Training & Nutrition - Does Chinese food make you groggy?

Sometimes after I eat a Chinese-food lunch it is all I can do to stay awake. I loose my motivation and want to take a nap. I'm talking about a regular lunch; not after stuffing myself at a buffet.
Anyone know a reason for this?

Thought it might be tryptophan because of rice, soy products, and chicken which are common in Chinese food but evidently it's not.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-does-turkey-make-you-sleepy

Could be a drop in blood sugar? Between the white rice and the typical sugar in the sauces, you could be setting yourself up for a nice blood sugar high and crash.

Could be intolerance to MSG, common flavor enhancer in Chinese food. Get some Ramen noodles (nice source of MSG in the flavoring packets), and see if you get the same reaction.

Hennie

Found that when I drank carbonated beverages at the Chinese buffet I was much more flatulent than say when I drank hot tea. Never happened at McDonald's.

Have since given up soda and McDonald's. The dining world is safe again! :)

Chinese food can knock me out, sometimes before I'm done stuffing myself.

Steer clear IMO. I don't touch the stuff any more. In fact, I avoid all types of fast food as it makes me feel ill. Last time I had one (1 year ago) I couldn't eat it, so threw it on the garden for the birds to eat. Woke the next morning to find the birds didn't touch it either and it had actually burnt the grass - turned yellow. Now perhaps the groggyness you are experiencing is from your insides burning lol :D

It depends on what you ordered. A popular fast food place here is Panda Express. Really high in salt content. I don't know about the MSG, but I wouldn't doubt it, especially in their soups like Hot and Sour.

Like anything else, home made Chinese food does not have all that MSG. The deep fryer in most restaurants might have vegetable oil, but the chicken, pork, and beef certainly are not. Use that oil over one day's worth of cooking and guess what, that veggie oil is still saturated with animal fat.

Could be a drop in blood sugar? Between the white rice and the typical sugar in the sauces, you could be setting yourself up for a nice blood sugar high and crash.

+5

That's my guess what's happening.

Could be a drop in blood sugar? Between the white rice and the typical sugar in the sauces, you could be setting yourself up for a nice blood sugar high and crash.

Considering I'm a diabetic I know those symptoms all too well. I'd say msincredible nailed it.

My money (as a food scientist) is that you just eat to much of it. As Chinese food is usually served 'family style', the idea of portion control usually goes out the window. I know that when I go out to my favorite Chinese restaurant, I can put away an absurd amount of food without realizing it.