One of two categories of carbohydrate, complex carbohydrates are more chemically complex than simple carbohydrates and generally require more digestion.  Most complex carbohydrates provide more lasting energy than most simple carbohydrates, hence they are the better form of carbohydrate to eat before workouts.  They are also referred to as starches.

carbohydrates made of many simple carbohydrates that are chemically bound together.

vegetables, beans, and whole grains that are broken down slowly and released gradually into the bloodstream.

Large chains of sugar units arranged to form starches and fiber. Complex carbohydrates include vegetables, whole fruits, rice, pasta, potatoes, grains (brown rice, oats, wheat, barley, corn), and legumes (chick peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, as well as beans such as lima, kidney, pinto, soy, and black beans).

A carbohydrate with multiple molecules of sugar (glucose) attached by chemical bonds.

A class of carbohydrates called polysaccharides; foods composed of starch and cellulose.

Starches and fiber that have a more complicated chemical structure than simple carbohydrates (sugars).

carbohydrate molecules made up of two (disaccharide) or more (polysaccharide) simple sugars linked together

Starches, such as grains, breads, rice, pasta, vegetables and beans. They get their name from their complex, chainlike structure. During digestion, starches are typically broken down into sugars and used by the body for energy. Complex carbohydrates offer you more sustained energy levels than simple carbohydrates.

a term used to describe foods high in starch, such as bread, cereals, fruits and vegetables, as contrasted to simple carbohydrates such as table sugar.