I often get curious looks, especially from women, when they see me after training, how I treat myself to rice cakes. I also receive similar questions in private messages. In the following article I will try to explain this phenomenon, especially for those who care about beautifully developed muscles. And why shouldn't you?
The glycemic index (GI) is a value that tells us how quickly our bodies react to carbohydrates in food. It is a number that expresses how much blood sugar (glucose) levels will rise compared to a standard food, which is assigned an index of 100. White bread or glucose is taken as the basis.
Simply put, the glycemic index of a food is a number from 0 to 100 that indicates how quickly sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream after it is consumed. This value is influenced by the amount of sugar in the food. Foods with a high sugar content have a high glycemic index, while those with a low sugar content have a low glycemic index.
If you want to lose weight, it is important to focus on foods with a low glycemic index (0-55), such as grapefruit, dark chocolate, vegetables, broccoli, spinach, legumes, avocados, mushrooms, all kinds of nuts, dried apples, vegetable juices... These foods will not increase your blood sugar levels sharply, they will keep you fuller longer and you will not feel hungry.
Foods with a medium glycemic index (56-70) should be consumed judiciously or combined with foods rich in protein (dairy products, meat), fiber, lemon juice or acidic fruits. These include whole grain breads, pasta, rice, most fruits, pineapple, bananas, peaches, fruit juices, pears, kiwi, oatmeal, spaghetti, dry red wine, white wine.
Foods with a high glycemic index (71-100), such as beer (with a GI of 110 :D), glucose, baked potatoes, French fries, bourisons, white bread, honey, boiled carrots, pumpkin, sponge cake, cakes, strudels, buns, candies, salty bars, sweet wines... cause a strong increase in blood glucose levels, accompanied by an intense insulin response. This is what is used after training, when the body is in a catabolic state and glycogen stores in the muscles are depleted. The goal is to switch to an anabolic state, while insulin minimizes the action of cortisol, which is released after intense training and causes the breakdown of proteins, which leads to muscle loss.
So if you're looking to lose weight, focus on foods with a low or medium glycemic index. On the other hand, those of you who are concerned about muscle mass need to immediately increase your insulin levels after training to prevent muscle loss. And remember, everything in moderation!
Answers are generated by artificial intelligence from information on our website and may contain errors.
