What is the importance of the glycemic index in bodybuilding?

Arguably considered the best tool in the bodybuilding community for monitoring and analyzing all aspects of one's diet, the Glycemic Index (abbreviated GI) allows one to accurately define a quality eating plan. This index replaces the erroneous notion of slow and fast sugars with more specific and measurable data.

What is blood sugar?

Glycemia is the level of glucose (sugar, in short) in the blood. Many factors, such as growth hormone, glucagon or adrenalin, are involved in raising blood sugar levels, while others, such as insulin, reduce them.

Don't overuse the latter: its virtues are not miraculous, and misuse can be harmful. Hyperglycemia occurs when blood sugar levels are abnormally high (above 1.1 grams per liter of blood), leading to the risk of diabetes, and hypoglycemia when they are abnormally low (below 0.60 grams per liter of blood).

Fatigue: hypoglycemia

Have you ever felt tired after a big meal? Well, it could be due to a spike in blood sugar levels. In fact, when you eat foods with a high glycemic index too quickly, the carbohydrates are converted into glucose and pass into the bloodstream, so blood sugar levels rise all at once.

The body will then regulate itself by secreting insulin to bring down these sugar levels, and in the process tire out your body. We're talking here about an example of a large quantity of food consumed.

If you eat foods with a low index, then you will experience less or no such phenomenon and fatigue.

Need a calibrated nutritional plan?

Glycemic index: definition

L'glycemic indexThe glycemic index is a criterion for classifying foods according to the blood sugar level they produce in the body once consumed. This index is essential for bodybuilders who want to manage their their weight gain or loss.

Weight training and blood sugar

Because sugar inevitably turns into fat, and therefore into grease, monitoring the impact that a food will have after ingestion on one's glycemia is essential for those who are serious and passionate about bodybuilding. The glycemic index of foods can be divided into three groups:

• Low GIor low glycemic index, with a value below 35 ;
• Low GIor average glycemic index, with a value between 35 and 50 ;
• high GIor high glycemic index, with a value above 50.

Dietary glycemic index

First and foremost, it's easy to find a glycemic index calculator or glycemic index table that can tell you exactly what a product contains.

You should also be aware that a food may have several glycemic indexes, depending on how it is refined and cooked. However, as there are generalities, read on for details and nutritional advice.

Low glycemic index foods

Here is a short list of recommended products to keep your blood sugar levels correct.

Wholegrain cereals, rich in fibre, are recommended for daily nutrition and to replace white flours. You can read the article on oatmeal here.

Vegetables in which you will find nothing but goodness for a minimal glycemic index.

Legumes such as lentils, peas or other chickpeas.

All soy products, suitable for dry use.

Fruits, to be consumed in moderate quantities since they provide a lot of nutrients and have a low glycemic index, but be careful with fructose.

Finally, our beloved sweet potato is a food that has a medium glycemic index. And yes we might think it is low but in reality its GI is 50.

However, beware of certain foods that one might think have a low GI but which, once cooked, have a GI that soars. For example, a raw carrot has a GI of 16, whereas a cooked carrot has a GI of 47.)

High glycemic index foods

A wide variety of products with a high glycemic index are part of everyday consumption. It's not surprising, then, that you can see why it's easy to overindulge.

White cereals, white rice, white bread, baguettes of all kinds and everything made with white flour. and therefore muffins made with white flour. You should prefer wholemeal cereals.

Potatoes and potato products (French fries, potatoes...). Replace them with sweet potato sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic content. The index for sweet potatoes is 50 compared to 95 for French fries.

The confectionery and sweet shops, on which there is no need to dwell...

Sodas, although a sugary drink can be used during training to invigorate the body a bit. Drink in small sips to avoid a sudden rise in blood sugar.

Using the glycemic index for your nutrition program

Glycemic index for muscle gain

For effective muscle gain, you'll need to consume carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, but also high ones at certain times of the day. For example, it's often advisable to opt for high-GI carbohydrates in the morning and directly after training, depending on your goal, but always within a precise, defined framework.

After training, glycogen reserves are at their lowest for around 1 hour. It's during this precise period that we need to consume high-GI foods. The body uses them to fuel the muscles directly. I won't go into the scientific details of what is known as the the anabolic window or the metabolic window, but I would write a more precise article on the subject.

That's why I recommend consuming one or two spoonfuls of honey, a few dates or a banana after training to replenish this store. This is the only time when you can consume fast sugars without somehow gaining weight. On the other hand, if you eat a solid meal within half an hour of training, it's not necessarily useful to consume whey and fast sugar immediately after training.

Glycemic index for fat loss

Losing as much fat as possible and limiting excess fat is the main objective if you are going on a dry or caloric deficit diet. You need a healthy diet to maintain your muscle mass while losing fat. To do this, don't just focus on calories but also pay special attention to the glycemic index.

Low GI menu

Breakfast: sprouted cereal muesli, almond milk without added sugar with a dose of whey protein, 1 green tea

Lunch: Radish or cucumber, poultry, vegetable ratatouille

Snack whey protein isolate, 1 dozen cashew nuts, 1 apple or mandarin orange

Dinner: Green salad, smoked salmon and wild rice (basmati rice or brown rice: medium GI) 1 Greek yoghurt without sugar with some blueberries

Need to know your calories and macros to consume : I calculate my calories

Glycemic index and food combinations

The glycemic index of each food varies according to how it is cooked and also according to the combination with other foods.

Indeed it is rare to consume a food alone, and therefore the overall GI will be different.

For example, for a good protein snack, you could eat a ripe banana (medium GI) combined with a source of whey protein (whey isolate) and some oilseeds such as almonds or walnuts. Mixing fatty foods (nuts) or low GI protein foods will slow down digestion and therefore lower the overall glycemic index.

Oatmeal is often used in bodybuilding for breakfast and it actually has a high glycemic index, which is interesting in mass gain for the first meal of the day, as well as after training for better muscle growth.

Beware of confusion!

Don't confuse carbohydrates, the body's main source of energy and a basic component of the diet, with sugar. Similarly, don't confuse glycemic index and glycemic load.

While the glycemic index provides information on the quality of carbohydrates, it does not take into account the quantity ingested, unlike CG, which takes into account both the glycemic index and the quantity swallowed. Be careful with these closely related concepts.

The following table classifies foods by glycemic index. It should be noted that the glycemic index is used to inform us about the propensity of a food to raise or lower blood sugar levels. Therefore, a low glycemic index does not necessarily indicate that the food is good for our health.

Glycemic index table

Foods with low glycemic index	GI 0 to 39	Foods with average glycemic index	GI 40 to 59	Foods with high glycemic index	IG 60 +
Asparagus	15	Green banana	45	Baguette	70
Carrots	30	Pineapple	45	Ripe banana	60
Courgettes	15	Apricot in syrup	55	Crescent	70
Spinach	15	Kiwi	50	White wheat flour	85
Lawyer	10	Khaki	50	Waffle with sugar	75
Broccoli	15	Litchi	50	Honey	60
Eggplant	20	Coconut	45	Cooked beans	80
Fruits oilseeds	15	Mango	50	Lasagne	75
Cucumber	15	Sweet potatoes	50	Dates	70
Mushroom	15	Papaya	55	Melon	60
Apricots	30	Apple juice	50	Potato starch	95
Nectarine	35	Wheat (flour)	45	Squash	75
Grapefruit	25	Couscous	45	Doughnuts	75
Tangerine	30	Quinoa flour	40	Chips	70
Pear	38	Oatmeal	40	Biscuit	70
Fig	38	Wholemeal pasta	50	Beer	110
Red fruits	25	Toasted bread	45	Corn flakes	85
Passion fruit	30	Rye	45	Chestnut, brown	60
Pomegranate	35	Rice	50	Brioche	70
Apple	38	Muesli	50	Watermelon	75
Lamb	0	Lactose	40	Pizza	60
Shrimp	0	Sushi	50	Ravioli	70
Pork	0	Surimi	50	Sweetened rice pudding	75
Tuna	0	Mustard	55	Sodas	70
Veal	0	Ketchup	55	Glucose syrup	100
Beef	0	Tomato sauce	45	Tacos	70
Soft-boiled egg	0	Sorbet	40	French fries	95
Fatty fish	0	Jerusalem artichoke	50	Chocolate powder	60
Lean fish	0	Spreads	55	Pumpkin	75
Chicken	0	Shortbread	40	Chocolate bread	65

Do you want a complete bodybuilding program to follow?

My low-calorie homemade protein bar recipe

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