Why carbs are essential (and why a plant based diet

The fuel for your brain, kidneys, heart muscles, and central nervous system. Fiber ( a carbohydrate) that aids in digestion, helps you feel full, and keeps blood cholesterol levels in check.

When you cut carbs from your diet or workout without eating carbs your body breaks down protein in your muscles for fuel instead.

Using these protein stores can cause you to fatigue easier and more prone to dizziness and dehydration during demanding workouts.

There's 2 types of carbs (Simple & Complex) Simple: Corn based cereals, soda, white bread Complex: Wholegrains, potatoes, beans, vegetables, fruit

Eating more whole grains can help boost stores of protein in our muscles and preserve muscle mass.

Performing high intensity exercise on a low-carb diet can cause consequences like "exercise flu," limited performance, and muscle loss through gluconeogenesis. When the body breaks down muscle turning it into it to energy due to lack of carbs.

Depending on the training routine, athletes should consume anywhere from 3-12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight throughout the day.

Compared with "carnivores", those eating a plant-based diet get more antioxidants, which help neutralize free radicals.

Free radicals lead to muscle fatigue, reduced athletic performance, and impaired recovery.

A balanced plant based diet supplies athletes with all the nutrients they need. Compared to a mixed diet, plants contain less fat and, are rich in carbohydrates and fiber which help muscle growth and improve recovery.

Not surprisingly, multiple studies have found that the anti-inflammatory structure of plant foods can decrease soreness, reduce muscle damage, and support recovery - all of which contribute to improved performance! Eating plants also combats the inflammation caused by animal foods.

Decreasing animal foods while increasing plant foods not only replaces pro-inflammatory compounds with anti-inflammatory ones, but makes room for beneficial plant compounds to address the inflammation caused by exercise, injury, and sickness