When exercising routinely, timing the food that you eat around your exercise activities is important and has a significant impact on your energy levels. carbohydrate intake, in particular, can affect performance, with simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates having different ideal times for consumption. the best types of carbohydrates to eat during and/or immediately after exercise are simple carbohydrates, whereas complex carbohydrates are ideally consumed a couple of hours before exercise. complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and enter the bloodstream and can build glycogen stores. sort the following food items into their respective bins based on whether they are simple, complex, or noncarbohydrate-rich foods.