The Glycaemic Index (GI) and what it means to you.

What is it?

Simply the Glycaemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly our bodies can turn carbohydrates into energy. Glucose is the base unit the body uses for energy and is used as the marker by which all other carbohydrates are measured in how quickly they break down. Glucose has a measurement of 100 and all other carbohydrates are measured against this.

From this, carbohydrates are given their own score and are generally classed as high GI, medium GI and low GI. As a rule of thumb, white foods such as sugar, potatoes, rice and white bread are high GI and therefore need to be controlled or avoided. Medium GI foods are usually processed foods such as pasta and need to be eaten in moderation, and low GI foods tend to be natural sources of carbohydrates such as vegetables and can be eaten as and when you like.

Why is it important?

A diet of unregulated high GI foods can lead to poor blood sugar balance which in turn can lead to a number of illnesses and impact upon your energy levels. It is the speed in which glucose enters your blood stream that can affect many areas of your health and performance, either immediately or ultimately.

Glucose needs to enter the blood stream in a controlled manner and by manipulating these foods and possibly avoiding some as part of your diet plan can play a significant role in your health and your performance. Timing and what you eat alongside these GI foods should be a crucial part of your diet plan.

The importance of the GI is being able to determine what foods influence your blood sugar levels and by getting this part of your diet right will help optimise health, meet your metabolic profile and improve performance.

Training and your GI diet.

Athletes, at any level, need a high amount of carbohydrates in their diet to match their energy expended. In the past it has always been assumed that just by taking carbohydrates, in whatever form, is enough to ensure energy levels and refuel for recovery. Unfortunately by just increasing your carbohydrate levels to train and compete can lead to serious blood sugar imbalances and is often the reason why many athletes develop certain illnesses. Sir Steve Redgrave contributes his diabetes to the amount of high GI foods he would eat in between training as a quick energy fix.

It is important to know that the ability to consume a large amount of carbohydrates without putting on weight may well be a sign that you are burning as many carbohydrates as you are eating. Although this sounds a balanced diet, this fact by no means relates to how your body handles these carbohydrates and even if you do not put on weight by eating sweets etc, you will likely develop poor health and your energy levels will start to suffer.

What is crucial alongside your training is the type of carbohydrate in terms of its GI ratio and when you eat these carbohydrates as part of your diet plan. By manipulating this side of your diet, can allow you to perform to your potential and help optimise your recovery