Building up to your marathon race and want that carbo-loading session? A wide range of diet options are available. One good option will be to eat pasta. U may ask, why pasta?
The purpose of carbo-loading sessions is to stock up a large reserve of energy in the body so that the runner is able to meet the high energy demands of an endurance, long duration sport. These reserves are in the form of glycogen stored in the muscles and liver. Hence, carbohydrates that can increase body stores of glycogen are preferred.
Amongst the rich spread of staple diet carbohydrates like rice, potato, bread, noodles, pasta etc, the effectiveness of each at increasing body glycogen levels actually vary. Dieticians usually compare them on a scale called Glycemic Index (GI), which is a measure of how effective a carbohydrate is at increasing blood glucose levels. A low GI would mean the food is slow to release its energy and the body is able to derive a constant source of energy from it over a longer period of time. This is exactly what marathoners or endurance sportsmen need! Among the staple carbohydrates, pasta has a fairly low GI of about 40. Other carbohydrates like potato and rice may have up to a GI of 90, which means they quickly release all their energy and cannot supply a runner with energy for long.
If it is any added bonus, pasta is easy to prepare. Just boil and add ready-made sauces of your choice. Voala! And u have a sumptuous carbo-loading session!
Found the article useful?
Help support us by >>Clicking Here!<<
The purpose of carbo-loading sessions is to stock up a large reserve of energy in the body so that the runner is able to meet the high energy demands of an endurance, long duration sport. These reserves are in the form of glycogen stored in the muscles and liver. Hence, carbohydrates that can increase body stores of glycogen are preferred.
Amongst the rich spread of staple diet carbohydrates like rice, potato, bread, noodles, pasta etc, the effectiveness of each at increasing body glycogen levels actually vary. Dieticians usually compare them on a scale called Glycemic Index (GI), which is a measure of how effective a carbohydrate is at increasing blood glucose levels. A low GI would mean the food is slow to release its energy and the body is able to derive a constant source of energy from it over a longer period of time. This is exactly what marathoners or endurance sportsmen need! Among the staple carbohydrates, pasta has a fairly low GI of about 40. Other carbohydrates like potato and rice may have up to a GI of 90, which means they quickly release all their energy and cannot supply a runner with energy for long.
If it is any added bonus, pasta is easy to prepare. Just boil and add ready-made sauces of your choice. Voala! And u have a sumptuous carbo-loading session!
Found the article useful?
Help support us by >>Clicking Here!<<
Post a Comment