While we’ve always heard that building muscle requires eating a lot of carbohydrates, today we see more and more people highlighting the benefits of the ketogenic diet, where carbohydrate intake is reduced to a minimum. So what’s the truth? Do we need carbohydrates to perform well in bodybuilding and gain muscle mass? And in what quantity?
What is the role of carbohydrates?
It is one of the 3 macronutrients, along with proteins and lipids, and they constitute one of the main sources of energy for the body, therefore essential for both daily activities and athletic performance.
They typically represent between 45 and 60% of our total caloric intake, highlighting their importance in a balanced diet.
Role of fuel
Carbohydrates are converted into glucose, a form of sugar that our body efficiently uses to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the “energy currency” of our cells. This energy is necessary not only to allow our muscles to function during physical exertion, such as weight training, but also to ensure the proper functioning of all our vital systems: our brain, our heart, and our nervous system.
Nourish your muscles
They help preserve muscle mass by preventing catabolism, the process by which the body, lacking glucose, begins to draw on its protein reserves, thus affecting muscle recovery and growth. In other words, an adequate carbohydrate intake helps protect and nourish muscles, thereby facilitating muscle gain.
Warning: different types of carbohydrates!
Not all carbohydrates are created equal, and their impact on your health and performance can vary. It’s therefore important to distinguish between the different types of carbohydrates (to prioritize the most beneficial options…).
➜ Simple carbohydrates: to be consumed in moderation
Simple carbohydrates, or fast-acting sugars, are made up of small molecules that are quickly absorbed by the body. They include:
- sucrose (table sugar),
- lactose (milk sugar)
- and fructose (fruit sugar).
While the fructose found in whole fruits can be beneficial due to its fiber, vitamin, and mineral content, sucrose and lactose, especially when consumed in large quantities and in isolation, can contribute to a rapid rise in blood sugar. This can lead to insulin spikes followed by energy crashes, as well as an increased risk of weight gain and metabolic disorders.
âžœ Complex carbohydrates: your diet’s allies
Complex carbohydrates (also called slow sugars) are composed of longer chains of sugar molecules and include starches and fibers.
Found in vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and some cereals, fiber is digested more slowly, allowing for a gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. This characteristic promotes stable and sustained energy, prolonged satiety, and better blood sugar control. Fiber, in particular, plays a crucial role in digestive health and can help prevent certain diseases.
How many carbohydrates per day for muscle gain?
The ideal for macronutrients is to maintain the correct ratio between each one. For carbohydrates, as I mentioned earlier, they should represent approximately 45 to 60% of your total caloric intake.
In general, you know how much protein you need to consume ( between 1.5 and 2 grams per kg of body weight ), knowing that protein represents about 20% of your intake, so you need to consume 2 to 3 times more carbohydrates than protein.
Another approach is to adjust your carbohydrate intake based on your progress, your energy levels during workouts, and your muscle mass gain. If you find you’re gaining too much fat, you might need to reduce your carbohydrate intake. Conversely, if you’re not gaining weight or your energy levels are low, increasing your carbohydrate intake could be beneficial.
Can we do without carbohydrates?
Personally, I advise approaching with caution diets that drastically limit carbohydrate consumption, such as the ketogenic diet (or low-carb approaches).
These diets are popular right now. It’s tempting to follow food trends promoted by influential figures or enthusiastic online testimonials. But it’s important to keep in mind that everybody reacts differently to dietary changes.
A very low-carbohydrate diet may, of course, offer short-term benefits for some, such as weight loss, an improved feeling of fullness, or a boost of energy, but the long-term consequences of such diets should not be ignored.
Restricting carbohydrates often means cutting back on or eliminating a wide variety of foods that are not only important sources of energy but also of essential fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are all vital components of a balanced diet. Restricting them can lead to nutritional imbalances, affecting everything from digestive health and energy management to mental health and the prevention of chronic diseases.
