Sports Nutrition Guide - Part 3
The Glycemic Index & Food

Carbs are just sugar. Simple carbs are just sugar, and is absorbed into the blood stream very fast. Complex carbs like that from rice, bread and pasta, take time to breakdown, and takes longer to absorb.

So what's this got to do with the glycemic index?

The Glycemic Index measures the ability of how quickly (or slowly) a carbohydrate food can raise blood sugar levels. In general, simple carbs tend to be high on the glycemic index (since they raise blood sugar levels relatively fast), and complex carbs are lower on the glycemic index - since they take more time to break down.

Significance of The Glycemic Index for Foods

As mentioned above, the glycemic index relates to your blood sugar's effect on the hormone insulin, which plays many key roles in your bodily functions. As a simple example, let's consider dextrose - a simple carbohydrate many use together with creatine post workout - see my homemade cell-tech recipe here.

When you eat foods low on the glycemic index (complex carbs), the insulin response is much more mild, since the food increases your blood sugar level at a slower rate, unlike simple carbs. Below lists some significance of the glycemic index:

• Low glycemic index food keep you fuller for longer
• Low GI food can help improve diabetes control
• Low glycemic index foods help improve your body's sensitivity to insulin
• Low GI foods are beneficial for people trying to lose weight
• Low glycemic foods lead to smaller rise in blood sugar
• About the only time you would want to consume a high glycemic index carbohydrate is immediately after workouts

Below are the glycemic index of various foods.

The Glycemic Index of Food