Glycemic index is an indicator of how fast a food’s carbohydrates reach the bloodstream and change blood sugar levels, which are blood sugar levels. For example, foods with a low glycemic index, such as beans, pears, and oat bran, keep blood sugar under control longer, delaying hunger after a meal.
In addition to glycemic index values, foods fall into three categories:
For the classification of major foods, refer to the full table of the glycemic carbohydrate index.
It is important to remember that the glycemic index applies only to foods composed mainly of carbohydrates, such as cereals, pastas, sweets, rice, potatoes, fruits, dairy and vegetables, and does not exist for foods with protein and fat, such as meats, eggs, olive oil and butter, because they do not alter blood sugar.
While the glycemic index corresponds to the rate at which carbohydrates in foods increase blood sugar, the glycemic load is related to the amount of carbohydrates present in food: the more carbohydrates there are, the greater the variation in blood sugar.
The glycemic load classification is as follows
Glycemic load is important because a food with a high glycemic index will not always be able to change blood sugar incorrectly. For example, watermelon has a high glycemic index and a glycemic load of only 4, which means that a slice of watermelon does not. have enough carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar too much.
To be more sure of the value of the glycemic index of foods, you should refer to the table, but the following tips are useful for assessing whether a particular food has a high or low glycemic index:
So a good tip to avoid foods with a high glycemic index is to eat the food as naturally as possible, consuming the fruit and vegetable peels as much as possible and avoiding industrialized products. See examples of low glycemic foods.
Before training, you should eat foods with a low to moderate glycemic index, such as bananas and sweet potatoes, as they will slowly increase your blood sugar level, giving you energy by the time training begins.
If your exercise is intense and lasts more than an hour, you should consume high glycemic carbohydrates to quickly replenish your workout energies, and you can use a gel of carbohydrates, isotonic drinks, or fruits with higher concentrations of sugar, such as pruning plums.
After physical activity, the athlete should also prioritize the consumption of foods with medium to high glycemic index, to replenish carbohydrate stores and accelerate muscle recovery. Learn how to use glycemic index to improve your workout and see examples of meals in this video: