Crafted Coaching

Why CrossFit Athletes Need Carbs

Mar 05

We need to understand the goal and the athlete before we start to think about what fueling will be necessary. Once that is known, we can then look at what goes into that sport. With the CrossFit Athlete in mind, we know the sport demands a broad range of metabolic tasks that will require adequate resources to fuel and recover from. We know from research that ATP synthesized from glucose is roughly a 2 to 5-fold increase in ATP per minute compared to fat oxidation. Additionally, becoming fat-adapted results in being carb-impaired, which is a poor physiological trade-off when considering the demands of the sport. Knowing the daily caloric demands for these athletes will be higher to promote recovery and growth, carbohydrate intake will make up close to half, if not more, of their daily caloric intake. However, before we blindly add more carbohydrates, an athlete's lifestyle must be in optimal working order. This will give direct feedback on how the body is responding to the stress imposed on it and how well it is recovering. This will ultimately dictate the direction of fueling for the individual athlete.

Tagged: carbs

Why CrossFit Athletes Need Carbs

Mar 05

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