In addition to serving as fuel, carbohydrates play an important role in recovery from training and exercise. After a tough workout, your body switches into recovery mode, as it needs to work hard to repair the damage you did. This repair process requires energy, and giving your body carbs will allow it to do a better job of rebuilding the muscle tissue you broke down.
If you regularly exercise intensely, your best bet is including carbs in your diet, at least on workout days. You can work out without carbs, but your performance will suffer, as you won’t have that glycogen ready for easy access. Think of your glycogen stores as a fuel tank for the car that is your body and carbohydrates as the fuel. Without fueling up, you’ll have a difficult time operating at peak efficiency for any length of time.