Dec 9, 2020
Each day we make over 200 food decisions. As athletes, what we put in our bodies directly impacts our performance and the speed at which we recover from training or exercise. Glucose is used by the body for energy production, but too much of it and it begins to cause serious cell damage oftentimes leading to severe inflammation, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poor tissue health.
Glucose spikes are caused when too much sugar (glucose) is taken into the body at one time. The mitochondria become overwhelmed and the body produces free oxygen radicals that go and attack other cells. Glucose is a sugar/starch molecule in its simplest form, so think sugar, cookies, pastas, oats, among others.
For years, athletes have been told to carb load before games or performance. But is it really all that good for us when we know that glucose spikes caused by eating too many carbs actually ends up hurting our bodies in the long run? The answer might surprise you.
Join hosts Harvey Martin and Matt Arends as they chat with Jessie Inchauspe aka Glucose Goddess about the health impacts of glucose spikes, how to avoid them and flatten the glucose curve, and how to avoid the adverse effects the next time you go for that big bowl of pasta or oatmeal.
Check out the amazing studies by Jessie on her Instagram: @glucosegoddess
She releases studies on how to best pair food, what tricks can help you stabilize spikes, and which foods cause larger spikes than others.
Here’s a few key research articles to learn more about glucose and the health impacts of glucose spikes on the body:
- 2018 Stanford Research Article: “Diabetic-level glucose spikes seen in healthy people”
- "Mitochondrial allostatic load puts the 'gluc' back in glucocorticoids" - Study on the health impacts of glucose spikes
- "Personalized Nutrition by Prediction of Glycemic Responses" - Study on how each person may respond differently to foods
Topics Discussed:
- What is glucose?
- What is a glucose spike and what are the resulting health impacts?
- Recent academic research on glucose spikes in “healthy” individuals
- The role glucose plays in diabetes and other health issues
- Metabolic Functioning
- Can you reverse diabetes by managing glucose spikes?
- Tips on how to avoid glucose spikes and flatten the curve
- Learn to choose the right breakfast to start the day with the right kind of energy
- How can athletes better manage quick carbs during competition?
- Oxidative stress and free radicals produced from too much glucose
- Apple cider vinegar… is it magic?
- Carb loading - how do you do it properly without damaging your cells and optimize glucose storage?