Question

Long distance runners tend to “carb-load” and eat large amounts of bread and pasta the night before a long run. This is because the glucose molecules that are contained within the starch can be used for energy. Cellulose (or fiber) is also made of many glucose molecules, yet this would not be beneficial to eat prior to a long run. Explain why starchy foods are better to eat in this situation compared to cellulose, in terms of their chemical differences.

Answer 1

ANSWER:

Larger carbohydrate molecules, which include fibers and starches, are composed of at least 10 monosaccharides linked together. These large carbohydrates, called polysaccharides ; may contain up to several hundred monosaccharides linked together in different ways which needs several process to brake them while Carbohydrates are are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are arranged into small units called sugars, or monosaccharides. Small carbohydrates, like glucose or sucrose (table sugar) are composed of one or two sugar units; these units can be demposed under heat subjection; hence breaking them in a faster rate.