This information on this page is not meant to give specific individual dietary recommendations but general guidelines for a healthy diet. Any type of carbohydrate eaten is metabolized into glucose. However, there are different types of carbohydrate. Simple carbohydrates are monosaccharides and disaccharides. These contain one or two sugar molecules and taste very sweet.
Complex carbohydrates are long chains of sugars.
Plants store complex carbohydrates as starch and animals store them as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Examples of foods that contain large amounts of complex carbohydrate include potatoes, rice and bread. Complex carbohydrates are burned as energy or stored in the liver and skeletal muscles for future use during activity. Glucose polymers are another type of carbohydrate that is used in sports drinks. Glucose polymers are a 5 glucose chain sugar that is not as sweet as sucrose or corn syrup that is commonly found in cola type drinks.