Glucose pills, isotonic drinks, Rafa Nadal’s banana,…
There are many of you who are looking for a boost of energy with these foods to support training at a high level.
Its use increases during pre-season periods, when the volume of training is greater and the feeling of fatigue is even more noticeable.
However, in many changing rooms the question arises as to when to take this energy supplement, before the warm-up or during the main part of the session?
Glucose, before, during or after exercise?
In this article, I am going to give you an answer to this problem that can have serious consequences if the body’s response to food intake is not taken into account.
What produces the intake of HC (Carbohydrates)?
When any athlete consumes HC, the body produces the release of insulin as a hormonal response for approximately 45 minutes until insulin levels return to their natural level.
What role does insulin play?
Insulin is responsible for collecting the glucose that we have in the blood either to be used by our cells or to be transported to reserves, favoring in both cases a decrease in blood glucose (hypoglycemia).
So, are we interested in lowering blood glucose levels for training?
The answer without a doubt is no, since when we go to move we will request that blood glucose, which we will no longer have available thanks to the work done by the previously released insulin.
Be careful in consuming HC shortly before training as it produces in most cases a decrease in performance due to lack of energy, and in some cases even reaching the dreaded pájara (dizziness, nausea, vomiting,…).
It is curious, but consuming GH just before starting physical exercise leaves us without enough energy resources (although it is hard for us to believe).
How can we avoid this problem?
First of all, avoid coming to your workout without energy. To do this, make the energy intake approximately 45-60 minutes before starting your session.
Secondly, if you still need quick energy to train or compete, take note of what happens when we consume GH after physical exercise has started, it seems that it may be the solution.
What does exercise produce to allow us to consume GH during it?
As you all know, the body is moderated by hormones to avoid lack of control that affects the body.
Well, something similar is what happens when we start doing sports: the body releases catecholamines, and these inhibit the release of insulin.
The perfect moment
Therefore, we already have the perfect time to consume that energy supply that gives us that extra energy: just after warming up, a situation in which we have already begun to release catecholamines thanks to exercise and avoiding the problems we are talking about, since that do not let insulin be released as easily.
If you are one of those who needs a quick energy supply in extreme situations, you know when you cannot take your dose. Control these nuances and enjoy all your possibilities.