 EAS ENDURANCE TOUR ARTICLES
Excerpted from CORE PERFORMANCE ENDURANCE by Mark Verstegen with Pete Williams. © 2007 by JOXY LLC. Permission granted by Rodale Inc. THE GLYCEMIC INDEX One way to separate good carbs from bad is through the glycemic index, a measure of how a single food will raise your blood glucose level. A food that's highly glycemic will be digested quickly and is absorbed immediately, sending your blood sugar level sky-high. The problem is that you crash quickly and end up feeling sluggish. If you eat the same portion of a low-glycemic food, your body has to work harder to break it down. The benefit is that the sugar from the food will be released into the bloodstream more slowly, giving you steady energy over a longer period. This is the difference between eating a low-glycemic food, such as green peas, and a high-glycemic food, such as a doughnut. You already know that the peas are better than the doughnut, but it's not just because the peas will give you nutrients, and the doughnut will add to your midsection. They also have radically different short-term effects on your energy levels, moods, and performance. Generally speaking, the lower the number on the glycemic index, the more natural the food will be. Your body has to do the work to get the nutrients out of these foods, and that's good, because that gradual release helps regulate blood sugar. Look for natural foods that have more color and fiber, because those foods control appetite, have more nutrients, and improve your cardiovascular system. By controlling your blood sugar, you're regulating the hormone insulin. If you're constantly jacking up your blood sugar by eating only high-glycemic foods, you create a vicious cycle that results in increased calorie consumption and body fat levels, obesity, and perhaps even diabetes. Glycemic Index of Popular Foods
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