The source of energy for the muscles in your body is called glycogen. It is also stored in the liver. And glycogen comes from carbohydrates in the form of glucose. When you can store your muscles with glycogen, they look and feel full.
Glucose has many more vital functions. It also provides energy to the brain. The protein can also be a source of protein. But there is actually something wrong because it means that the body protein in the muscles is breaking down. So it’s smart to eat enough carbs to gain muscle mass quickly, because otherwise your body will get glucose from muscle tissue. So what is the recommended daily intake of carbohydrates?
For every human being and also for a bodybuilder, carbohydrates should be the majority of their caloric intake. Unprocessed complex carbohydrates are best. You can find them in brown rice, potatoes, whole grain breads, and oatmeal. They are digested slowly by the body because complex carbohydrates are made of long chains of sugar. Now comes an important phrase for the bodybuilder. Your body must have steady blood sugar levels to combat fatigue. Slow burning complex carbohydrates take care of this process and also help release insulin which is the main anabolic hormone in the human body and very important in the muscle building process.
How many carbohydrates does your body need? There is a slight difference between men and women. Men should take their body weight and multiply that number by 3, women on the contrary multiply it by 2. That is the number of grams that should be ingested daily. In other words, a man who weighs 150 pounds has to eat 450 grams of carbohydrates. A woman of the same weight would consume 300 grams.
An excellent combination is to eat fiber (oats, beans) along with carbohydrates. Doing so will make it easier for your muscles to absorb the sugar and amino acids, putting them in an anabolic state. There will also be more glycogen in the muscles and they will eventually grow more easily.
Total carbohydrate intake should be divided into 6 daily servings. Eating too many carbs at once will lead to more fat, and that’s definitely not what you want. The best time to eat simple carbohydrates like sugar, white bread, and white rice is after you exercise. These carbohydrates are quickly digested and the insulin spike that follows will prevent muscle breakdown while simultaneously stimulating anabolism. Therefore, you can easily eat more carbohydrates after exercising because they will have a positive effect and there will be less chance of them turning into fat. A general rule of thumb is to consume 25% of your daily carbohydrate intake at your post-workout meal.
The second best time to eat carbs is with breakfast. After a night’s sleep, blood sugar and muscle glycogen levels are often low. The body must fill this void, and therefore fat is unlikely to be stored. In any case, avoid eating carbohydrates at night. If you don’t have any physical activity planned, these carbohydrates will turn into fat.
One trick to lose fat and increase muscle mass at the same time is to rotate your carbohydrate intake. For example, if you need 800 grams of carbs per day, then eat 600 grams on day 1, 800 grams on day 2, and 1,000 grams on day 3. So you have consumed the full amount of carbs but the rotation process results in a decrease of fat and no loss of muscle.