrate levels at every meal. Indeed, to quickly intensify carbohydrate intake, it is possible to consume rice even very often with their low to moderate glycemic index. To make it easier to choose from the many options available, basmati rice, brown rice and wild rice are interesting. However, rice that is cooked quickly, such as 3 minutes, is not recommended, as it significantly increases the glycaemic index of the food.
Note that 100g of basmati rice is equivalent to 76g of carbohydrates and about 350kcal. These figures show that rice is an advantage for a natural balance of carbohydrates.
- Sweet potato
Compared to the potato,sweet potato is more popular with sportsmen and women to meet their carbohydrate requirements. With its lower glycaemic index than that of potato, it hardly acts on insulin to let energy be released gradually. In addition, having a high amount of macronutrients and holding an antioxidant effect, the sweet potato brings its qualities against cardiovascular disorders, on cholesterol and also the acid-base balance.
Things to remember
To conclude, good carbohydrates (rice, sweet potato,quinoa, etc) are essential for successful muscle mass gain, to obtain more energy, and to organise recovery. Always remember that in case of limitation, it is possible to lose weight but the person will feel tired afterwards. In case of excess, on the other hand, recovery will seem easy for more productive workouts but fat storage will be favoured. So, for optimal muscle building, it is important to find the right balance. The best solution is to opt for natural carbohydrate alternatives and choose foods with a low or moderate glycemic index such as fruits, vegetables, oats, rice and sweet potato.
