High Glycemic Carbs and Insulin Release

The use of a high glycemic index carbohydrates and the release of insulin is one of the most misinterpreted issues in sport nutrition.

During endurance exercise, insulin secretion is minimal, and gets less and less the more intense your exercise is. Basically, it is suppressed by the 'counterregulatory hormones' of glucagon, adrenalin and cortisol, all three of which are secreted in appreciable quantities during endurance exercise. Therefore, insulin's effect on metabolism is minimal, if any, during endurance exercise, which is exactly opposite to resting times, when insulin's effect is quite pronounced.

This means that there is no such thing as a 'sugar crash' during exercise, unless it is low blood sugar due to inadequate supply of carbs. High glycemic index carbs like dextrose will not contribute to such a crash through release of insulin. Dextrose helps mitigate such a crash because it is easily digested and absorbed, and requires no liver processing to be able to be used as energy. Furthermore, it among the least likely carbohydrates to cause gastrointestinal irritation. On the other hand, 'sugar crashes' due to insulin release can and do happen during non exercising times because insulin is released in appreciable quantities at these times.

All of the above are well referenced in the scientific literature, the references for which are available on our website www.eload.net