My friends! Let’s get into the carbohydrate business. As I said in my last post on complex carbohydrates, carbs give us glucose and glucose fuels our bodies. Even if some of us don’t like it, it is necessar. The worst part is that the human body stores very little carbohydrates — that means we have to eat quite a bit of carbs to fuel the machine. If we don’t eat them, our muscles don’t get the necessary glucose that helps them perform, and the brain goes awol, often times leading to us not even wanting to be on the mat. So, now that we understand how important carbs are, we need to be sure we have some carbs in our pre-workout meals, during workouts that last more than 60 minutes or are particularly intense, and in our post-workout/recovery meals. The earlier we refuel after training, the better.
Simple For a Reason
Let’s talk specifics. We have to know the difference between simple carbohydrates and complex ones. The simple ones are most likely found in “not-good-for-you-anyway-processed-food,” such as soft drinks, refined fruit juices, sugar and candy. Those simple carbs are quickly absorbed by the body and make their way into the bloodstream to give you that feeling good feel pretty fast. The sad truth about simple carbs is that the “mojo” won’t last more than 30 minutes if you are really training hard — remember what I said in a past article? If you plan to win, plan to train hard. Those simple carbs also don’t contain healthy vitamins, fiber, or minerals.
You Have Chosen…Wisely
About Guy-Patrice Tchoumba
Guy-Patrice Tchoumba is a former Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor. He served in combat as a Force Protection Operator, a Counterintelligence Specialis, and an Interrogator Translator. He is a Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt and teaches Combatives and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Parker. He has been training in martial art disciplines since 1989. Guy-Patrice discovered BJJ in 1996 and started training regularly in 2005 with John Danaher at the main Renzo Gracie in New York City. His goal is to help you realize your full potential as a warrior through the study of the different aspects of Jiu-Jitsu.
