In order to make the best use of your dietary carbohydrates, the timing of carbohydrate consumption can play a pivotal role in optimizing glycogen stores to enable optimal performance and recovery.
Many athletes are aware of the importance of consuming pre and post-workout meals. However, there are also some great advantages associated with intra-workout carbohydrate intake.
Benefits of Intra-workout Carbs:
- Prevent depletion of muscle glycogen mid-workout, promoting maintenance of training intensity and allowing for extended workout duration
- Provide a surge of energy to enable greater maximal work output, essentially allowing one to lift more weight for more sets/reps, maximizing the capacity for muscle tearing and subsequent hypertrophy
- Balances blood glucose, sustains insulin levels, further stimulates growth hormone and prevents excessive cortisol spiking; each of which contribute to optimal protein synthesis while avoiding unnecessary muscle breakdown
Who benefits most from Intra-workout carbs?
- Athletes training with high-intensity
- Anyone wishing to partake in long bouts of exercise without mid-training crash
- Anyone following a low to moderate carbohydrate diet, where carb timing becomes essential to performance.
What type of carbs are best?
Fast-digesting, high-glycemic carbs. Preferably, those which create a fast insulin-spike without a fast ‘crash.’ Karbolyn is a great option for high-performance athletes in search of an energy-sustaining intra-workout carb source.