From 1 episode and 1 video
What is the difference between simple and complex carbs?
Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated
The short answer
Simple carbs break down fast and hit your bloodstream quickly, giving a short burst of energy and a blood sugar spike. Complex carbs are higher in fiber and starch, carry more nutrients and digest slowly, so they give you steadier energy over hours. Nikkiey says both have a place, especially around your workouts.
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The core difference: fast-burning simple carbs vs slow, fiber-rich complex carbs
Plays from 2:11 · Video: Simple vs Complex Carbs: When to Eat Each Around Workouts
Nikkiey on why carb type and balance matter more than carbs themselves
Plays from 8:11 · Ep. 227: Do Carbs Make You Fat? Weight Loss Myths for Women Over 40
Nikkiey's muffin example of the blood sugar spike and crash, plus sustained energy
Plays from 9:48 · Ep. 227: Do Carbs Make You Fat? Weight Loss Myths for Women Over 40
When to eat simple vs complex carbs before lifting, plus food examples of each
Plays from 4:18 · Video: Simple vs Complex Carbs: When to Eat Each Around Workouts
The full answer
On Ep. 227, Nikkiey explains that the problem isn't carbs themselves but the type of carbs and the balance in your diet. Her example is a muffin in the morning: you feel like you could take on the world for 20 or 30 minutes, then crash about an hour later. That spike-and-drop pattern goes for sugary snacks, white bread and other refined carbs. Complex carbs work more like an extended-release version, giving you sustained energy and more fiber, vitamins and minerals.
That difference is why timing matters. Nikkiey says simple carbs are useful around training because you put the quick energy to use, but not really for the rest of the day unless they're paired. Complex carbs can be eaten whenever you want. The show's video on simple vs complex carbs adds specifics:
- Simple carbs about 30 minutes before lifting, or as your fuel if you train first thing in the morning
- Complex carbs 45, 60 or 90 minutes before lifting, so the energy lasts the whole session instead of bottoming out
- Simple carbs after a workout to quickly replenish energy stores and start muscle recovery
One nuance on food lists: the sources don't sort every food the same way. Ep. 227 groups fruit with complex carbs, alongside oatmeal, vegetables and brown rice. The video lists fruit as a simple carb, along with rice cakes, white rice and some cereals, and names whole grains like bread, rice, oatmeal and quinoa, plus potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn, as complex. Either way, bread is not off limits. The point is matching the carb to what you're about to do.
Nikkiey also admits this gets complex fast, which is why she recommends working with a nutrition professional or a coach. If carbs have always left you crashing, it's likely the type and timing, not you.
From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.
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Watch or listen in full
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6 minSimple vs Complex Carbs: When to Eat Each Around Workouts
Video · Feb 15, 2022
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