Most athletes know that carbohydrates are considered fuel. However, many only think of them in the form of pasta and bread. What some don’t know is that carbs can come in the form of sugar, which can serve as a fuel during training and competition and can positively affect athletic performance.

 

Research has shown that carbohydrate ingestion in the form of glucose and sucrose are rapidly absorbed and quickly converted into energy, which has been shown to increase athletic performance, delay the onset of fatigue and improve endurance capacity and performance.

 

Unfortunately, recent trends have given carbohydrates, particularly sugars, a bad reputation. As a result, some athletes avoid carbohydrates and/or sugar as part of their sports nutrition, even though the benefits for athletic performance are well documented. What’s worse is that many people who are non-athletic but live a busy lifestyle and parents who have student athletes who play team sports have also followed suit.

 

Women’s Soccer Hall-of-Famer and ESPN Analyst Julie Foudy along with registered dietitian Scott Sehnert joined me in an interview recently to discuss the importance of carbohydrates not just for athletes during intense training and competition, but for parents and families who live an active lifestyle.

 

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Take a look at the interview above.

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To learn more about the role carbohydrates play in sports nutrition and the busy lifestyle, visit the Gatorade Sports Science Institute at: http://www.gssiweb.org/en.

 

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Meet the Guests:

 

Julie Foudy had a sensational soccer career while playing on the USA National Team for 17 years. She was a captain on the National Team for 13 of her 17 years with the team. Julie participated in 4 Women’s World Cups and 3 Olympics for the USA Team. She is a two-time World Cup Champion and she is also a 1996 Olympic Gold medalist, 2000 Olympic Silver medalist and 2004 Olympic Gold medalist. Julie was inducted in the US National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007, alongside teammate Mia Hamm. In 2006, Julie and her husband launched The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy which offers week-long programs for girls ages 12-18 and weaves together soccer instruction along with leadership training. Julie is currently an analyst and reporter for ABC/ESPN and proud mother of two children, Izzy and Declan.

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Scott Sehnert has been a sports dietitian for nearly ten years and currently works for Auburn University and serves on the Board of Directors as the Education Chair for the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA), who represents the vast majority of advanced practice registered dietitians in the United States who work full-time with athletes in colleges, professional sports, Olympic training centers, the U.S. Military and in law enforcement. Scott received his masters in kinesiology from Michigan State University and his masters in nutritional sciences from the University of Kentucky.

Prior to Auburn, Scott was the sports dietitian for Michigan State University.

carbohydrates