There is the main thought process that brown or complex carbohydrates are good and white is bad. But ultimately, it’s all about context, and isn’t as black and white as that. Both white and brown or simple and complex carbohydrates have their place in the diet. What is more important is the timing in which we have them and the foods we have them in conjunction with.
Glycaemic index (GI)
GI is measured on a scale of 1-100 where 100 is glucose and fastest releasing – with complex typically being lower.
- 1-50 Low
- 51- 70 Medium
- 71-100 High
Low to Moderate:
Low to moderate Gi carbohydrate is ideal to have most of the time in particular that 2-4-hour period before training – this is for the steady rise in blood sugar – as well as tending to be higher in fibre and micronutrients. This means you will feel fuller for longer and potentially solve any energy fluxes you might have been getting through the day.
It’s not the most ideal food to have on the bike though, for the above reasons and when looking at performance, the higher Gi, simpler carbohydrates are much more effective
High:
The whiter, more simple carbohydrates increase blood sugar a lot quicker, tend to be low in fibre and depending on the source micronutrients.
Where this type of carbohydrate excels is in the period directly before, during and after a workout or ride. This is due to the speed of the release making the energy viable for use straight away, aiding in immediate performance or recovery.
Knowing more about these allows you to know when you can have some of those sweeter foods and when you should cut back on them in relation to energy levels and best utilisation.
RECIPE: Mediterranean flaked sea bream pasta
Ideal to have 2-4 hours before a session providing 80g of steady releasing carbohydrate and 20-30g protein.
Ingredients per 1 person;
- 1 fillet sea bream
- 100g Spaghetti
- 1tbsp Olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- Small handful cherry tomatoes
- 1tbsp of olives
- Salt & Pepper
- Fresh Basil to garnish
BOIL your spaghetti with some salt till just before it’s done (al dente)
FRY minced garlic in your pan with olive oil first then adding fillet, salt and pepper
ADD halved cherry tomatoes and olives after 3 or so minutes
DRAIN cooked pasta
ADD pasta to frying pan and stir in once fillet is crispy
SERVE with a garnish of basil, and remaining oil from the pan.
For a long time people have spoken about having food on the bike, and it’s definitely known it will improve and/or maintain our performance in rides over 90mins. Anything less the effects would not be significant and probably won’t contribute to exercise performance.
Knowing we should eat is one thing but how often and how much is another.
It’s worth just recapping that our maximal capacity of carbohydrate intake per hour is;
Both using different transporters (or trains), meaning we can achieve up to 90g an hour which is worthwhile in long hard days in the saddle.
BUT! A long-time people have said little an often is better than larger single servings which other than maybe from a stomach comfort point of view had no backing in those words. I have been one of the first people to research the frequencies of carbohydrate on cycling performance and I am the first to do it with maximal glucose intakes at 60g an hour.
My research proved that taking 20g every 20mins improved repeated timed efforts over a 4-hour ride when compared to 60g once an hour. Also making this a unique finding and proving that the frequency we have our food makes a difference on exercise performance.
In practical terms what does this mean? Well, when out on our big rides opting for small pieces of homemade flapjack or bought malt loaf; cereal bars and such that equate to around 20g of carbohydrate and are low in fat would enable you to easily keep the frequency of your feeding up and enhance your performance rather than taking that big hit all at once.