Carbohydrate recommendations can be different for each person. If you are a healthy, insulin-sensitive Cross Fitter, your body may be better adapted at utilizing glucose for fuel without any negative effects. Some individuals may fall into the category of being insulin resistant or having metabolic syndrome. These individuals have a very difficult time utilizing sugar for fuel and need to utilize a lower carbohydrate plan that allows them to burn ketones/fat for fuel. There are also many people in between on the carbohydrate spectrum! There are exceptions to every rule mentioned.
Basic Key Takeaways
The number of carbs you need to eat per day varies from person to person and depends on your activity level, health history, lifestyle, and goals.
Aim to consume 45% to 65% of your total daily calories from carbohydrate sources to support a healthy, balanced diet associated with health benefits.
Within a weight-loss diet, prioritize fiber-rich carbohydrates, like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and limit processed carbohydrates and added sugar sources.
Carbohydrates are sugar molecules that the body breaks down for energy. The number of carbs you need per day to gain or lose weight varies depending on your health goals, activity level, and medical history.
How Many Carbohydrates Do You Need?
As mentioned above, there is no one-size-fits-all amount for daily carbohydrate needs. Basic Guidelines are as follows:
The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) recommends that carbohydrates make up 45% to 65% of daily calories, providing essential nutrients to lower chronic disease risk. A 2,000-calorie diet would have 225 to 325 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 130 g of carbohydrates per day based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient necessary to meet the needs of nearly all healthy individuals of a specific sex and age. It reflects how much carbohydrates are needed to provide your brain with sufficient glucose. Glucose is typically the brain’s preferred energy source.
Fiber is the nondigestible part of carbohydrates that supports health benefits such as blood sugar control, cholesterol reduction, gut health, and weight management. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends 14 g per 1,000 calories—about 28 g daily on a 2,000-calorie diet.
What Factors Affect Daily Carbohydrate Needs?
Activity Level
More active individuals needing more carbohydrates:
Sedentary needs: 3 to 5 g per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day (g/kg/day); for example, about 184 to 307 g for a person weighing 135 pounds.
Athlete needs: 5 to 12 g/kg/day, depending on intensity and training cycle
General training: 5 to 7 g/kg/day, or about 307 to 430 g for a person weighing 135 pounds.
High-intensity training: 8 to 10 g/kg/day, or about 491 to 614 g for 12 hours per week of moderate to high-intensity training.
Individual variation: Depending on your training regimen, activity, and goals.
Body Composition
Carbohydrate intake affects body composition, but the evidence yields mixed results on how.
Higher carb intake: Linked to increased lean mass and lower trunk fat in women in some studies (e.g., in Korea or Japan). The average carbohydrate intake was 69.7%, higher than the AMDR in the United States.
Low-carb diets: They may cause greater lean body mass loss than balanced diets. However, replacing some carbohydrates with protein instead of fat limits unfavorable changes to lean body mass, a low-carb diet still promotes more muscle loss.
Carbohydrate type: Simple sugars (e.g., sugary drinks) may promote weight gain, while high-fiber, plant-based carbs tend to support weight and fat loss.
Recommendation: Regardless of your body composition, aim for 45–65% of daily calories from carbohydrates (AMDR).
Blood Sugar
If you have diabetes, your healthcare provider will work with you to determine how many carbs you should eat per day based on your blood sugar levels, lifestyle, and medications. Other considerations include:
ADA guidance: The American Diabetes Association's Standard of Care does not specify a specific carb amount. Instead, it encourages individualized plans prioritizing minimally processed, nutrient-dense, high-fiber carbs.
Carb restriction: In the short term, it may lower blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c (a measure of average blood sugar over a few months). However, it is often unsustainable and has minimal long-term benefits over less carb-restricted diets.79
Carbohydrates: They provide essential energy and support bodily functions; prioritize whole, high-fiber foods over simple carbs.
Adjustment: Adjust your portions based on your healthcare provider's recommendations, blood sugar data, and medication.
Despite differences in energy metabolism between males and females, research does not support sex-specific guidelines for carbohydrates, provided you eat enough food (calories).
Good vs. Bad Carbs
There are really no such things as "good" or "bad" carbohydrates. However, they can be classified into two groups: simple and complex carbohydrates.
What Are Simple Carbs?
Definition: Simple carbohydrates—popularly considered "bad" carbs—are sugars and the most basic carbohydrate. However, it's important to remember that simple carbs can be safely integrated into your diet, depending on your needs.
Digestion: Simple carbohydrates are rapidly digested, sending a burst of energy (sugar or glucose) into your bloodstream.
Simple carbs include the following foods:
Candy, Desserts, Processed foods (like crackers, chips, breakfast cereals, and granola bars), Regular soda, Molasses, Syrups, Sugar (white, brown, date, coconut), Refined breakfast cereal, Fruit drinks.
Note: While fruits, vegetables, and milk contain simple carbohydrates, they are not considered "bad" carbs.
What Are Complex Carbs?
Definition: Complex carbohydrates—typically considered “good” carbohydrates—contain multiple simple sugar molecules linked together. They include starches and fiber. Your body cannot digest fiber, which helps you feel full and provides many health benefits.
Digestion: Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest because the body must break them down into individual sugar molecules for use.
Complex carbs include the following foods: Fruits, Legumes (like beans, lentils, and peas), Starchy vegetables (like potatoes, peas, and corn), Whole grains (like bread, cereal, pasta, crackers, and rice).
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Does Eating Less Carbs Support Weight Loss?
You do not need to remove all carbs from your diet to support weight loss:
Low-carb definitions: What constitutes a low-carb diet varies. Typically, it is 50–130 grams per day, but very low-carb, ketogenic diets are under 50 g per day.
Weight loss comparisons: Studies show that low-carbohydrate diets affect weight loss similarly to calorie-equivalent balanced diets or calorie-restricted, low-fat diets. This effect is especially pronounced when looking at long-term weight loss.
Diet quality: Diet quality, rather than the quantity of carbs, may more significantly affect weight loss.
Other Nutrition Considerations for Weight Loss
To support weight loss:
Balanced diet: Carbohydrates are not the only focus—protein, fat, and fiber are also essential for weight loss and overall health.
Protein (AMDR): 10% to 35% of daily calories (about 50 to 175 g) should come from protein; the RDA is 0.8 g/kg/day—about 46 g for adult females and 56 g for adult males.
Fat (AMDR): 20% to 35% of daily calories (about 44 to 77 g) should come from fat.
Macronutrient balance: Reducing carbs may affect your intake of protein and fat.
Muscle preservation: A moderate-carb, slightly higher-protein diet may help maintain muscle mass.
High-fat swaps: Replacing carbs with high-fat foods may not support long-term weight loss.
Recommendation: Focus on a nutrient-dense, minimally processed, and balanced diet that includes protein, fat, and carbohydrates within the ranges as recommended in this guideline.
What Happens If You Do Not Get Enough Carbs?
If you do not get enough carbs, you may experience the following symptoms:
Low energy and fatigue, Impaired bowel function, leading to abdominal discomfort, bloating, constipation, and nausea. Bone mineral loss, Elevated cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), Issues with nervous system functioning, Increased risk of kidney stones.
Things to keep in mind when considering your carb intake:
Medical guidance: Consult your healthcare provider before starting a very low-carb diet to ensure it is safe and effective for you.
Low-carb and mortality: Long-term studies link low-carb diets to a higher risk of overall mortality (death from all sources) compared to moderate-carb intake within the AMDR.
Moderate-carb benefits: Although the precise mechanism is poorly understood, the reduced risk of overall mortality with a moderate carb intake may be from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Initial weight loss: If you do not eat enough carbs, you will experience some initial weight loss due to body water, not fat loss. Carbohydrates are stored with water, so as you use your stored glucose (glycogen), your body loses water, affecting weight.
Sustainability and professional support: Although a very low-carb diet can be safe, it is challenging to maintain long-term. Consider working with a nutritionist to minimize potential nutrient deficiencies.
THE FINAL WORDS OF CARBOHYDRATES INTAKE
Ketosis and Fat Burning (0 to 50 g per Day)
When you keep your carbohydrate intake near 50 g per day, you're going to enter a physiological state known as ketosis lipolysis. Most people get scared when they hear the word ketosis, confusing it for ketoacidosis, a state that type I diabetics and alcoholics with liver damage may go into.
Ketosis lipolysis is a normal state of physiology that involves primarily using fat for energy (this happens in fasting too). Fatty acids are broken down into ketones. These ketones are then used for fuel by the body and brain. Ketones also have an appetite-suppressing effect, and after a few weeks in ketosis, you will tend to lose your sweet cravings, too.
The Sweet Spot! (50 to 100 g per Day)
This is a spot I typically like to keep my carbohydrate range within; it allows me to not rely on exercise to stay lean and fit. If you have a damaged metabolism, a 0 to 50 g per day range may be where you need to live for a while. Some people also do well cycling in and out of ketosis: three or four days in a row in ketosis and one day in the sweet-spot range or higher.
Carbohydrates are primarily used for instant energy, so if you're doing lots of exercise or you're under higher amounts of stress, getting a little bit of extra carbohydrates from healthy sources may be beneficial.
Maintenance (100 to 150 g per Day)
Most people do well in maintaining their weight when their carbohydrates are within this range. Everyone is different, so depending on how damaged your metabolism is, this range may be too high for you. If you're relatively lean, exercise three to four times a week, and engage in activities like CrossFit, this will be a great place for you to be. I recommend timing a good chunk of your carbohydrate intake post workout to help improve recovery.
The Steady Track to Weight Gain (150 to 300 g per Day)
When your carbohydrate levels are this high on a continuous basis, especially when there is no energy output to back it up, you are starting to push your body into an insulin-resistant state. The hormone that is secreted when you eat carbohydrates is insulin, and it primarily works by pulling carbohydrates and amino acids into your muscles. As you should know, when your muscles and liver are saturated with carbohydrates, the rest of those carbohydrates will be stored as fat. When your carbohydrate intake is within the 150 to 300 g per day range, it's highly likely it will be stored as fat.
Danger, Will Robinson! (300 g per Day of Carbohydrates or More)
If you're eating based on the Food Guide Pyramid, it's more than likely your carbohydrate intake will be in or around this range. All you have to do is eat your bagel every morning along with your orange juice or cereal, have a sandwich for lunch with your Gatorade, and eat a nice plate of pasta for dinner, and you'll be on your way. Most people that are eating carbohydrates at this high level tend to have insulin resistance as well as increased risk markers for inflammation and metabolic syndrome.
Once again to remind you! What Types of Carbohydrates Should I Eat?
Starchy versus Non-starchy
Starchy carbohydrates: White potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beats, yams, carrots (if cooked), butternut squash, rutabaga, spaghetti squash, turnips, pumpkin, plantains, and bananas. These carbohydrates can have higher levels of sugar along with higher levels of nutrients.
Non-starchy carbohydrates: Broccoli, spinach, kale, celery, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, zucchini, Swiss chard, spinach, asparagus, peppers, onions. These carbohydrates have the lowest level of sugar along with the highest level of nutrients.
High-Glycemic versus Low-Glycemic Carbohydrates
High glycemic: Grains, chips, candies, breads, refined sugars, cereals, junk foods, and tropical fruits (bananas, watermelons, pineapples, papaya, mangoes, and all fruit juices). Outside of the whole food fruit sources, higher glycemic carbohydrates tend to have the lowest amount of nutrients with the highest amount of sugar.
Low glycemic: Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, huckleberries, apples, oranges. these carbohydrates, as a fruit, tend to have the lowest amount of sugar with a higher amount of nutrition.
The carbohydrates that you eat on a daily basis should be of a non-starchy variety, which are all the vegetables your mom tried to get you to eat when you were little.
There are some benefits to the intake of some of the starchy carbohydrates, but you have to make sure they are dosed according to your metabolic constitution and activity level.
When we're looking at the glycemic index, this refers to how fast the sugar in the carbohydrates breaks down and absorbs into your bloodstream. Carbohydrates that have a higher glycemic index get absorbed and impact your blood sugar faster.
The faster the carbohydrates impact your blood sugar, the faster your insulin spikes. When you have pronounced insulin spikes, this drives down your blood sugar, creating sweet cravings just a few hours later. This is a vicious cycle that I see most people live in their entire life. Break the blood-sugar roller coaster by eating healthy proteins, fats, and the right carbohydrates for your metabolic type with each meal.
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