Q. A reader and friend from Saxaphaw, NC writes, “I am an endurance athlete that is trying to lose weight while still trying to get optimal performance during my races. We use these carbohydrate gel packs during long training sessions to get some energy, but most of these contain simple sugars that are high on the glycemic index and I was told that this is bad for weight loss and blood sugar regulation. How can I get energy for training but try and lose weight in the long run?”
A. Many athletes get involved with endurance sports like running, biking, and triathlons with weight loss as their initial motivation. As they get going and continue to train, most will run into the same dilemma that bothers you in your training. The physiology and chemistry behind the answer is universal, but the implementation may be different for each individual.
Let’s start with the facts about carbohydrates that have been studied extensively over the past several decades:
1) Carbohydrates provide energy in order to perform,
2) Carbohydrates are needed in the fat-burning energy cycle,
3) Carbohydrates, mostly simple carbohydrates, can be stored as fat if not used,
4) An overabundance of simple carbohydrates throughout our lives may lead to adult onset diabetes.
Now let’s inject those facts into our equation. First, we need to eat carbohydrates in order to get energy. This starts several weeks prior to the actual event or training session with a consistent diet of low glycemic, high fiber whole grain carbohydrates. Second, while the event or training session is actually occurring, you should use a blend of carbohydrates and protein for sessions that last longer than 90 minutes for proven optimal energy. There are some gels and plenty of drink mixes formulated with the researched ratio that help accomplish proper intake. Yes, most of these gels and mixes are simple carbohydrates, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives (if any). When we expend energy, we burn and use glycogen that needs to be replaced. Simple carbohydrates are the fastest digestible form of energy and help replace those used glycogen stores during and within 1 hour following exercise. The tricky part comes when trying to balance the proper intake of simple carbohydrates and protein with your own personal energy needs.
This may take a few weeks to figure out based on calculated VO2 max and how many calories you think you will burn during activity. After a little trial-and-error, you should be able to adequately intake enough gels and drink mixes to replace just enough glycogen stores that were used during activity without adversely affecting blood sugar levels following exercise. This is the most important part since you don’t want any excess of carbohydrates to store as fat and hinder your goal of losing weight. This should help keep your performance at optimal levels, but you will need to evaluate your meals and snacks throughout the day looking at total caloric intake for gradual weight loss in the long run.