Message sent by: Michele
The glycemic index of bread and pasta
During the digestive process these chains must be broken, since our body can only absorb simple sugars. The breaking of these chains takes time and for this reason simple glucides are absorbed a little at a time, as the internal bonds of the polysaccharides are broken.
Although made up of complex carbohydrates, bread, pasta and other cereals, they are still made up of carbohydrates.
Moreover, if taken alone they find a favorable digestive environment and are however easily split. Hence the average high value of their glycemic index.
If taken together with fiber or other foods, digestion will be slowed down, simple carbohydrates will circulate more slowly and the blood sugar will not undergo significant changes. For this reason, whole grains have a lower glycemic index and for the same reason some biscuits rich in sugar but to which butter and margarine are added can have a lower glycemic index than pasta.
And then there are all the other variables like cooking, variety and quality of foods / ingredients and above all there is the much more important glycemic load (product between the glycemic index and the quantity of carbohydrates ingested).
The definitive sentence : rice and pasta are foods with a medium glycemic index while bread has higher variability (depending on cooking, shape, salt, flour, etc.). These foods are rich in complex carbohydrates, which provide long-term energy.
However, if taken alone and in large quantities they cause an excessive glycemic increase with all the negative effects that follow (the reason why white pasta makes you fat is widely explained in the following article: Does white pasta make you fat?).
If you take 30 grams of protein and after a few hours you go running nothing special happens. We have mechanisms that can keep glycemia constant, whether we consume many carbohydrates (insulin) or whether we consume few (glucagon).
Let's focus on the action of this last hormone. Glucagon promotes glycogenolysis in the liver (glucose production from glycogen). In this way a certain amount of glucose is poured into the circulation, which allows the blood sugar to remain constant.
The body's glycogen stores are a very important parameter.
If these stocks are exhausted, before turning the excess carbohydrates into fats our body will try to recharge them until they are completely saturated.
If the stocks are empty and a plate rich in proteins with zero carbohydrates is consumed, an important protein quota will be used to produce energy.
In this case if you go to run a part of the energy will come from the demolition of the amino acids.
Regarding fat consumption:
if you are really dry on glucose, the fats cannot be burned for energy because they need glucose and oxygen to be demolished. In these cases the fats are transformed into ketones and go to nourish the brain, which cannot use other nutrients with the exception of glucose and ketone bodies.
if you have a little glucose left but are training in hypoglycemia, your body will tend to preserve the little glucose left by burning mainly fats.
The latter situation is more probable, while the former only occurs following "very" prolonged fasting.
We must not neglect the discussion concerning the optimal training intensity. In this regard, I refer you to reading the article Aerobic activity and fat consumption which ends with a sentence that should make you think, since you are a bodybuilder: "to lose weight, it is therefore necessary to go through the increase in lean mass".
See also: Glycemic index of foods
Sincerely
