Below is a list of complex carbohydrates, but first we need to discuss why they are important.
There are many factors that influence the quantity and type of fuels within an athlete’s nutrition plan that are utilised when exercising. The two large determining factors include the intensity and duration of exercise.
In general, the higher the intensity of exercise, the more carbohydrate is used as a percentage of total energy. If an athlete was to eat foods that are high on the list of complex
carbohydrates, glucose is transported to the muscles and stored as glycogen.
Glycogen is also stored in the liver. Active people will have more glycogen stores than sedentary people. It is these stores that are used during exercise. The longer the duration of exercise, the more the body relies on fat and some amounts of protein. (The liver converts protein to glucose through a process called gluconeogensis.)
The breakdown of food such as glucose produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is then used for energy production.
Carbohydrates are classed either as sugars or starches. Sugars are simple carbohydrates and are called monosaccharides or disaccharides (made from glucose molecules joined together). Starches are commonly called complex carbohydrates (see below for list of complex carbohydrates) and are called polysaccharides because they are made up of many glucose molecules.
When engaging in high intesity exercise, the rate at which fat is oxidised and mobilised is limited. This is why carbohydrate (CHO) is the preferred fuel for exercising muscle. It is quickly mobilised and the glucose is used to produce ATP. The CHO comes from both muscle and liver glycogen, as well as blood glucose.
An athlete weighing 70-75kg stores 100gm of glycogen in the liver, and 500gm in the muscle. If you consider that the same athlete may store 8-15kg of body fat, it is easy to see that CHO, not fat, may be limiting. Therefore it emphasises the importance of an athlete’s nutrition to be high in CHO.
The amount of carbohydrate required within an athlete’s nutrition plan depends on the intensity of exercise undertaken.
4-5gm/kg body weight / day – walking, moderate exercise (3-5 hours /week).
5-7gm/kg body weight / day – moderate intensity exercise (1 hr/day), serious amateur athlete.
7-10gm/kg body weight / day – professional athlete. Maximises glycogen recovery; used for CHO loading.
Achieving a diet that is ranked high on the list of complex carbohydrates will become easier if an athlete knows which foods to consume! It may be useful to know that an athlete needs 7gm CHO/kg, but it is important to be able to convert this into real food terms with quantities.
The following list of complex carbohydrate rich foods in 50gm serves of CHO:
| Cereals | |
| Wheat biscuit cereal (e.g. Vitabrits) | 60gm (5 biscuits) |
| Light breakfast cereal (e.g Weeties, Cornflakes) | 60gm (2 cups) |
| Muesli flake cereal (e.g. Sustain) | 60gm (1-1.5 cups) |
| Toasted muesli | 90gm (1 cup) |
| Porridge made with milk | 350gm (1.3 cups) |
| Porridge made with water | 550gm (2.5 cups) |
| Rolled oats | 90gm (1 cup) |
| Muesli bar | 2.5 |
| Rice Cakes | 6 |
| Rice, boiled | 180gm (1 cup) |
| Pasta or noodles, boiled | 200gm (1.3 cups) |
| Canned spaghetti | 440gm (large can) |
| Crispbread and dry biscuits | 6 large (e.g Ryvita) or 15 small (e.g. Salada) |
| Fruit filled biscuits | 5 |
| Plain sweet biscuits | 8 – 10 |
| Cream filled/chocolate biscuits | 6 |
| Bread | 110gm (4 slices white or 3 thick wholemeal) |
| Bread rolls | 110gm (1 large or 2 medium) |
| Pita or Lebanese bread | 100gm (2 pita) |
| Chapati | 150gm (2.5) |
| English Muffin | 150gm (2.5) |
| Crumpet | 2.5 |
| Cake Style Muffin | 110gm (1 large or 2 medium) |
| Pancakes | 150gm (2 medium) |
| Scones | 125gm (3 medium) |
| Iced fruit bun | 105gm (1.5) |
| Croissant | 140gm (1.5 large or 2 medium) |
| Rice cream | 330 gm (1.5 cups) |
| Fruit | |
| Fruit crumble | 1 cup |
| Fruit in heavy syrup | 280gm (1.3 cups) |
| Fresh stewed or canned in light syrup | 520gm (2 cups) |
| Fresh fruit salad | 500gm (2.5 cups) |
| Bananas | 2 medium – large |
| Mangoes, pears, grapefruit and other large fruit | 2-3 |
| Oranges, appples and other medium size fruit | 3-4 |
| Nectarines, apricots and other small fruit | 12 |
| Grapes | 350gm (2 cups) |
| Melon | 1000gm (6 cups) |
| Strawberries | 1800gm (12 cups) |
| Sultanas and raisins | 70gm (4 lbs) |
| Dried apricots | 115gm (22 halves) |
| Vegetables and Legumes | |
| Potatoes | 350gm potato (one very large or 3 medium) |
| Sweet potato | 350gm (2.5cups) |
| Corn | 300gm (2 cobs) |
| Green beans | 1800gm (14 cups) |
| Baked beans | 440 gm (1 can) |
| Lentils | 400gm (2 cups) |
| Soy beans and kidney beans | 400gm (2 cups) |
| Tomato puree | 1 litre (4 cups) |
| Pumpkin and peas | 700gm (5 cups) |
| Dairy Products | |
| Milk | 1 litre |
| Flavoured milk | 560ml |
| Custard | 300gm (1.3 cups) |
| Diet yoghurt and natural yoghurt | 800gm (4 tubs) |
| Flavoured yoghurt | 350gm (2 tubs) |
| Icecream | 250gm (10 tbsp) |
| Fromage Frais | 400gm (2 tubs) |
| Sugars and Confectionary | |
| Sugar | 5gm |
| Jam | 3 tbs |
| Syrups | 4 tbs |
| Honey | 3 tbs |
| Chocolate | 80gm |
| Mars Bar and other 50-60gm bars | 1.5 bars |
| Jubes and Jelly Babies | 60gm |
| Mixed Dishes | |
| Pizza | 200gm (1/4 medium thick or 1/3 thin crust) |
| Hamburgers | 1.3 Big Macs |
| Lasagne | 400gm serve |
| Fried rice | 200gm 1.3 cups |
| Sports Products and Drinks | |
| Fruit Juice unsweetened | 600ml |
| Fruit Juice sweetened | 500ml |
| Cordial | 800ml |
| Soft drinks and flavoured mineral water | 500ml |
| Sports drinks | 700ml |
| Carbohydrate loader supplement | 250ml |
| Liquid meal replacement | 250-300ml |
| Fruit smoothie250-300ml | |
| Sports bar | 1 – 1.5 bars |
| Sports gels | 1.5 sachets |
| Glucose polymer powders | 60gm |
Howley and Burke, “Peak Performance.”
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