Information About Carbohydrates

A carbohydrate, or carb, is a type of nutrient found in many foods. Each gram of carbohydrate has four calories. Carbohydrate rich foods are grains, pasta, sweets, and most processed snack foods.
Some carbs digest quickly and some digest more slowly. Slower digesting carbs are considered better for you because they don't spike your insulin response nor result in an energy "crash". They provide a more gradual, sustained release of energy over a number of hours.
Fast digesting carbs, like sugar, white bread, and white rice, spike the blood sugar levels more dramatically, which results in an energy "crash" when the blood sugar level returns to normal. Fast digesting carbs can also interfere with weight loss.
When carbohydrates are immediately used for activity, they are stored in the body as glycogen for future use. Once the body's glycogen stores are full, excess carbs may be stored as fat.
Your carbohydrate needs are based on your activity level, whether you have diabetes, and your total daily caloric needs. The body needs some carbs to function properly, so it isn't necessary to cut them out almost completely to lose weight.
Some athletes manipulate carbohydrate consumption levels to achieve maximum performance. They may utilize carb loading and carb depleting to do this.