| Every body builder knows that carbs are the primary | | | | carbohydrates types. Carbs are essentially of two |
| source of workout energy. In fact, carbs not only | | | | types, complex carbohydrates and simple sugars. |
| provide energy for the workout sessions, but for the | | | | Simple sugars are ingested from processed foods, |
| innate and unconscious bodily functions as well. This | | | | candy, fruits and even from some vegetables. These |
| article looks into the role of carbohydrates in | | | | two are digested differently and they stimulate |
| determining our metabolism processes, not in giving | | | | different reactions in the metabolism. For simple |
| energy peruse. The question is, how do | | | | sugars, there is a bust and boom of the blood sugar |
| carbohydrates in their various forms and types | | | | curve since they are easily digestible and absorbable |
| determine our metabolic process? | | | | into the bloodstream. The curve is not only steep in |
| Carbohydrates are quickly converted to glucose, | | | | gradient but also shorter because within a few |
| which is alternatively referred to as the blood sugar. | | | | minutes, all the simple carbs have been absorbed into |
| Glucose is used in two ways once it is absorbed into | | | | the blood and used up or converted to other forms, |
| the blood stream. One, it is taken to the muscle sites | | | | a mild health hazard to say the least. |
| for synthesis into energy. Secondly, it is further | | | | To combat the rise in blood sugar, which can get too |
| converted to glycogen, a chemical substance usually | | | | high until the brain and other organs are paralyzed, |
| stored in the muscle cells and in the liver as an | | | | the body produces large quantities of insulin. Insulin is |
| emergency measure against lack of energy in the | | | | the hormone that converts the blood sugar into |
| body. If for instance the food supply is short of | | | | other forms of energy, and regulates the amount of |
| carbs, and the body builder is involved in high intensity | | | | sugar in the blood at any given time. The insulin can |
| exercises, it is the glycogen that is called forth to | | | | be produced to combat the excess sugars ingested |
| supplement as a source of energy. | | | | through simple carbs to even abnormal levels thereby |
| This therefore necessitates the constant energy | | | | causing the sugars to be reduced again, beyond the |
| storage of the stand-by glycogen levels as an | | | | required levels. Another hazard. Now you know why |
| emergency energy source for the unknown future. In | | | | simple sugars are frowned upon by the heath |
| normal metabolic processes, the body evaluates the | | | | experts. |
| energy needs of the day or moment, and then | | | | Complex carbohydrates on the other hand offer a |
| assigns a particular portion for storage as glycogen | | | | long term source of energy since their break down |
| while the other portion is taken to the muscles as a | | | | more is slower. It takes time for the complex carbs |
| direct source of energy. The more cabs you eat, the | | | | to broken down and absorbed into the blood stream |
| more glycogen is stored since the blood sugar must | | | | and hence their blood sugar curve is not only lees in |
| be maintained at a constant regulated level, not too | | | | gradient but also longer, and thus a long term energy |
| high and not too low. | | | | source. This is healthy and very ideal for a body |
| The second variation in metabolism that occurs after | | | | builder who needs a sustained provision of energy. |
| ingesting carbs into the system is based on | | | | |