The Benefits of Carbohydrates for Athletes – Part 4
In this final installment of why any and every athlete should be eating and enjoying carbohydrates, we will look at how carbohydrates impact sleep, hunger, and appetite, as well as hydration potential in the human body.
IMPROVED SLEEP QUALITY!!
What is never really discussed these days is the powerful role that carbohydrates can have on your ability to sleep better. More specifically, carbohydrates before bed have been shown to improve the onset of sleep and activate what is called the Orexin pathway in humans. Protein definitely helps this cause as well.
According to the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, carbohydrates consumed prior to sleep can decrease the onset of sleep. A common deficiency noted in clinical research is the process of sleep “initiation,” and carbohydrates could be very helpful in this area, especially for those individuals who need to recover and perform at a high level regularly.
DECREASES HUNGER AND APPETITE LEVELS DRAMATICALLY
Ghrelin is a very intricate hormone of our endocrine system that is released primarily from our stomach cells. Once released into our bloodstream, this hormone travels up to the brain, where it binds to its specific receptor site. There is extensive research on this hormone, but the most notable is its role in increasing appetite. Interestingly enough, once we ingest enough carbohydrates, ghrelin levels tend to scale down. Great for you and me. This becomes significant since ghrelin also plays a negative role in metabolic rate and fat storage. 4 In other words eating carbohydrates can help regulate hunger through one confirmed and very influential pathway and also help to boost your metabolism in the process.
IMPROVED HYDRATION LEVELS
Dr. Edmund Burke discusses the value of ingesting enough carbohydrates after an intense training session to help offset inevitable fluid depletion and electrolyte losses in his book titled; “Optimal Muscle Recovery.“ Burke writes: “Research has shown that carbohydrates and sodium work together to increase water absorption in the intestinal wall. Carbohydrates’ component glucose molecules stimulate sodium absorption, and sodium, in turn, is necessary for glucose absorption. When these two substances are absorbed by the intestines, they tend to pull water with them, thus facilitating the absorption of water from the intestines into the bloodstream.” Moreover, carbohydrates are inherently hydrophilic or water-loving by nature. A lack of them affects different pathways in the human body responsible for regulating our hydration levels.
For example, for each gram of glycogen (stored glucose) in our muscle and liver tissue, we store approximately three grams of water. Muscle and liver glycogen stores are pretty substantial, so you can see how this could affect water balance.
Also, when we deplete carbohydrates, there’s a simultaneous decrease in insulin production that can cause the kidneys to excrete more water and thus promote dehydration. Lastly, if you cut carbohydrate intake down low enough to induce ketosis, you create a natural diuretic effect, and a decrease in hydration of just 2-3% can impair athletic performance, according to some research.
And this, of course, makes sense because, according to world-renown training practitioner; Dr. John Rusin, the muscle is actually composed of up to 75% H20, while other figures announce our entire body is composed of approximately 50-60% water. 6 The shear water composition of muscles alone should signal just how vital it is to structural health and performance. And what might the decreases in athletic or fitness performance look like in those that are dehydrated?
“Some of the reasons dehydration affects performance, especially for endurance athletes combined with heat, include reduced plasma blood volume (leading to reduced stroke volume, increased heart rate), a decrease in blood flow to the skin (reducing the sweating response and heat dissipation), and an increase in core temperature.”7,8,9
Moreover, “Dehydration also has cognitive consequences, negatively affecting response time, coordination, tracking, short-term memory, attention, and mental focus (1). Feelings of fatigue take over faster, and more recent research has even shown that dehydration increased brain activity to painful stimuli.” 7,10,11
According to Dr. Edmund Burke, the thirst drive in our body is regulated by two primary factors: blood volume and salt-electrolyte concentrations in our blood. Ideally, we want a healthy balance of each. When we exercise long enough and hard enough to signal perspiration, there is an obvious reduction in water which reduces blood volume levels, with a simultaneous and proportional increase in electrolyte levels to help stimulate thirst. If we opt to drink only water, then the signal of fullness will arrive sooner than necessary.
“In one study, six volunteers underwent two exposures to heat and then engaged in an exercise regimen that caused mild dehydration, resulting in a 2-3 percent decrease in body weight. Each volunteer then drank either water only or a water-sodium blend to replenish fluids. Subjects who drank the blend increased hydration levels by 15%.”13 Please understand this study pertained to endurance athletes who were exercising for seven hours. Practically speaking, this information wouldn’t apply to a large part of the population, but it definitely indicates the value of electrolytes, fast-acting carbohydrates, and water itself for optimal hydration.
SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES:
#1-Poliquin Group. “Poliquin – Healthy. Lean. Strong.” Ten
Excellent Nutrition Tips for Better Sleep | Poliquin Article, 21 Aug.
2013, m79. Afaghi, Ahmad, et al. “High-Glycemic-Index Carbohydrate
Meals Shorten Sleep Onset.” The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, vol. 85, no. 2, 2007, pp. 426–430.,
doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.2.426.
#2- Afaghi, Ahmad, et al. “High-Glycemic-Index Carbohydrate
Meals Shorten Sleep Onset.” The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, vol. 85, no. 2, 2007, pp. 426–430.,
doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.2.426.
#3- Hansen, Travis. “Even More Reasons Why Athletes Should
/2016/07/even-more-reasons-why-athletes-should-eat Eat Carbs.”
Tony Gentilcore, Tony Gentilcore, 25 July 2016, tonygentilcore.com –
carbs/.
#4-McDonald, Lyle. The Stubborn Fat Solution. Lyle McDonald
Publishing. 2008. SCRIBD. Web.
Stubborn-Fat-Solution-pdf
#5-Burke, Edmund. Optimal Muscle Recovery: Your Guide to
Achieving Peak Physical Performance. Avery, 1999.
#6- Novo, Mario. “The Complete Guide To Soft Tissue Recovery
and Regeneration.” Dr. John Rusin – Exercise Science & Injury
Prevention, Dr. John Rusin, 17 Jan. 2018, drjohnrusin.com/the-
complete-guide-to-foundations-fallacies-of-tissue-regeneration/.
#7- Penny, Stacey. “Hydration for Health and Performance.”
NASM, 17 Jan. 2014, blog.nasm.org/nutrition/hydration-health-
performance/.
#8-Jeukendrup A, Gleeson M. (2010). Sport Nutrition: An
Introduction to Energy Production and Performance (2nd Edition).
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
#9- Gonzalez-Alonso J, Mora-Rodriguez R, Below PR, Coyle EF.
(1997). Dehydration markedly impairs cardiovascular function in
hyperthermic endurance athletes during exercise. Journal of Applied
Physiology, 82(4), 1229-1236.
#10- Clark, M. NASM. Essentials of Personal Fitness Training.
Baltimore, MD. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: 2008
#11- Ogino Y, Kakeda T, Nakamura K, Saito S. (2013). Dehydration
enhances pain-evoked activation in the human brain compared with
rehydration. Anesthesia and Analgesia. Advanced online publication.
doi:10.1213/ANE.0b013e3182a9b028.
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The Benefits of Carbohydrates for Athletes – Part 4
In this final installment of why any and every athlete should be eating and enjoying carbohydrates, we will look at how carbohydrates impact sleep, hunger, and appetite, as well as hydration potential in the human body.
IMPROVED SLEEP QUALITY!!
What is never really discussed these days is the powerful role that carbohydrates can have on your ability to sleep better. More specifically, carbohydrates before bed have been shown to improve the onset of sleep and activate what is called the Orexin pathway in humans. Protein definitely helps this cause as well.
According to the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, carbohydrates consumed prior to sleep can decrease the onset of sleep. A common deficiency noted in clinical research is the process of sleep “initiation,” and carbohydrates could be very helpful in this area, especially for those individuals who need to recover and perform at a high level regularly.
DECREASES HUNGER AND APPETITE LEVELS DRAMATICALLY
Ghrelin is a very intricate hormone of our endocrine system that is released primarily from our stomach cells. Once released into our bloodstream, this hormone travels up to the brain, where it binds to its specific receptor site. There is extensive research on this hormone, but the most notable is its role in increasing appetite. Interestingly enough, once we ingest enough carbohydrates, ghrelin levels tend to scale down. Great for you and me. This becomes significant since ghrelin also plays a negative role in metabolic rate and fat storage. 4 In other words eating carbohydrates can help regulate hunger through one confirmed and very influential pathway and also help to boost your metabolism in the process.
IMPROVED HYDRATION LEVELS
Dr. Edmund Burke discusses the value of ingesting enough carbohydrates after an intense training session to help offset inevitable fluid depletion and electrolyte losses in his book titled; “Optimal Muscle Recovery.“ Burke writes: “Research has shown that carbohydrates and sodium work together to increase water absorption in the intestinal wall. Carbohydrates’ component glucose molecules stimulate sodium absorption, and sodium, in turn, is necessary for glucose absorption. When these two substances are absorbed by the intestines, they tend to pull water with them, thus facilitating the absorption of water from the intestines into the bloodstream.” Moreover, carbohydrates are inherently hydrophilic or water-loving by nature. A lack of them affects different pathways in the human body responsible for regulating our hydration levels.
For example, for each gram of glycogen (stored glucose) in our muscle and liver tissue, we store approximately three grams of water. Muscle and liver glycogen stores are pretty substantial, so you can see how this could affect water balance.
Also, when we deplete carbohydrates, there’s a simultaneous decrease in insulin production that can cause the kidneys to excrete more water and thus promote dehydration. Lastly, if you cut carbohydrate intake down low enough to induce ketosis, you create a natural diuretic effect, and a decrease in hydration of just 2-3% can impair athletic performance, according to some research.
And this, of course, makes sense because, according to world-renown training practitioner; Dr. John Rusin, the muscle is actually composed of up to 75% H20, while other figures announce our entire body is composed of approximately 50-60% water. 6 The shear water composition of muscles alone should signal just how vital it is to structural health and performance. And what might the decreases in athletic or fitness performance look like in those that are dehydrated?
“Some of the reasons dehydration affects performance, especially for endurance athletes combined with heat, include reduced plasma blood volume (leading to reduced stroke volume, increased heart rate), a decrease in blood flow to the skin (reducing the sweating response and heat dissipation), and an increase in core temperature.”7,8,9
Moreover, “Dehydration also has cognitive consequences, negatively affecting response time, coordination, tracking, short-term memory, attention, and mental focus (1). Feelings of fatigue take over faster, and more recent research has even shown that dehydration increased brain activity to painful stimuli.” 7,10,11
According to Dr. Edmund Burke, the thirst drive in our body is regulated by two primary factors: blood volume and salt-electrolyte concentrations in our blood. Ideally, we want a healthy balance of each. When we exercise long enough and hard enough to signal perspiration, there is an obvious reduction in water which reduces blood volume levels, with a simultaneous and proportional increase in electrolyte levels to help stimulate thirst. If we opt to drink only water, then the signal of fullness will arrive sooner than necessary.
“In one study, six volunteers underwent two exposures to heat and then engaged in an exercise regimen that caused mild dehydration, resulting in a 2-3 percent decrease in body weight. Each volunteer then drank either water only or a water-sodium blend to replenish fluids. Subjects who drank the blend increased hydration levels by 15%.”13 Please understand this study pertained to endurance athletes who were exercising for seven hours. Practically speaking, this information wouldn’t apply to a large part of the population, but it definitely indicates the value of electrolytes, fast-acting carbohydrates, and water itself for optimal hydration.
SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES:
#1-Poliquin Group. “Poliquin – Healthy. Lean. Strong.” Ten
Excellent Nutrition Tips for Better Sleep | Poliquin Article, 21 Aug.
2013, m79. Afaghi, Ahmad, et al. “High-Glycemic-Index Carbohydrate
Meals Shorten Sleep Onset.” The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, vol. 85, no. 2, 2007, pp. 426–430.,
doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.2.426.
#2- Afaghi, Ahmad, et al. “High-Glycemic-Index Carbohydrate
Meals Shorten Sleep Onset.” The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, vol. 85, no. 2, 2007, pp. 426–430.,
doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.2.426.
#3- Hansen, Travis. “Even More Reasons Why Athletes Should
/2016/07/even-more-reasons-why-athletes-should-eat Eat Carbs.”
Tony Gentilcore, Tony Gentilcore, 25 July 2016, tonygentilcore.com –
carbs/.
#4-McDonald, Lyle. The Stubborn Fat Solution. Lyle McDonald
Publishing. 2008. SCRIBD. Web.
Stubborn-Fat-Solution-pdf
#5-Burke, Edmund. Optimal Muscle Recovery: Your Guide to
Achieving Peak Physical Performance. Avery, 1999.
#6- Novo, Mario. “The Complete Guide To Soft Tissue Recovery
and Regeneration.” Dr. John Rusin – Exercise Science & Injury
Prevention, Dr. John Rusin, 17 Jan. 2018, drjohnrusin.com/the-
complete-guide-to-foundations-fallacies-of-tissue-regeneration/.
#7- Penny, Stacey. “Hydration for Health and Performance.”
NASM, 17 Jan. 2014, blog.nasm.org/nutrition/hydration-health-
performance/.
#8-Jeukendrup A, Gleeson M. (2010). Sport Nutrition: An
Introduction to Energy Production and Performance (2nd Edition).
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
#9- Gonzalez-Alonso J, Mora-Rodriguez R, Below PR, Coyle EF.
(1997). Dehydration markedly impairs cardiovascular function in
hyperthermic endurance athletes during exercise. Journal of Applied
Physiology, 82(4), 1229-1236.
#10- Clark, M. NASM. Essentials of Personal Fitness Training.
Baltimore, MD. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: 2008
#11- Ogino Y, Kakeda T, Nakamura K, Saito S. (2013). Dehydration
enhances pain-evoked activation in the human brain compared with
rehydration. Anesthesia and Analgesia. Advanced online publication.
doi:10.1213/ANE.0b013e3182a9b028.