Originally Posted by Paul W.
This is something that has been bothering me for a while. The Gatoride vs. Cytomax
click here thread got me thinking about it. I don't know the answer.
Here's my question:
If you put any high glycemic food/sugar into your blood while exercising, i.e. Gatorade, Bananas, Clif Bars, etc., shouldn't you have a corresponding low blood sugar episode shortly thereafter? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a sudden spike in blood sugar also cause a spike in insulin, AKA hypoglycemia? Wouldn't this cause a "bonking" effect?
It would seem to me that high sugar foods would be counter-productive to endurance activities like biking where you spend a long time in the saddle. Am I missing something?
Yes, you are correct. High glycemic/sugar foods are a bad choice for anyone, but especially for people doing long distance cycling. They cause a spike in blood sugar which in turn triggers the insulin, which in turn causes a crash in blood sugar. That's why when you eat chocolate in the middle of the afternoon at work, 45 minutes later you feel like taking a nap.
Spiking the blood sugar like that is only a good idea for a short term extra boost in a situation like a short race, or when you are already on the verge of bonking and need to get your blood sugar up quickly. In the second situation, you should consume the high glycemic/sugar food, and then IMMEDIATELY follow it up with something low glycemic. The low glycemic food will stabilize the blood sugar once it gets up a bit.
For long distance cycling, one of your best bets for food is something high in fat. Fat is a slow burning fuel and won't cause the spiking and crashes that sugar does. It is also much higher in calories so it will provide you with energy for a lot longer period of time than sugar does.
I hope this helps clear things up.
