Carbohydrates (or carbs, as they are more popularly referred to) are extremely essential as an energy source for the body, particularly for those who are highly active. This would include professional athletes and bodybuilders, or even those who do intense manual labor for long periods of time. Carbs have many uses in the body; one important use is for glycogen storage, so that there is available energy for the muscles to draw upon during intense, prolonged exercise sessions.

Generally, people can get all the energy that they need from normal consumption of carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and dairy. The average person doesn’t need to consume too many carbs, or this leads to fat storage. However, those who train heavily and use more energy, need not only to eat a high carb diet, but also to to take special carbohydrate supplements to maintain a higher level of available energy.

There are two basic kinds of carbohydrate supplements, complex and simple. The complex carbohydrate supplements are more complex starches, which are broken down into simple carbohydrate molecules. These are taken before exercise in order to ensure a slow but steady release of energy, or following exercise to replenish energy.

Simple carbohydrate supplements are basic sugars that cannot be broken down any further. These provide but a quick burst of energy, and are best used during exercise for an immediate need. Complex carbohydrate supplements should be used only before or after exercise, because of their slower digestion and absorption rate.

Carbohydrate supplements are found in both liquid and powder form. The liquid form is easier to digest and also provides needed fluids.

There are many places to buy carbohydrate supplements. One popular place is GNC. This is a place where I have found what I need most often. There are also numerous online stores, such as Become.com, a1supplements.com, professionalsupplements.net, among others. It would probably be best to do some personal research on what would be the best place to find what is most suited to your individual needs!

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Glucose is what we need for energy and is considered the body’s fuel. Your organs, cells and muscles are all powered by glucose, and carbohydrates are easily transformed into useable glucose.

If you are planning on running a marathon or triathlon, I would recommend eating a lot of carbs to make sure that you do have an adequate amount of energy. You may ask yourself, does carb loading really work? and I will answer with Yes, it absolutely works. If you are looking to make sure you will have backup energy, then carb load, you are guaranteed to have enough energy to last you throughout the entire race.

The foods you should eat before running a marathon should not contain a lot of grease or fat, which will slow down the break down process, instead focus on eating breads, cereal, (not sugary cereals), oatmeal, pastas, and meats. So remember, eat your carbs before you run and you won’t regret it!

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