Carbs: which are simple; which are complex? Inbetween?!
Question:
Carbs: which are simple; which are complex? Inbetween?
I know that complex carbs are things like bread, pasta and rice; and simple carbs are really just sugars, but,
1. is there a way to tell if a food's carbs are simple, complex, or inbetween?
2. Do simple carbs digest & give off energy faster than complex carbs?
I'm a distance runner, and i have a cereal that has 55 carbo's in it. are they simple or complex?? how do i tell? if they are complex, does that mean i need to eat them a few hours before i need to use them, during my run?
Answers:
Simple carbs digest faster so yeah they do give off energy faster than complex carbs, but complex carbs give you energy over a longer time, you can think of it like this, simple carbs are like fireworks, they give you a rush and then that's it, complex carbs are more like diesel engines they take longer to digest but once they get going they give off energy for a long time. To know the difference, well or I can tell you is that anything that is bad for you (sweets mostly) are packed with simple carbs. When it comes to your cereal, if it is sugar coated or sweetened in any way then a portion of that 55 carbs is simple, if not then it should be complex. You can eat these a few hours before the fun and then right before or during, you should eat simple carbs, sugars. Like those powerade gels, they're basically just sugar and coffein, runners love them.
PS- there's no Inbetween carbs.