Summing Up
So let’s sum up, looking at both practical minimum and maximum carbohydrate intakes under different circumstances. For illustrative purposes, after each of the g/lb recommendations, I’ll give an absolute number of carbohydrate, assuming an athlete with 160 pounds of lean body mass.
Circumstance Carbohydrate Requirement1 Grams for an athlete with 160 lbs. LBM
Physiological Requirement 0 g/day 0 g/day
PracticalMinimum to Avoid Muscle Breakdown2 50 g/day 50 g/day
Practical Minimum for Individuals Who Function Poorly In Ketosis3 100-120 g/day 100-120 g/day
Additional Amount to Sustain Low Intensity Exercise Minimal approaching zero Minimal approaching zero
Additional Amount Needed to Sustain Weight Training 5 g carbs. per 2 work sets4 5 g carbs. per 2 work sets4
Average Recommendations in Bodybuilding Nutrition 1-3 g/lb. 160-480 g/day
Average Recommendations by Mainstream Nutritionists 2-3 g/lb 320-480 g/day
Average Intake for Endurance Athletes 2 g/lb 320 g/day
Recommended Intake for Endurance Athletes 3-4.5 g/lb 480-720 g/day
Practical Maximum for Non-Carb Loading Individuals 4 g/lb 640 g/day
Maximal Intakes for Carb-Loading ~7 g/lb 1120 g/day
1.All values are in g/lb. To convert to g/kg, multiply by 2.2.
2.Note: If protein intake is sufficient, this amount of carbohydrate is not required.
3.All values above this line assume no exercise and do not change significantly with body weight.
4.Assumes a set length of 30-45 seconds.
Clearly the above represents a pretty drastic range of carbohydrate requirements, depending on the specifics. For a typical male with 160 pounds of lean body mass, daily carbohydrate intake could range from the physiological requirement of zero grams per day to a near maximum of 1120 g/day during a carb-load. Which makes it no wonder that people are confused.
Simply, the question “How Many Carbohydrates Do You Need?” has no singular answer. The goals of the person, the amount and type of activity, their individual needs (e.g. insulin sensitive vs. resistant, whether or not they function well in ketosis or not), their individual goals all determine how many carbs are ideal in the diet