Carbohydrate Requirements for Exercise
Summary:
Carbohydrates are critical for optimal sports performance. Athletes and active individuals are exposed to both facts and myths surrounding the roles of carbohydrates for sports performance. Sports nutrition professionals need to have an in-depth understanding of carbohydrate functions when making appropriate recommendations to athletes engaging in different types of sports of varying durations and intensities. This course provides a detailed look at how carbohydrate is stored, made available and used during moderate to high-intensity exercise. Recommendations for carbohydrate intake before, during, and after exercise are discussed, along with guidelines for carbohydrate loading before endurance events and the foods that improve performance.
Objectives:
The goal of this carbohydrate and exercise continuing education course is to provide practitioners with evidence-based information on carbohydrate recommendations for athletes.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Explain the importance of carbohydrate as fuel during moderate and high-intensity exercise.
- Describe the recommended carbohydrate intake based on training intensity and duration.
- Discuss the limitations of using the glycemic index/load to provide guidelines for food intake around an exercise session.
