THE CRAZY-SURPRISING BENEFIT OF CARBS FOR ATHLETES

Going low-carb and skimping on rest and recovery could hurt your exercise performance.

Kicking your training up a notch can put you on the fast track to greater gains and exercise performance—but it can also really tucker you out. New research published in the Journal of Sports Sciences reveals intensive bouts of exercise can make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get good quality sleep. But there is one thing that may help: don’t nix the carbs.

In the study, from Loughborough University, researchers studied the effects of two nine-day periods of heavy training on 13 expert-level male cyclists. The athletes’ mood, sleep patterns (via a wristwatch monitor), and performance (via VO2 max) were monitored and recorded throughout the study. The researchers also gave some of the athletes…READ MORE