So how much carbohydrate do i need?

I'm sure a few of you reading this are now thinking about your own carbohydrate intake. Could it be that you have severley under-estimnated your body's need for carbohydrate?

Below is a table to use and it shows how much carbohydrate is neede by an individual to support their own energy requirements.

Activity level---------------(g) carbs / kg bodyweight / day

3-5 hours/week---------------------- 4-5
5-7 hours/week---------------------- 5-6
1-2hours/day------------------------ 6-7 (number of hours of
2-4 hours/day----------------------- 7-8 moderate intensity
more than 4 hours/day--------------- 8-10 exercise or sport)


So that means that the average 70kg guy who exercises for one hour a day, would need 420g of carbohydrate per day, just to support his energy requirements. (70x6=420g). It's quite scary to think just how much is required for the guys who train for 2-4 hours per day at a high intensity.

But won't all these carbs get stored as fat?

Ultimately no, because exercise depletes glycogen stores. So the carbohydrates taken in would go towards replenishing lost glycogen. You see, glycogen replenishment is sorta like refuelling your car.