Eating for athletic performance does not require big deviations from a basic healthy diet. Food and beverages are essentially composed of some combination of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. A training diet requires all of these nutrients. The specific amount you need depends on your activity level, age, height, weight, and gender. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are one group of nutrients that provide calories.
Carbohydrates are the body's first choice for a fuel source.
As the body uses this glucose from the blood it works very hard to replace what is used, to maintain a stable blood glucose level. If blood glucose drops too low because of not enough food or because the body is not functioning optimally, you may feel hungry, shaky, sweaty, or have a headache. The main difference between these two forms is that the body takes a little longer to break down the complex carbohydrates. The result is that simple carbohydrates raise blood glucose and energy level quickly, but complex carbohydrates maintain the level for a longer period of time. Carbohydrates are stored in muscles and the liver as glycogen.