1st Due Fit & Firefighter Throwdown Nutrition Tips # 2 ~"Effects of Carbohydrate Intake".

There are three main macro nutrients in the food that we eat: protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Your body uses these macro nutrients for fuel. If you take in too much fuel, the body will attempt to store the excess for times when the fuel might not be readily available. This article will highlight some key points on the effects of carbohydrate intake.

Insulin plays a critical role in the body’s ability to store fuel. Understanding the role of insulin is imperative to adopting a healthy diet. Let’s dig a little deeper in this subject to get a better understanding of how the food we consume can be either beneficial or detrimental to our performance.

The body has defined a way that it breaks down carbohydrates through the digestion, absorption, metabolism and transport. The process starts as soon as we take a bite of carbohydrates.

This process goes from the mouth and upper GI tract into the small intestine, the liver, and then the bloodstream.

In the bloodstream typically 20 grams of blood borne glucose circulates every hour, and the body prefers to keep this more or less stable. If our blood sugar drops below that, the body will immediately use the new glucose supply for preserving blood glucose level and for immediate energy. If extra glucose is present, the liver and muscles will first take what they can, the liver stores anywhere from 80 to 100 grams of glucose before it’s full and muscles between 300 and 600 grams. The actual amount retained is of course based off of the amount of muscle mass each individual has. Once these cells are full, the remaining glucose gets converted into triglycerides in the liver and stored in fat cells.

Although there are no “essential carbohydrates,” some carbohydrates are healthy and will support the active lifestyle of a firefighter. That is why it is best to choose high quality vegetables and certain fruits to maximize the quality and reduce the total amount of carbohydrates in your diet, resulting in “more bang for your buck”. For example, 100 grams of raw broccoli has only 6.6 grams of carbohydrate and is packed with nutrients, while 100 grams of white bread has a whopping 50.6 grams of carbohydrate and is nutritionally anemic compared to most vegetables. A diet that consists of too many processed carbohydrates and sugars results in the body having more glucose than it needs for fuel. This can become toxic and the body needs a way of getting the glucose out of the bloodstream.

If the body is forced to deal with too many carbohydrates, the muscle and liver cells respond by becoming less responsive to insulin and, as a result, extra glucose remains in the blood stream. Slamming our bodies with carbohydrates results in a decrease of insulin sensitivity in muscle and liver cells – unless you are exercising at a very high level such as in a marathon runner.

Unfortunately, this means fat cells will continue to grow as they store the excess glucose. Given the high amount of carbohydrates we Americans are eating, it is not surprising that we have such a problem with obesity.

Did you know that the food we consume can be rated on a scale from 1-100 based on it affects to our blood sugar levels? This tool is called the glycemic index and has been in use since the early 1980’s. This system helps to measure how quickly an individual’s blood sugar rises after food consumption, the more rapidly it rises the higher the glycemic index, in turn, the longer it takes for blood sugar levels to rise after eating the lower the glycemic index.  Multiple medical studies have found that people whose diets are comprised of foods with low glycemic scores have significantly lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, gallbladder disease and breast cancer compared to those who regularly consume foods with a high glycemic index resulting in the production of more insulin. Eventually, this results in blood glucose toxicity and chronically high levels of insulin, which leads to high levels of inflammation, diabetes, and heart disease.

Chronically high levels of insulin has many negative effects on the body, including a decreased metabolic rate (slower rate of burning calories), lower testosterone levels and other sex hormones, lower energy throughout the day and reduced cognitive functions.

 Low glycemic index foods are primarily meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds and some fruit, while high glycemic foods include starches, breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, grains, and sweets. Eating more low glycemic and less high glycemic index foods is an easy way to dramatically improve the quality of your food intake. Keep in mind when shopping for food to keep to the outside of the store, as this is where the majority of fresh non-processed foods are kept.

 Every person is different, there is not a one fix all for every person. Everyone’s body handles foods differently and sometimes will take the process of trial and error to tweak for specific results. Each person must remain patient and consistent while finding out what works best for them.  This information will help any individual “clean up their plate” as they dial in on making wise nutritional choices to fuel the body to function at the highest capability. Not only is exceptional nutrition absolutely necessary for daily function but it also will aid in obtaining that extra edge in performance within your sport or career.

J.Brahm
 1st Due Fit 
1stduefit.com 
"Highest Expectations Are Minimum Requirements"




 (PN, Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition: 2nd Edition 2012)