Articles Nutrition (Part 2)

Glycemic Index

Definition

• The ranking of carbohydrates quality in food, according to the immediate impact on blood glucose levels
• Glycemic Index (G.I.) can range from 100 (Pure glucose) to 0

Impact of high or low G.I. foods

High G.I. foods

• High G.I. foods are types of foods containing carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion
• They have a higher tendency of increasing blood glucose
• This increase in blood glucose can spike insulin levels

Process is as follows:

Low G.I. foods

• Foods that contain carbohydrates that breaks down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream.
• Less likely to spike insulin levels
• Allows for steady energy supply to the body
• Less likely to feel the “post lunch” sleepy effect after consumption

Is high G.I. necessarily bad?

• Common misconception that high G.I.= Bad food
• No straight forward answer
• Depends on the individuals energy demands
• High G.I. foods are recommended for athletes during competition or racing where energy needs to be delivered as quickly as possible to maintain high energy expenditure
• Also use to help athletes or individuals recovering from hypoglycemia(Severely low levels of blood sugar) which are usually present in athletes who have pushed extremely hard and not fueled correctly during endurance races

Glycemic Index of foods

The table is a list of selected foods usually consumed in our diets.

Extracted from (Brand-miller, Wolever, Colagiuri and Powell. 2005)