What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are basically sugars that provide the body with energy. Your body is designed to break carbohydrates down quickly and efficiently. Contrary to what some people understand, carbohydrate rich foods in their natural state are low in calories and high in fibre. Carbohydrates contain about 4 calories per gram.

Function of Carbohydrates?

The main function of carbohydrates is to provide your body with energy. Carbohydrates usually provide about half of your body's energy when you're resting or performing a low-level activity.

How Carbohydrates function in our bodies?

When carbohydrates are in our body, they are being broken down and used as energy. When the body doesn't need to use the carbohydrates for energy, it stores them in the liver and the muscle tissues as glycogen. When the liver and muscle cells cannot store anymore glycogen, the excess is stored as fat. When your body needs a quick boost of energy, it converts glycogen into glucose (energy) but when it needs a prolonged burst of energy, it converts fat to energy.

Types of Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are divided into 2 groups: Simple and Complex

Simple Carbohydrates

• Monosaccharides
  • Glucose
  • Galactose
  • Fructose
• Disaccharides
  • Sucrose
  • Lactose
  • Maltose

Complex Carbohydrates

• Polysaccharides
  • Starch
  • Fibre
  • Glycogen
    

Glucose is a natural sugar found in food. Glucose also goes by the name dextrose or blood sugar. You are sure to find this in many weight gain powders, sports drinks and creatine transport formulas.

Fructose is also known as fruit sugar. It is mainly found in fruits and honey and in some energy drinks mainly designed for endurance athletes. It is also used in some supplements as a sweetener since it is the sweetest of all the simple sugars. The absorption of fructose into the blood stream is much slower than that of glucose. Fructose doesn't replenish muscle glycogen levels like other carbohydrates, but it can raise depleted liver glycogen levels.

Galactose is unlike the other simple carbohydrates as it is not found in plants but is found in milk.

Sucrose or table sugar is the most widely available but also the most damaging so try to reduce or eliminate this from your diet.

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Lactose, found in milk and dairy products, is well known since many individuals especially from Asian and African countries do not posses the enzyme lactase to properly digest this sugar. Most supplements are either very low or lactose free now to help overcome this problem.

Maltose is also known as malt sugar and is found in cereals, beer, and germinating seeds,

Starch is also known as complex carbohydrates and can be found in such foods as bread, grains, pasta, rice, cereal, potatoes, and beans. Complex carbohydrates provide the best energy source of all carbohydrates.

Fibre is considered a non starch polysaccharide or in more simpler terms as dietary fibre. Unlike the other carbohydrates, fibre cannot be digested as it is resistant to digestive enzymes in the human body. Fibre is found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and nuts. Consuming a high fibre diet helps prevent such diseases as colon cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and can help lower LDL cholesterol levels.