Carbs and Lifting

HU? Since when are carbs are good in moderation?

Carbs are a source of energy that in this case will fuel your lifting session (along with fat).
Past workout carbs will replenish energy stores and additionally "transport" aminos and protein where ever needed the most (ei muscles).

This. Carbs should take up at least 30%, if not more, of your calorie intake. This is where you get energy from.

So I know that carbs are definitely a good thing to have in moderation, but I was curious if limiting carbohydrates (through whole wheat grains, bread, pasta etc) changes any results or effectiveness of lifting. I am pretty new to lifting, and I know protein is something that helps provide muscle growth and repair, but I was wondering aside from energy, what are the pros and cons to having carbs and complex carbs when lifting.

Carbs are carbs, no matter the source. At the end of the day all carbs are used in a variety of ways - as energy for muscles (which spares the breakdown of protein for energy), fuel for the CNS, enable fat metabolism, or stored as glycogen. Limiting carb sources will not change results or effecitiveness of lifting. Obviously you should focus on whole food sources whenever possible, but 30g of carbs from sweet potato, white potato, pop tarts or ice cream will have the same effect when it comes to lifting.

I would also suggest as you do this...
Keep on eye on the foods you eat and how your body responds.

While carbs are carbs.....

Your body may respond differently to certain sources....for whatever reason.
I know with candy, if I eat to much....and still stay below caloric goals. I will bloat.

following, as I am relatively new to lifting and have been eating 30% protein, 40% carbs and around 20-30% fat. Not sure if I should increase my carbs level?

I would also suggest as you do this...
Keep on eye on the foods you eat and how your body responds.

While carbs are carbs.....

Your body may respond differently to certain sources....for whatever reason.
I know with candy, if I eat to much....and still stay below caloric goals. I will bloat.

Yes, one should keep an eye out for adverse reactions to any food source.

Bump. There is some good info in here.

I recently added some carbs ~30 minutes before my lifting based on trainer recommendations. Sometimes fruit, sometimes poptarts. I have no idea if it's actually helped physically but mentally it has. My macros are 50% carb, 25% fat, 25% protein, which works out to be about 1 gram protein per bodyweight (erring on the higher side).
As mentioned, carbs are fuel for your workout and aid in recovery.

^^ Mine are the same.

after a workout you are much more insulin sensitive and that is a good time to add healthy carbs...say a fruit smoothie or brown rice, sweet potato...really any good complex carb

This is when your body has its lowest muscle and liver glycogen, and therefore will be more receptive to soak up the carbohydrates you just ate

Strong broscience. Please ignore anyone who starts talking to a novice lifter/dieter/exerciser about glycogen stores, or anything else that sounds remotely scientific.

To answer your question:

I limit carbs because eating them makes me more hungry. Otherwise, I don't concern myself with macros - limiting carbs means I'm getting plenty of protein and fat.

If I were a pro bodybuilder or a more advanced weightlifter, I'd care more.

You say you're just starting out - there is no need for you to think about these things. Get the calories you need to reach your goal, eat what you like to keep you moving towards that goal. You might be like me and find that eating fat and protein fills you while eating carbs makes you hungry. If that's the case, eat mostly protein and fat. Unless you want to gain weight, and then eat more carbs.

You might find that going low-carb makes it easier to stay within your caloric goal. If that's the case, go low carb.

You might find that the only possible way to make this whole thing work is to eat nothing but donuts. If that's the case, throw in some veggies and meat once a day and you'll be fine.

There are A LOT of people here who desperately want to make a science out of something that is ridiculously easy. Those people will say things like, "This is when your body has its lowest muscle and liver glycogen ..." Don't listen to them.

Eat all things in moderation, build habits that you like enough to stick to, and work out. You'll look and feel better than 90% of the people you know. In 3 years -- once you gain baseline knowledge for what works for you -- you can start tweaking your diet or supplementing to more easily reach or maintain your goal. Until then, don't waste your time. Find your TDEE and go from there.

How about physiology, peer reviewed "bro" science?

Dismissing knowledge simply because you're too lazy to do actual research, ignorant to educate yourself, or intimidated by big words simply reflects poorly on your ability to utilize knowledge.


As for "this is when your body has the lowest muscle and liver glycogen" it is absolutely true. It is not really that important for weight loss (a caloric deficit is the all-important factor there). It does, however, improve your recovery for your next workout. Which in turn would hopefully be of such a nature and quality that it contributes to your fitness, body composition, and mass goals.

Will you get results without these? Sure. There's literally hundreds of little and big things elite athletes do that we can't/won't do. Like sleeping lots in my case. (I also train very late, 9 pm. on weekdays) But if it is something simple like nutrient timing, why not at least educating yourself?

You know what other "non bro" science says? You don't even need to eat more. You just need to shift your macro intake from having a big meal before your workout to having it afterward. Many of us intuitively know that. But as for non bro science:

(please don't get scared from the big words. There's lots more if you're willing to learn. No, I'm not a physiologist, but part of my degree included biochemistry courses)

Sherman WM, Costill DL, Fink WJ, Miller JM: Effect of exercise-diet manipulation on muscle glycogen and its subsequent utilization during performance.
Int J Sports Med 1981, 2:114-118. PubMed Abstract OpenURL


Coyle EF, Coggan AR, Hemmert MK, Ivy JL: Muscle glycogen utilization during prolonged strenuous exercise when fed carbohydrate.
J Appl Physiol 1986, 61:165-172. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text OpenURL

Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, Miller SL, Wolf SE, Owens-Stovall SK, Petrini BE, Wolfe RR: Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001, 281:E197-E206.

My buddy said that if I want to see the best results, I should have all of my carbs before 4pm (the time I workout) and only have protein and veggies for dinner. Anyone able to support this or let me know why this does/doesn't work?

edit: I can have protein etc throughout the day, I just meant he said to avoid carbs (complex/simple) after the workout.

Define "best results" - what are you trying to achieve?
I'd sugest you stop listening to your budies and people in mfp quite frankly - gather information and make an edjcated decision - trial and errorsare what will eventually make you achieve results.
On mfp just like anywhere else the is knowledge, experience, broscience and "a friend told me that he read on the internet" science.

Carbs are essential just like any other macro - how much, when and what is up to you to find out.
Set your goals, gather info and build from there.

Oh yes, because none of us here on MFP have any idea on what we are talking about. If you think no one here should listen to anyone else then why are you here? Luckily I know the OP and I know he's smart enough to not listen to you at least.

That was by far what I tried to come across with.
All I am saying is that listening to someone telling him what to do might not the right option.

If you take the topic of carbs and look into MFP it will appear as carbs are to be avoided at night, carbs are to be eaten only if whole, carbs are not to be eaten, carbs are to be eaten at any given time, carbs are not to be eaten at night, carbs are to be eaten only before workout, carbs are to be eaten all day long, carbs are to be back loaded, carbs make you fat, carbs are energy and loads of other interpretations.

Gather opinions, educate yourself with the usual mix of knowledge, bro-science and "i have read on the internet science" and make an educated decision to trial and monitor.

What will work for you, might not necessarily work the same way for me or anyone else.