Carbohydrates have become the misunderstood villain of the nutrition world. They’re blamed for weight gain, sluggishness, and metabolic dysfunction. But here’s the truth: carbohydrates are not the problem—inactivity is.
In fact, carbs are vital. They are your body’s primary source of energy. What makes them problematic is not using them.
Carbohydrates = Energy for Movement and Life
Carbs fuel your brain, your muscles, and your metabolism. When you eat them, your body breaks them down into glucose, which can be:
- Used immediately for energy
- Stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver
- Converted into fat when glycogen stores are full and energy demand is low
Your body can only store about 300–500 grams of glycogen at a time—enough for around 60–90 minutes of intense activity. When you’re sedentary, those glycogen tanks remain full. That’s when excess glucose lingers in the bloodstream and gets stored as fat, contributing to insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome. As a result, movement and activity are the key to utilizing the carbs that we eat and limiting their ability to get stored as fat and their contribution to insulin resistance, inflammation, and weight gain!
Why Our Ancestors Handled Carbs Better Than We Do
To understand this better, let’s zoom out.
Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. They moved constantly—walking, climbing, chasing, and foraging for food. Carbohydrates weren’t always available, so when they found fruits, roots, or honey, they were valuable sources of quick-burning fuel to support intense physical effort.
Their bodies stored what they needed, used it rapidly, and relied on fat stores when food was scarce.
But today?
We have:
- 24/7 access to carbs
- Little physical demand
- Overfilled glycogen stores
- And too much energy intake with not enough movement
We’re eating like we’re preparing to chase dinner, but living like we’re recovering from it… for days.
Why Building Muscle Changes the Carb Equation
Here’s the fix: muscle mass.
Muscle is your metabolic storage tank. The more muscle you have, the more glycogen you can store—and the better your body becomes at using carbohydrates efficiently. The ability to increase glycogen storage through increased muscle mass results in a reduction of conversion and storage of excess glycogen to fat and reduces the risk of insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome.
Benefits of Building Lean Muscle:
- Increases glycogen storage capacity
- Improves insulin sensitivity
- Enhances metabolic flexibility
- Burns more calories at rest
- Reduces the likelihood of fat storage from excess carbs
That’s why resistance training is foundational at ChiroFITT. Whether your goal is longevity, body composition, or athletic performance, building muscle gives your body room to use the energy you’re consuming—instead of storing it in places you don’t want.
How to Add Movement Throughout Your Day
Movement isn’t just about workouts. It’s about consistently using your body to stay metabolically active throughout the day.
Here’s how to make it practical:
Follow the AHA Guidelines:
- 150 minutes/week of moderate aerobic activity
- or 75 minutes/week of vigorous activity
Aim for 7,000–10,000 Steps Per Day
- A 10-minute post-meal walk improves digestion and blood sugar control
Take Movement Breaks Every 30–60 Minutes
- Get up from your desk and stretch, walk, or do 1–2 minutes of mobility work
Strength Train at Least 2x/Week
- Focus on full-body movements like squats, rows, hinges, and pushes
Stack Movement Into Daily Life
- Park farther away, take the stairs, walk during phone calls
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s consistency.
More steps. More strength. More movement = better carb usage.
Not All Carbs Are Created Equal: Real vs. Refined
While movement helps your body use carbs, the quality of the carbs you eat matters just as much. There’s a huge difference between whole-food carbohydrates and ultra-processed products.
Whole, Real Food Carbs:
These are nutrient-dense, while being lower in calories, and slower-digesting, helping to stabilize blood sugar and keep you satisfied:
- Sweet potatoes, squash, carrots
- Fruits like berries, apples, oranges
- Legumes like lentils and chickpeas
- Whole grains like quinoa, oats, farro
- Vegetables with starch like peas and corn
These foods are packed with fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients—all of which support digestion, energy production, and inflammation control.
Ultra-Processed Carbs:
These are often stripped of fiber and nutrients, digested rapidly, and trigger blood sugar spikes followed by crashes:
- Packaged snack foods (chips, crackers, cookies)
- Refined white bread and pasta
- Sugary cereals
- Sodas and energy drinks
- “Low-fat” foods with added sugars
These foods are very calorie-dense, but nutrition-poor and are designed to be hyper-palatable, making them easy to overeat. And when we’re inactive, these fast-digesting carbs often get stored as fat—not because they’re carbs, but because they’re excess energy with no demand, often they can be referred to as “empty” calories.
Pro Tip from ChiroFITT:
Instead of focusing on cutting carbs, focus on cutting back on ultra-processed carbs and increasing whole-food carbohydrates that come with fiber, color, and a natural nutrient package.
The ChiroFITT Takeaway
Carbs are not the enemy—they’re fuel for your body and brain
Our bodies were built to move—and carbs were meant to power that movement
Inactivity, not carbs, is what causes dysfunction
Muscle improves how your body stores and uses carbs
Choose real carbs over ultra-processed ones
Move more. Sit less. Strengthen your body. Fuel wisely.
Fuel to Move. Move to Flourish.
At ChiroFITT, we help clients reconnect with the way their bodies were designed to work: through movement, strength, nutrition, and recovery.
Using tools like the InBody scan, we assess muscle mass and metabolic health. We design custom training and nutrition programs that align your fuel intake with your functional output—so you can flourish from the inside out.
