Are carbs evil?

Whilst browsing B's cycling magazines, I came across an(other) article about the potential benefites of a reduced carbohydrate diet. Apparently, Team Garmin-Slipstream are following a modified version of The Zone, designed to reduce inflammation and promote recovery. This is controversial given that for years athletes have been advised to get most of their energy from carbohydrate. Brands like Lucozade and Gatorade have been built on a mountain of scientific evidence that backs the importance of carbohydrate for athletic performance.

The people at Cycling Weekly seem to have really bought into the idea that a different way of eating - focusing on protein, vegetables, fruit and nuts for most of the day whilst continuing to use sports drinks immediately before, after and during training - could be optimal for reducing inflammation and promoting recovery. I'm not convinced by Dr Loren Cordain and Joe Friel's Paleo Diet - eat like our ancestors, who foraged for seeds and berries, barbecued the occasional buffalo... then popped down to their local supplement store for a few energy gels and a jumbo tub of whey protein(?) -but I can see the potential benefit of limiting refined carbohydrates like white bread, cereals and processed sugary drinks in favour of whole-grains, lean protein, essential fats and, of course, lots of fruit and vegetables.

Surely it's all about balance. It has got me thinking though - a quick scan of our cupboards flagged up our over-reliance on carbs: bread, bagels, cereal, oat bars, potatoes, pasta and juice. I've spoken before about not eating enough protein and wonder if my carb (over)loading could be one of the reasons why my injuries seem to take so long to recover from. Could it be possible that a move away from the traditional focus on carbohydrate could be beneficial for sport? I guess the jury is still out - until now, much of the research on reduced-carbohydrate diets has focused on treating obesity.

A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that over 2 years, diets containing a range of proportions of carbohydrate versus protein were all similarly effective in reducing weight and risk factors for diabetes and heart disease - they key appeared to be limiting overall energy intake. The authors suggest that diet composition should be tailored to suit individual and cultural preferences.

I could never cut out carbohydrates completely. I couldn't even ban them after 5pm (what's that all about?). But I'm starting to think about experimenting with shifting the balance a bit. I'll certainly be watching how Team Garmin-Slipstream get on in this year's Tour de France.