Why Carbohydrates are Important for Fat Loss

Carbohydrates are the macro-nutrient that seems to be the most divisive among people in the fitness community. Some people think carbs are not needed in the human diet and that our bodies can function well enough on fat. Some people think carbs are needed, but in very small amounts. In this article, we will address why a dense amount of carbohydrates are needed in your diet even if your goal is to lose body fat. We will also discuss some of the truths and myths surrounding carbs.

Why Carbohydrates are Important for Training Performance and Building Muscle

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source for any kind of high-intensity physical activity. These are activities such as interval training, sprinting, or heavy resistance training. All these activities are anaerobic and require a short burst of energy. As you perform these activities, you deplete your muscle glycogen storage and carbs will be needed to replenish it. The replenishment of your glycogen storage because of consuming carbs will promote muscle growth.

Why Carbohydrates are Important for Testosterone levels in Men

Sufficient carbohydrate intake supports natural testosterone production. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone responsible for the regulation of bone mass, sex drive, facial hair, muscle development, body fat distribution, and so much more. If you are a male who is too deficient in carbohydrates, you lower your natural testosterone levels. If your testosterone levels get too low, you comprise your strength and muscle building potential.

Why Carbohydrates are Important for Women’s Diet

Carbohydrates are just as important for women as they are for men. Research has shown that long periods of chronic carbohydrate deficiency in women can cause hormonal imbalances related to the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands. Studies have shown women may also have irregular menstrual cycles if they are too deficient in calories or carbs. The main hormone that supports metabolism in women is thyroid hormone. If this hormone gets compromised due to increases in the stress hormone cortisol, it can comprise a woman’s ability to burn fat and build muscle. Carbs benefit thyroid levels post-workout due to the restocking of glycogen. This is imperative for repairing muscle tissue after an intense resistance training session.

Why Carbohydrates Are Important for Satiety

Carbohydrates are the main macro that supports leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone that sends a signal to your brain indicating fullness after consuming a meal. This is one of the reasons you want a dense amount of carbs in your diet, especially when you reduce calories to lose weight. High leptin levels indicate a high metabolism and a low appetite. This means your body would be able to handle a caloric deficit with minimal hunger issues if your goal is to reduce body fat.

Why Carbohydrates Are Important for Sleep

Carbs help release a neurotransmitter in your brain called serotonin. This helps you feel relaxed, calm, and sleepy. The research has shown that a lack of serotonin in your brain can cause sleeplessness or insomnia. If you are having too many nights of poor sleep due to low levels of serotonin, your stress hormone cortisol can increase causing you to retain water weight. A good night’s sleep is important for the release of human growth hormone, which is imperative for fat loss and muscle growth on a fitness plan.

Simple Carbohydrates vs Complex Carbohydrates

We typically classify carbs into two groups, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are the carbohydrates our bodies digest very quickly. They are highly processed, refined, and stripped of micro-nutrients. We get large spikes in blood sugar consuming these carbs and increases in hunger. This is counterproductive, because if our goal is fat loss, we want to keep the satiety hormone leptin elevated while being at a caloric deficit.

Some examples of simple carbohydrates include:

white rice
baked goods made out of white enriched bleached flour
Soda
white pasta
candy

A diet high in simple carbs can lead to increases in ghrelin, which is our appetite inducing hormone. High levels of ghrelin can lead to an over consumption of calories, which eventually leads to fat gain. Therefore, it’s best to keep simple carbs in the minority of your diet.

Complex carbohydrates are the forms of carbs our bodies digest slower. This is a good thing for blood sugar regulation and satiety optimization. These carbs are high in fiber and contain more vitamins and minerals.

The best examples of complex carbohydrates are:

oatmeal
brown rice
potatoes
fruits
vegetables
beans

A diet high in complex carbs will do the best job at maintaining your satiety hormone on a weight loss program. You would also have a lot less sugar cravings.

Myths About Carbohydrates

There are several myths related to carbohydrate consumption that have been scientifically debunked. Below are 3 of the biggest myths.

Myth #1 : Carbs Make You Store Body Fat

Carbs alone don’t make you store body fat. You store body fat because of taking in significantly more food energy or calories than your body needs. You can place a part of the blame on carbs, but you must also assign blame to the excess amount of protein and fats you’re eating.

Myth #2 : Eating Carbs Before Bed Will Keep You from Losing Fat

There is nothing wrong with eating carbs before bed. If you are at caloric deficit by the end of the day and you have a few hundred calories of some kind of carbohydrate dense food, you will still lose body fat. It is beneficial to utilize some carbohydrate calories before bed to help you sleep better.

Myth #3 : You won’t Raise Insulin Levels If You Don’t Eat Carbohydrates

This is one of the most popular myths surrounding carbs. You can still access insulin even in the absence of carbohydrates. It is true that carbs are the macro-nutrient that raises insulin levels the highest. However, you can still elevate insulin just by virtue of consuming food. Protein is almost as insulin-inducing as carbs. Spikes in insulin are not always a bad thing. It is beneficial to have a spike in insulin after consuming a post-workout meal, because the glucose from the food, especially carbs, would help build and repair muscle tissue. Many people have the misconception that Insulin only stores glucose as body fat. There are three different compartments in your body where insulin can store glucose. It can be stored in the liver, muscles, or fat storage. If you are not in an excessively high caloric surplus, Insulin won’t store access glucose as body fat.

Conclusion

The reality is carbs are essential for us as humans. They are imperative for training performance, muscle development, fat loss, functioning hormones, satiety, sleep, and overall health. The danger to your health is not in only 1 macronutrient. The danger to your health is in too much of something. Too much protein can be cancerous, too much fat can have a negative impact on your arteries, too many carbs can have a negative impact on your blood sugar levels. It would be beneficial to make sure your diet stresses complex carbs and simple carbs are kept in the minority. It is the caloric deficit that produces fat loss. If you are eating within caloric limits, you wouldn’t have to worry about overconsuming any macronutrient.