Sports Nutrition - How Carbohydrate Provides Energy for Exercise

All the energy we need for life as well as for exercise comes from the food we eat and the fluids we drink. These nutrients are commonly broken into three classes:

• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Proteins

Each category of food is important for health and we should all consume foods from each category. The ratios in which we need to consume these foods, however, is often the topic of a debate. Carbohydrate is arguably the most important source of energy for athletes. No matter what sport you play, carbs provide the energy that fuels muscle contractions. Once eaten, carbohydrates breakdown into smaller sugars (glucose, fructose and galactose) that get absorbed and used as energy. (Elizabeth Quinn/About.com Sports Medicine)