NUTRITION

Nutrition

Carbohydrates (carbs):

• Carbs are generally rich in carbon, hydrogen and also oxygen.  
• Carbs are energy boosters.
• Carbs is first preference for the cells to undergo catabolism, So it should be consumed immediately after workout, and should be equal  to protein intake to gain a considerable mass.
• Carbs contains of  4 calories/ gram.
• Carbs are divided  into 2 major divisions- Simple carbohydrates and Complex carbohydrates
• Simple carbohydrates are also called simple sugars. Simple carbohydrates include: fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar), as well as several other sugars. Simple carbohydrates are great sources of quick energy.
• Complex carbohydrates include fiber and starches. They can be found in vegetables, bread, rice, oatmeal, whole grains, peas and beans. Complex carbohydrates take longer to be digested, so your body needs more time to release these carbs into your blood as glucose.
• Simple Carbohydrates - Fruit, milk, non starchy vegetables, honey.
• Complex Carbohydrates -  Legumes, whole grain bread, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables.

When and How Much Carbohydrates Should a Bodybuilder Consume?

When - A serving of carbohydrates should accompany every meal you eat.  It's also important to consume a small serving of complex carbohydrates before your workout, and a serving of simple carbohydrates after your workout.  The pre-workout complex carbs will provide your body with the energy it needs to fuel your workout.  The post workout meal will replenish glycogen stores, and create an insulin spike encouraging the body to absorb more nutrients.  Try to avoid large helpings of carbohydrates before bed time, as it can disrupt your sleep.

How much -  Most experts recommend that 30 - 55% of you daily caloric intake comes from carbohydrates.  If you are not sure what percentage is right for you, check out the "How Much of What to Eat" section.  Again, as with other aspects of your weight gain diet, you will have to experiment to find out what percentage works best for you.

Here is an example of how to determine how many carbohydrates you should consume each day:

Step 1.   Determine the percentage of your daily caloric intake of carbohydrates.

Step 2.  Determine how many carbohydrate calories you will consume daily using  this formula: 

(Total Daily Calories) X (Percentage of daily carb intake) = Total carbohydrate calories

Step 3.  Determine how many grams of carbs to consume daily by using this formula: 

(Daily carb calories) / 4 = Total grams of carbs per day

Step 4.  The final step is to use the following formula to determine how many grams of carbs you should consume each meal: 

(Total daily carb intake in grams) / (Number of daily meals ) = Number of grams of carbs per meal 

*Here is a real life example using 3000 calories as the total daily caloric intake with a goal of 50% of those coming from carbohydrates:

3000 x .50(or 50%) =   1500 daily calories from carbs

1500 / 4 = 375 grams per day

375 / 6 = 62.5 grams per meal