Carbohydrates: Make Them Work for You

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks.

Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar). Glucose is the main source of energy for your body's cells, tissues, and organs allowing physical activity and bodily functions. Glucose can be used immediately or stored in the liver and muscles for later use.

What is the Glycaemic Index (GI)

The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a scale used to describe the effect of a food and its carbohydrates and carbohydrate foods on blood sugar levels. This index illustrates that the same amount of carbohydrate consumed with different foods can bring very different blood glucose responses. For instance, starch in lentils or pasta has a much lower effect on blood sugar levels than starch in boiled potatoes or white bread. The later behaving more like traditional sugars in terms of a fast and high, pronounced blood glucose response.

Sugars cover the entire range from fast and high glycaemic (e.g. glucose with GI 100 and maltodextrin ith GI 80) to low and slow blood glucose responses (e.g. Isomaltulose GI 32). Knowing the difference between their glycaemic responses can play in ones favour towards making healthy lifestyle choices.

Although maltodextrin (80 GI) and Palatinose™ (32 GI) are of the same caloric value (4ckal/g), they have vastly different impacts on blood glucose levels.

Low GI (1 - 55)

Carbs with a low GI value are digested and absorbed over a longer time. This results in stable blood sugar levels that don't get too high and the feeling of 'being full for longer'. 

Following a low GI diet can result in:

  • Losing weight
  • Less hunger when following a low calorie diet
  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Lowering total cholesterol levels
  • Improving diabetes management
  • Lowering the risk of diabetes and heart and blood vessel diseases

Low GI foods:

  • Green vegetables
  • Most fruits
  • Raw carrots
  • Kidney beans
  • Chickpeas
  • Lentils

Medium GI (56 - 69)

Medium GI foods:

  • Sweet corn
  • Bananas
  • Raw pineapple
  • Raisins
  • Cherries
  • Oat breakfast cereals
  • Multigrain, whole-grain wheat or rye bread

High GI (70 - 100)

Carbs with a high GI digest quickly and result in a spike in blood sugar levels. To lower your blood glucose levels to a healthy amount your body produces insulin, a hormone which metabolises sugar reducing the excess glucose in your blood. 

Insulin also increases fat and protein metabolism. The increased protein metabolism can be used to increase protein/creatine absorption, something that is very beneficial post workout to maximise muscle gains.

High GI carbs, although generally undesirable, can be used to great effect post workout to quickly replenish glycogen (energy) and to increase protein/creatine absorption (and hence muscle recovery and gains) when taken in combination with protein.

The ideal high GI carbs to be taken for this effect are Vitargo® or maltodextrin.

High GI carb benefits:

  • Increase protein/creatine absorption
  • Quick glycogen replenishment
  • Quick carboloading

High GI carb drawbacks:

  • Insulin spike can result in weight gain when high GI carbs are consumed with meals. This is why drinking cool drinks at mealtimes results in weight gain.

High GI foods:

  • White rice
  • White bread
  • Potatoes

Main Carbohydrate Types

Sugars

They are also called simple carbohydrates because they are in the most basic form. They can be added to foods, such as the sugar in candy, desserts, processed foods, and regular soda. They also include the kinds of sugar that are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and milk.

Starches

They are complex carbohydrates, which are made of lots of simple sugars strung together. Your body needs to break starches down into sugars to use them for energy. Starches include bread, cereal, and pasta. They also include certain vegetables, like potatoes, peas, and corn.

Fiber

A complex carbohydrate which in most cases your body cannot break down. Eating foods with fibers can help you feel full and make you less likely to overeat. Diets high in fiber have other health benefits.

They may help prevent stomach or intestinal problems, such as constipation. They may also help lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

Fiber is found in many foods that come from plants; including fruits, vegetables, buts, seeds, beans and whole grains.

Muscle Dynamix Carb Sources

Palatinose™ (Isomaltulose)

Palatinose is a low GI sugar which, like table sugar (sucrose), is made up of 1 part glucose and 1 part fructose. Palatinose differentiates itself from sucrose by having a far stronger bond between these two parts.

Our digestive system takes much longer to break down this bonding than the one in sucrose. This extra digestion time results in energy release over time, stable blood sugar levels and ultimately Palatinose being classified as low GI.

Palatinose is completely digested in the small intestine meaning 2 things:

  • The carbohydrate is completely digestable and available
  • The ingestion of Palatinose does not cause discomfort since it never gets to the large intestine

Highlights:

  • Slow release of glucose - Low GI of 32
  • A completely available carbohydrate and glucose supply (4 kcal/g) 
  • Low effect on blood glucose and insulin
  • Completely digestible
  • It is tooth friendly - even though it is a sugar it doesn't increase acidity in the mouth
  • This is a good carb source for a meal replacement or diet shake, as it keeps you full for longer while maintaining stable blood sugar levels

VITARGO®

Vitargo® is a patented and specially formulated carbohydrate designed to replenish glycogen and enter the bloodstream rapidly. Research has shown it to enter the bloodstream twice as fast as maltodextrin (GI 80), making it the fastest mouth to muscle carbohydrate.

Vitargo® has a very high GI making it perfect for recovery, carboloading and increasing protein absorption.

Maltodextrin

Dextrose

Fructose

Common foods with carbohydrates

  • Grains - e.g. bread, noodles, pasta, crackers, cereals, and rice
  • Fruits - e.g. apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, melons, and oranges
  • Dairy products - e.g. milk and yogurt
  • Legumes - beans, lentils, and peas
  • Snack foods and sweets - e.g. cakes, cookies, candy, and other desserts
  • Starchy vegetables - e.g. potatoes, corn, and peas
  • Drinks containing sugar - e.g. juices, regular sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks

Although it is possible to have a carb free diet by eating foods which have almost 0 carbs, carbs are needed to give your body energy and it is best to consume specific carbs which satisfy our exercise and performance goals.

Eating the Right Carbs for Your Health

  • When eating grains, choose mostly whole grains and not refined grains:
    • Whole grains are foods like whole-wheat bread, brown rice, whole cornmeal, and oatmeal. They offer lots of nutrients that your body needs, like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. To figure out whether a product has a lot of whole grain, check the ingredients list on the package and see if a whole grain is one of the first few items listed.
    • Refined grains are foods that have had some parts of the grains removed. This also removes some of the nutrients that are good for your health.
  • Eat foods with lots of fiber. The Nutrition Facts labels on the back of food packages tells you how much fiber a product has.
  • Try to avoid foods that have a lot of added sugar. These foods can have many calories but not much nutrition. Eating too much added sugar raises your blood sugar and can make you gain weight. You can tell if a food or drink has added sugars by looking at the Nutrition Facts label on the back of the food package. It tells you how much total sugar and added sugar is in that food or drink.

How Many Carbs Should I Eat

How many carbohydrates should I eat? There is no one-size-fits-all amount of carbohydrates that people should eat. This amount can vary, depending on factors such as your age, sex, health, and whether or not you are trying to lose or gain weight. On average, people should get 45 to 65% of their calories from carbohydrates every day. On the Nutrition Facts labels, the Daily Value for total carbohydrates is 275 g per day. This is based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. Your Daily Value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs and health. Is it safe to eat a low-carb diet? Some people go on a low-carb diet to try to lose weight. This usually means eating between 25 g and 150 g of carbs each day. This kind of diet can be safe, but you should talk to your health care provider before starting it. One problem with low-carb diets is that they can limit the amount of fiber you get each day. They can also be hard to stay on for the long term.