#539: How Does Carbohydrate Availability Impact Resistance Training? – Cliff Harvey, PhD & Eric Helms, PhD
Oct 15, 2024
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Cliff Harvey, PhD, a sports nutrition expert, and Eric Helms, PhD, a board member of the Sports Nutrition Association, dive into the fascinating role of carbohydrates in resistance training. They challenge the idea that carbs are essential for strength athletes, suggesting some may thrive on lower-carb diets. The duo discusses variability in individual responses, emerging research on nutrient timing, and innovative strategies like carbohydrate mouth rinsing. They advocate for flexible dietary approaches tailored to athletes' needs, fostering a fresh perspective on fueling for performance.
The necessity of carbohydrates for resistance training remains debatable, as performance also heavily depends on training type and individual variability.
Carbohydrate benefits vary based on training volume and intensity, suggesting that individual needs should dictate dietary strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Overall dietary quality and energy availability are critical for muscle growth, often more so than specific macronutrient ratios like carbohydrate intake alone.
Deep dives
Collaboration on Carbohydrates and Resistance Training
The discussion centers on the role of carbohydrates in resistance training and strength sports, emphasizing that they may not be as critical for performance as commonly perceived. Both experts argue that while carbohydrates offer benefits, especially for endurance activities, their necessity in environments with longer rest periods is debatable. They suggest that for many strength athletes, the energy provided from carbohydrates is not the only factor influencing performance; training type, individual variability, and overall dietary strategies play significant roles. This leads to the conclusion that focusing solely on carbohydrate intake can oversimplify the complexities involved in fueling strength-based goals.
Carbohydrate Needs vs. Performance Spectrum
The conversation suggests that the benefits of carbohydrate intake are likely to vary based on an athlete's training volume and type. For resistance training, the intermittent nature of workouts and the potential for muscle glycogen stores to remain sufficient raises questions about the need for pre-workout carbohydrate consumption. The dialogue calls attention to the differences in training demands between athletes and how those demands should shape individual carbohydrate strategies. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence highlights that while some athletes perform well on low-carb diets, others may benefit more from moderate carbohydrate consumption to optimize performance.
Carbohydrates and Muscle Growth
The discussion touches on the relationship between carbohydrate consumption and muscle hypertrophy, noting that a well-balanced diet is more critical than macronutrient ratios alone. Research indicates that individuals on traditional diets show more success in muscle gain compared to those on ketogenic diets, primarily due to overall energy availability. The panel emphasizes that various factors, such as individual training responses and overall diet quality, significantly influence muscle growth outcomes rather than carbohydrate intake alone. Thus, focusing on food quality and individual preferences could yield more favorable results in achieving fitness goals.
Dietary Patterns Over Macros
Experts argue that the quality of dietary patterns, rather than just macronutrient content, is vital for both health and performance outcomes. By observing holistic dietary practices, one can easily identify the effects of higher carbohydrate diets in relation to training. The conversation underscores that food quality, satiety, and energy availability play significant roles in determining success across various dietary patterns. As such, understanding the overall structure of one's diet is more beneficial than simply concentrating on the carbohydrate-to-fat ratio.
The Variability of Nutritional Recommendations
The dialogue indicates that dietary recommendations for carbohydrate intake should be tailored to the individual, considering their specific health goals, training demands, and personal preferences. This adaptability extends to how practitioners support their clients in making dietary adjustments according to their unique lifestyles. The experts express that while some individuals might thrive on high carbohydrate intake, others may find more success in moderate or low-carb choices that enhance their dietary sustainability. Recognizing these distinctions allows for a more personalized approach to nutrition coaching and client results.
Explorations Beyond Simple Carb Intake
The importance of understanding the multifaceted roles carbohydrates play in performance, particularly in relation to muscle contraction and recovery, is emphasized. Additional considerations include the benefits of carbohydrate timing surrounding training sessions and how these factors can optimize overall training results. Evidence suggests that both mental and contextual factors, such as feeling well-fueled before a session, may contribute to performance, even without direct glycogen depletion threats. Therefore, broadening the discussion beyond just carbohydrate intake to include comprehensive strategies for energy availability may help athletes reach their performance goals more effectively.
Some suggest that, since individual lifts or short-duration efforts don’t rely heavily on glycogen, carb intake might not be critical for strength athletes. If glycogen depletion isn’t a pressing issue, could athletes thrive on lower-carb diets without sacrificing performance? Or could there be overlooked benefits to having greater carbohydrate availablily in those sessions?
In strength sports and resistance training, do carbohydrates play an important role or not?
Are carbohydrates really necessary for resistance training?
How does training volume, intensity and goals impact the carbohydrate requirement?
In this episode, Dr. Cliff Harvey and Dr. Eric Helms offer their perspectives on this interesting and practically important issue.
Timestamps:
[00:03:40] Do carbohydrates have a role in resistance training?
[00:12:23] Do individuals respond differently?
[00:18:25] Recent research insights
[00:35:08] Carbohydrate “sensing” and performance
[00:47:17] How to think about carbohydrate needs
[00:54:06] Changing views on nutrient timing
[01:06:37] Ketogenic diets and muscle gain
[01:22:02] Dietary patterns and health – Are macronutrients that important?