Effect

It is estimated that 50-60% of the human energy requirement is covered by carbohydrates. They are absorbed from the intestine into the blood in the form of monosaccharides. If the carbohydrates are supplied as polysaccharides, they must first be split into monosaccharides.

This begins in the oral cavity thanks to the saliva and continues in the intestinal tract. The carbohydrates absorbed from the intestine are important for the blood sugar level and are distributed through the blood in the body. They are absorbed mainly in the liver and skeletal muscles, where they are combined to form the carbohydrate storage form, glycogen.

In the case of skeletal muscles, the monosaccharides can also be used directly for energy production – this happens especially when carbohydrates are supplied during physical exertion.When we consider the role of carbohydrates in providing energy during physical activity, whether it is hard physical work or sports, we find that after about 10-20 seconds the body’s supply of ATP, the “energy currency”, and creatine phosphate, from which ATP can be produced in the short term, runs out. At this point the body begins to use carbohydrates to produce ATP and thus to provide energy. In the process, the glucose in the blood (“blood sugar“) is first broken down with the help of so-called glycolysis.

Glycogen stocks are then broken down in muscles and the liver – glycogen is the storage form of glucose and other monosaccharides, so to speak. If we now know that carbohydrate stocks in the form of glycogen are essential for maintaining physical activity, it quickly becomes clear that the supply of carbohydrates is indispensable, especially for athletes. Only those who can keep up their training over a certain period of time (which is only possible if sufficient carbohydrates are available) can look forward to a Training Effect.

Carbohydrates are particularly important for the brain and the erythrocytes, the oxygen-transporting red blood cells. Both cover their entire energy requirements exclusively with carbohydrates. In addition, carbohydrates fulfil numerous other functions in the body apart from energy production: for example, they serve as building blocks for supporting tissues of the body such as bones and ligaments, as well as numerous other vital body components such as blood group molecules.