Science, Carbs, and Cardio: Nutrition for Athletes

How to arrive at a predetermined conclusion

In this Marty Gallagher nutrition article, the argument is not that all carbohydrates are evil or that no athlete ever benefits from carbs. The argument is more precise and more useful: carb timing, cardio training, running, exercise bike sessions, treadmill work, and post-workout replenishment need context. A real athlete coming off a savage, sweat-drenched effort is not the same as a casual cardio user texting through thirty minutes on a stationary exercise bike.

Science, Carbs, and Cardio

This past Sunday I read an article in the New York Times Health Section entitled, “The best foods for athletes.” Well okay, I’m an athlete, what foods are best for me to eat? After reading the entire piece I thought of a better title, “The best foods for those that insist on eating before jogging or riding the exercise bike – and what to eat or drink to replenish after you finish jogging or riding the exercise bike.”

The article was yet another carb-justification diatribe. Those that exercise, using their definition of exercise, are encouraged to eat carbs before and after training. It seems science and the mainstream health experts have a love affair with carbohydrates and will use any narrow premise to arrive at the predetermined conclusion that carbs are supreme and saturated fat is satanic.

The New York Times article was built around a study in Science magazine called Swifter, Higher, Stronger; what’s on the menu? Oddly, Swifter, sprinting, and being able to leap Higher requires strength, not endurance. Stronger is not improved by cardio. Yet, the exercise benchmark selected was steady-state cardio, with only passing reference to any type of strength training.

Strength, Endurance, and the Wrong Exercise Benchmark

Of the five bio-motor attributes, strength, speed, endurance, agility and flexibility, strength is King, first amongst equals. Why? There is no speed without strength. Strength bleeds over into the other bio-motor attributes. The way cardio exercise is featured and spotlighted in nearly every scientific study would lead the uninformed to think endurance was the King of bio-motor attributes.

If you erroneously think endurance is the King of bio-motor attributes, then naturally you select some steady-state activity as your exercise benchmark. To build this castle made of sand even higher, what nutrients would a hard-charging endurance athlete require? Why carbs sir, lots and lots of carbs, and without too much bothersome differentiation.

I could also have titled the Times article, Long distance running and steady-state cardio; what’s on the menu? Apparently, lots and lots of carbs are on the endurance menu. The article sets up the straw man premise that somehow carbohydrates trump all other nutrients and somehow the only exercise worthy of study is steady-state cardio.

Much examination was given to the idea of using nutrition, carbs, as a preparation tool heading into a steady-state training session, or aerobic competition, and again as a post-workout recovery-accelerator, more carbs coming off the training session or event. In both those instances, fore and aft, the case is made that carb consumption is approved, recommended and beneficial.

Cardio, Carbohydrates, and the Caloric Deficit

I have a better idea: suck it up, skip the pre-workout fueling and post-workout refueling. Without the additional calories, the scant few actually burned in the cardio session might make a dent in reducing body fat. The caloric cost of exercise is vastly overrated. An average size American engaging in a 30-minute cardio session, regardless the mode, device or tool, will burn 200-500 calories, less than one Big Mac.

The idea that the average American riding a stationary bike for 30-minutes at the YMCA is actually working hard enough to deserve a pre-workout carb load and a post-work replenishment meal or shake is ludicrous. The dude that texts while pedaling is hardly in dire need of pre-workout carbs to boost his energy. Nor is he deserving of post-workout recovery supplementation to accelerate his recovery – from what? This guy is already 25-pounds overweight and the NY Times is suggesting he load up on insulin-spiking fat-producing carbs before and after “training.”

While serious carb replenishment might be a good idea for a real athlete engaging in a body-shattering training session, there aren’t too many real athletes engaging in body-shattering training sessions. Mostly you have normal people chugging away in earnest on cardio equipment at the local Y or health club. Skinny-fat people, diligently showing up to pedal or jog. They are eternally mystified as to why their body never changes; they ponder this as they guzzle their 200-calorie post-workout carb “replenishment shake” that just cancelled out any exercise-induced caloric deficit they might have made.

Hydration, Walking, and Casual Cardio

A similar phenomenon: a few years back, the dire warnings were all about the need to stay hydrated during exercise. Top ultra-endurance athletes were keeling over so the fitness press was loaded with articles on the need to stay hydrated. The guy using the Nordic Track in his garage for 20-minutes is in no danger.

To this day in my neighborhood I have well-heeled women walking in the name of fitness and exercise. These dedicated fitness adherents walk with their girlfriends, in nice weather only, sporting $500 track suits, wearing jewelry and shod in expensive Nike shoes. They walk next to one another and talk, talk, talk. Each exercise walker carries a water bottle so they can stay “hydrated,” despite the fact that no one ever sweats.

When Carbs Might Make Sense

While carbs might be the nutrient of choice on certain occasions, like before a real athlete runs a half marathon, or in the immediate aftermath of a savage, sweat-drenched, lung-searing session, this level of commitment and effort are rare. Does the average American that engages in some sort of steady-state cardio, say riding the stationary bike or jogging on the treadmill for 30-minutes or 40-minutes three to four times weekly really need to load up on insulin-spiking carbs before and then again after a training session?

The way science talks about the “energy boosting benefits” of carbs, you’d think drinking a pint of orange juice would be akin to snorting four rails of crystal meth. Does eating a bunch of fruit or drinking no-fat soy milk create an afterburner effect on performance? Hardly. There is not one shred of empirical evidence to support the contention that carbs elevate energy to any significant degree.

The post-cardio workout carb replenishment meal or drink is supposed to replace glycogen burned during a workout. The post-workout carb-rich smoothie recovery shake prevents the Gazelle user, fresh off a 30-minute session, from keeling over. Again, real athletes that really sweat and bust ass, might rate a replenishment shake.

Not All Carbohydrates Are the Same

Carb over-indulgence is the express-train to Fat-Dom. The “best food for athletes” article makes little if any differentiation between carb types. There is a big difference between a cup of insulin-dampening broccoli and a cup of insulin-spiking orange juice. Other than fibrous carbs, i.e. broccoli, spinach, salad greens, kale, onions, green beans, asparagus, etc., all other carbs, regardless the type or kind, are undigested sugar. Carb consumption needs be nuanced, particularly if you are seeking to reduce body fat.

Not all carbs are bad but some of them are very bad, the worst. In the carbohydrate hierarchy, fiber is numero uno; natural starch carbs are next. Bad carbs include all man-made carbs, industrial foods, pastry, bread, baked goods, sweets, candies, insulin-spiking low-fat/no-fat dairy and frozen foods, chips, soda and sugar. The enemy is not the calorie, the enemy is insulin and it is created in tidal waves by refined and manmade carb “foods.” Wise up and get woke about carbs.

Cardio Equipment and Training Context

The nutrition lesson is inseparable from the training lesson: cardio has to be evaluated by intensity, duration, goal, and the athlete doing the work. A casual walk, a light 20-minute pedal, a steady treadmill jog, a brutal hill sprint and an all-out fan bike interval are not the same physiological event. Treating them as if they all deserve the same pre-workout carb load or post-workout replenishment strategy is bad thinking.

For athletes, first responders, military personnel, commercial gyms and home gym owners building a cardio area, the tool should match the goal. A runner-focused setup may call for the Assault AirRunner Classic, the CT800 Commercial Treadmill, or the 8TR Commercial Treadmill. A bike-based conditioning area can include upright exercise bikes, the AssaultBike Pro X, the StairMaster HIIT Bike, or the 8UB Commercial Upright Exercise Bike. Equipment selection matters, but it should never obscure the bigger point: match the nutrition to the real training demand.

Nutrition Note

This article is Marty Gallagher’s opinionated nutrition and cardio training commentary, not medical advice. Carbohydrate intake, caloric deficit, insulin response, diet strategy, and recovery nutrition should be matched to the individual athlete, training intensity, health status, and goal. A bodybuilder, powerlifter, endurance athlete, first responder, military operator, and casual treadmill walker do not all have the same nutritional problem.

Science, Carbs, and Cardio FAQ

What is Marty Gallagher’s main argument about nutrition and carbohydrates?

Marty’s main argument is that nutrition advice about carbohydrates needs context. He objects to blanket carb-loading and post-cardio replenishment advice being applied to casual exercise sessions that do not create the same demand as hard athletic training.

Are carbohydrates always bad for athletes?

No. The article allows that carbs may make sense before or after serious endurance work or a savage training session. The criticism is aimed at indiscriminate carb consumption, especially before and after low-intensity steady-state cardio.

Does every treadmill or stationary bike workout require carb replenishment?

In Marty’s view, no. A casual 30-minute treadmill jog or stationary bike session is not the same as a body-shattering athletic effort. If a recovery drink cancels out the caloric deficit created by the workout, the body composition goal may be undermined.

Why does Marty distinguish between different types of carbohydrates?

He argues that fibrous carbohydrates such as broccoli, spinach, salad greens, kale, onions, green beans, and asparagus are not the same as refined carbs, sugar, pastries, bread, chips, soda, and other industrial foods. His point is that carb quality matters.

How should cardio be judged in this article?

Cardio should be judged by effort, duration, intensity and purpose. A steady walk, a light exercise bike ride, a treadmill jog and an all-out endurance session are different workouts and should not automatically receive the same nutrition strategy.

What cardio equipment fits the article’s discussion?

The article discusses exercise bikes, stationary bikes, treadmills, and steady-state cardio. For training environments, bikes, upright exercise bikes, fan bikes, and treadmills can all support cardio work when the equipment is matched to the athlete and goal.

About the Author

As an athlete Marty Gallagher is a national and world champion in Olympic lifting and powerlifting. He was a world champion team coach in 1991 and coached Black's Gym to five national team titles. He's also coached some of the strongest men on the planet including Kirk Karwoski when he completed his world record 1,003 lb. squat. Today he teaches the US Secret Service and Tier 1 Spec Ops on how to maximize their strength in minimal time. As a writer since 1978 he’s written for Powerlifting USA, Milo, Flex Magazine, Muscle & Fitness, Prime Fitness, Washington Post, Dragon Door and now IRON COMPANY. He’s also the author of numerous books including Purposeful Primitive, Strong Medicine, Ed Coan’s book “Coan, The Man, the Myth, the Method" and numerous others. Read the Marty Gallagher biography here.