How to Take Advantage of the Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a science that has recently been expanded upon extensively. Learning about it can show you when to eat which carbohydrates for optimal utilization of the energy they provide.

The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly the energy and nutrients from a carbohydrate are absorbed into your body and affect your blood sugar. High-GI foods quickly raise the blood sugar and stimulate an insulin response. Low-GI foods slowly raise the blood sugar and the insulin response is much more gradual.

High-GI carbs are best eaten immediately before or immediately after an intense workout. Sprinters, powerlifters, and maybe boxers, kickboxers, and martial artists would benefit the best from these.

Quick intervals of intense exercise that are explosive-strength based or power or speed-based benefit the most from these High-GI carbohydrates which deliver a burst of energy to the body quickly. High-GI carbs taken in by endurance athletes often result in a negative impact on performance, due to the way the endurance athlete's blood sugar steadily declines, and the way the high-GI carbohydrates 'cause a large burst.

Be warned, though; all high-GI carbohydrates were not created equally. While high-GI is high-GI, a sugar is not a sugar. Getting your high-GI carbs from whole-wheat breads or fruits is always better than getting them from cakes or similar processed sugars.

High-GI carbohydrate foods are those such as processed sugars, pretty much all breads, and all grains, for that matter, as well as some fruits, a lot of fruit juices, and most other things that your mom would tell you not to eat because they'd 'give you a sugar rush'.

Low-GI carbohydrates are also best eaten in larger quantities than the high-GI carbs should be, before the training session, practice, or competition. Low-GI carbs will deliver energy steadily and thoroughly without an insulin 'crash' at the end, provided the energy is burned off. Marathon runners, distance swimmers, and similar athletes will benefit best from these types of carbohydrates. These types of carbohydrates provide fuel at a steady, controlled rate to match the steady rate of the endurance athlete.

Low-GI carbohydrate foods are those such as vegetables and most fruits (especially tropical and South American fruits).

For more information on glycemic index and the glycemic indexes of various foods, check out one of the various nutrition sites that have GI charts. An excellent one is www.nutritiondata.com.