Macro partitioning
Athletes should consume 6–10 g/kg/day of carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose and replenish muscle glycogen, with the specific amount depending on total daily energy expenditure and exercise type.
If you are training hard, eat 6 to 10 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your body weight each day. This might mean eating more pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables than you are used to. This fuel is necessary to keep your blood sugar stable during exercise and to refill your muscles' energy stores (glycogen) so you can perform and recover effectively.
Carbohydrate recommendations for athletes range from 6 to 10 g/kg body weight/day (2.7–4.5 g/lb body weight/day). Carbohydrates maintain blood glucose levels during exercise and replace muscle glycogen. The amount required depends on the athlete’s total daily energy expenditure, type of sport, sex, and environmental conditions.
Why this rating
This is a joint position statement from major sports medicine and dietetic organizations based on systematic evidence analysis.
Source
Nutrition and Athletic Performance
Nancy R. Rodriguez et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2009
DOI 10.1249/mss.0b013e31890eb86
More from this paper
- Protein intake for endurance and strength-trained athletes should range from 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg/day, which can generally be met through diet alone without supplements.Weak
- Fat intake should range from 20% to 35% of total energy intake, and consuming less than 20% of energy from fat does not benefit performance.Weak
- Vitamin and mineral supplements are not needed if an athlete consumes adequate energy from a variety of foods to maintain body weight, but may be appropriate for those with specific deficiencies or dietary restrictions.Weak
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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