# Implementing the Glycemic Index



## SD (Sep 3, 2004)

*Implementing the Glycemic Index*

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By John Fowlie*

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The Glycemic Index*

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The Glycemic Index (GI) is a digestion rating system for carbohydrates. Foods which have a high GI

are digested and absorbed quickly into the blood stream while those with a low GI are digested and

absorbed slower.

There are several benefits from basing a diet around the GI. Low GI foods can help control established

diabetes, help people lose weight, lower blood lipids and improve the body's sensitivity to insulin High

GI foods can help replenish glycogen and carbohydrate stores after exercise.

The GI is based on the digestion rate of pure glucose. This is then set as the base unit of 100 for the GI.

Other foods are then tested and ranked accordingly by comparing the time and rate at which the

carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood stream.

The GI (Glycemic Index) Symbol program was launched in Australia on July 2nd 2002. The program's

aim to have all products discloses their GI rating on the packaging. Foods must meet specific

nutritional criteria and have had their GI measured using the approved method, currently conducted by

the University of Sydney. The program uses three classifications, high, medium or low.
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*Low 55 and Under*

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Medium 56 - 69*

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High 70 and above*

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Glycemic Index limited is responsible for implementing and monitoring the GI symbol program. It's a

non-profit company consisting of The University of Sydney, Diabetes Australia and the Juvenile

Diabetes research Foundation.
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*Physiology of the Glycemic Index*

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It is important to understand the physiology behind the GI in order to implement it correctly.

Eventually all food must be broken down through digestion and a series of chemical reaction into

adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
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*ATP*

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Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the energy source for all biological work. Energy is released when

ATP releases a phosphate and becomes adenosine diphosphate (ADP). In order to continue energy

production ADP must resynthesise into ATP.
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*Carbohydrates*

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Carbohydrates are a classification of molecules that contain the atom ratio of one carbon, two hydrogen

and one oxygen (CH2O).
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*Glucose*

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Glucose is a carbohydrate with six carbon atoms. Eventually through a process called glycolysis it is

broken down and resynthesises ATP. Each glucose molecule can resynthesise 36 ADP molecules into

ATP. Glucose either circulates in the blood or is stored in the muscles and the liver as glycogen.
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*Glucagon and Insulin*

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Glucagon and insulin are both hormones, which control the amount of glucose in the blood stream.

Glucagon stimulates the liver to oxidise glycogen and release glucose while insulin counters this and

stimulates the muscle and liver to store excess glucose.

Implementing the Glycemic Index

John Fowlie

John Fowlie - Head Coach

Ginninderra Swim Club
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*Starch*

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In plants glucose exists in two forms, alfa-glucose and beta-glucose. Glucose monomers (single)

maintain the ability to change between the two forms until like monomers are synthesised and linked

together to form polymers (multiple). Alfa-glucose forms polysaccharide starch (starch) while betaglucose

forms polysaccharide cellulose (cellulose). Many starch molecules form the starch grains that

are commonly found in foods such as potatoes. Cellulose is primarily used as the structural component

of cell walls in plants. It can only be used by some organisms for energy where as starch is widely

utilised by higher organisms.
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*Factors which influence the GI*

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Gelatinisation (swollen from cooking) of starch: *When some foods are cooked the starch in them

expands. This inturn increases the surface area available for digesting enzymes and therefore increases

the rate at which the food can be broken down. Gelatinisation is visible when comparing cooked and

uncooked pasta.
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*Gain Consistency: *As part of the digestion process grains are gradually broken down and processed. If

the grain has been milled during the processing of the food then naturally the time taken to digest the

food will decrease. This is common when comparing the GI of white bread (70) and a heavier

wholegrain bread such as pumpernickel (46).
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*Starch Type (Amylose vs. Amylopectin): *Amylose is a straight chain molecule. This limits the points

where single glucose molecules can be broken away. Amylopectin has many branching points where

individual glucose molecules can be separated. The branching of amylopectin allows multiple

molecules to disconnect simultaneously thus increasing the GI.
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*Fibre Content: *Fibre can act as a physical barrier between digesting enzymes and food. It can also

increase the thickness in the digestion tract. In both instances digestion is slowed therefore reducing the

GI.
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*Sugar Content: *Sugar can restrict the gelatinisation of starch by binding water molecules together

therefore preventing water from entering.
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*Fat Content: *Fat slows the rate at which food is emptied from the stomach into the intestine. This

gives some foods a misleading GI. An example of a food with a high fat content yet a low GI is

sausages (28).
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*Protein, Fat and Anti-nutrients: *These may either slow or inhibit starch from being digested.
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*Manipulation the Glycaemia Index for Increased Sport Performance*

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With the knowledge of how and at what rate food is digested it is possible to manipulate consumption

in order to gain the maximum benefit. The three key nutritional factors that will affect swimmer's

performances are:

1 - Ensuring adequate fuel is available prior to and during training

2 - The ability to recover and replenish muscle and blood glycogen stores

3 - Maintaining low fat consumption

The intake of foods with low GI ratings can be timed in order to ensure that glucose levels are at their

peak during training and competition. They can also be manipulated so that glucose is continually

released into the bloodstream during training therefore increasing performance.

Foods with a high GI (while still low in fat) can be utilised to aid in recovery after training. It is well

know that cells are more receptive in the first 20 minutes after exercise. A food with a high GI will be

able to release glucose into the bloodstream quickly and replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores as

well as also provide the required molecules for the resynthesising of all ATP stores. This practise will

reduce the effect of fatigue and allow swimmers to return to training faster fully replenished.

Implementing the Glycemic Index

John Fowlie

John Fowlie - Head Coach

Ginninderra Swim Club
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*Sample Training Eating Plan*

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Wake up 5:00am
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*Before Training*

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Eat *medium *GI food (Nutri Grain 66)

WHY: Training is 2 hours long, however starts in only 30minutes from eating time. A low GI food

might not start digesting in time and sit in the stomach while a high GI food won't last through training.
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*During Training*

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Drink plenty of fluid maybe have on hand a *high *GI food (rice cakes 82 and honey 87 aver 84.5) to eat

during training if glucose stores become excessively depleted from high intensity training.
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*After Training*

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Eat *high *GI food within 20 minutes (breakfast bar 78) of finishing exercise.

WHY: Cells are highly receptive to glucose in the bloodstream and recovery time will be decreased.
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*Before School*

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Eat *low *GI food (toasted muesli 43)

WHY: Avoid high glucose spikes while lightly active in class. Ensure that glucose is released slowly

over the course of the day. Maintain awareness and energy levels.
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*Recess*

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Eat *low - medium *GI food (Banana 55, JATZ 55)

WHY: Continue to maintain constant energy supply without large fluctuations.
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*Lunch*

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Eat *low *GI food (pita bread 57 with mixed filling)

WHY: Aim to continue gradual release of blood glucose by taking into account the lengthy time until

afternoon tea. High GI foods will release glucose too fast finishing before school is done and the next

meal opportunity is available.
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*Afternoon Tea*

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Eat *low - medium *GI food (2 - Minute Noodles 46)

WHY: Aim to prepare for the up coming two hour training session.
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*During Training*

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Eat *high *GI food (jellybeans 80 and Sports Drink) and drink plenty of fluid.
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*After Training*

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Eat *high *GI food (Muesli Bar 61 or breakfast bar 78 and sports drink) within 20 minutes of finishing

training
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*Dinner*

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Eat low *GI *food (spaghetti 37)

WHY: Eating a high GI food may stimulate your body to store excess glucose as fat. Due to the low

energy expenditure during sleep it is important for weight control to avoid eating high GI foods prior to

going to bed.
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*Implementing the Glycemic Index*

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Athletes can implement the Glycemic Index by simply monitoring when they eat certain foods.

Changing the times some foods such as potatoes (85) and white bread (70) are eaten will have a sudden

impact on performance. With the introduction of the GI Symbol program it will become easier for

athletes and swimmers to make the right decision for their personal nutritional strategy.

Implementing the Glycemic Index

John Fowlie

John Fowlie - Head Coach

Ginninderra Swim Club
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*Glycemic Index*

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All Bran 42

Angel Food Cake 67

Apple 38

Apple Juice (Unsweetened) 40

Apple Muffin 44

Apricots (fresh) 57

Bagel 72

Baked Beans 48

Banana Cake 47

Banana 55

Barley 25

Basmati white rice boiled 58

Beetroot 64

Bengal gram dahl 54
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*Biscuits*

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Digestive plain 59

Gram Wafers 74

Oatmeal 55

Milk Arrowroots 69

Morning Coffee 79

Rich Tea 55

Shredded Wheatmeal 62

Short Bread 64

Vanilla Wafer 77

Black Bean Soup 64

Black Beans, boiled 30

Black Gram, soaked and boiled 43

Black bread, dark rye 76

Blueberry 59
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*Bran*

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Oat Bran 55

Rice Bran 19

Bran Buds 58

Bran Muffin 60
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*Breads*

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Burgen (oat and honey) 31

Dark Rhy 76

French Baguette 95

Fruit Loaf 47

Gluten Free Bread 90

Hamburger Bun 61

Kaiser Roll 73

Light Rye 68

Linseed rye 55

Melba Toast 70

Pita Bread 57

Ploughman's Loaf 47

Pumpernickel 41

Riga Sunflower and Barley57

Rye Bread 65

Sourdough rye 57

Vogels (honey and oats) 55

Vogels Roggerbrot 59

White 70

Wholemeal 69

Wonderwhite 80

Bread stuffing 74

Bread Fruit 68
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*Breakfast Cereals*

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All Bran 42

Oat Bran 55

Rice Bran 29

Corn Bran 75

Bran Buds 58

Breakfast Bar 78

Cheerios 74

Coco pops 77

Corn Chex 83

Cornflakes 84

Crispix 87

Mini Wheats 58

Muesli non-toasted 56

Nutri-Grain 66

Oat Bran 55

Puffed wheat 80

Rice Bran 19

Rice Bubbles 83

Rice Chex 89

Rice Krispers 82

Shredded Wheat 67

Special K 54

Sultana Bran 52

Sustain 68

Team 82

Total 76

Vita Brits 69

Wheat-Bix 69

Wheatbites 72

Breakfastbar (fibre plus) 78

Breton wheat crackers 67

Broad Beans 79

Buckwheat cooked 48

Bulgur cooked 48

Bun hamburger 61

Butter beans boiled 31
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*Cakes*

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Angel food cake 67

Banana cake 47

Flan 65

Pound Cake 54

Sponge cake 46

Calrose white rice 87

Capellini pasta 45

Carrots 49
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*Cereal Grains*

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Barley 25

Buckwheat 54

Nulgur 48

Couscous 65

Maize

Cornmeal, wholegrain 68

Sweet Corn 55

Taco shells 71

Millet Ragi 71

Implementing the Glycemic Index

John Fowlie

John Fowlie - Head Coach

Ginninderra Swim Club
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*Rice*

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Basmati white boiled 58

Calrose white cooked 87

Dongara white cooked 59

Instant cooked 87

Pelde brown boiled 76

Sunbrown Quick 80

Tapioca 81

Cheerios 74

Cherries 22

Chickpeas 42

Chocolate milk 49

Cocopops 77

Cordial 66

Corn Bran 75

Corn Chex 83

Corn Chips 72

Corn Flakes 84

Corn Meal 68

Couscous 65
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*Crackers*

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Breton 67

Jatz 55

Kavli 71

Premium soda crackers 74

Puffer Crispbread 81

Rice cakes 82

Ryvita 69

Sao 70

Stoned wheat thins 67

Water cracker 78

Crispix 87

Croissant 67

Crumpet 69

Custard 43
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*Dairy foods*

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Ice cream (full fat) 61

Ice Cream (low fat) 50

Milk (full fat) 27

Milk (skim) 32

Milk chocolate 34

Custard 43

Tofu Frozen Dessert 115

Vitari 28
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*Yogurt*

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Low fat 33

L fat artificial sweetener 14

Dark rye bread 76

Digestive biscuit 59

Donut cinnamon 76

Doongara white rice 59

Fanta 68

Fettucini 32

Fish Fingers 38

Flan cake 65

French baguette bread 95

French fries 75

Fructose 23

Fruit cocktail 55

Fruit loaf 47
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*Fruits and fruit products*

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Apple 38

Apple juice 40

Apricots (fresh) 57

(dried) 31

(canned) 64

Banana 55

Cherries 22

Fruit cocktail 55

Grape fruit 25

Grape juice 48

Grapes 46

Kiwi fruit 52

Mango 55

Orange 44

Orange juice 44

Paw paw 58

Peach (fresh) 42

(canned) 41

Pear 38

Pineapple 46

Pineapple Juice 46

Plums 39

Raisins 64

Rockmelon 65

Sultanas 56

Watermelon 72

Gatorade 78

Glucose powder 102

Gluten free bread 90

Gnocchi 68

Graham Wafer biscuits 74

Grapefruit juice 48

Grape fruit 25

Grapes 46

Green gram 62

Green pea soup 66

Hamburger bun 61

Haricot 38

Honey &oat bread 55

Honey 58

Isostar 73

Jelly Beans 80

Kaiser rolls 73

Kavli crackers 71

Kidney beans boiled 27

Kidney beans canned 52

Lactose pure 46

Lentil soup 44

Lentils green brown 30

Lentils red 26

Life savers 70

Light rye bread 68

Lima beans 32

Linguine pasta (thick) 46

Linguine pasta (thin) 55

Linsead rye bread 55
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*Liquid meals*

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Sustagen 43

Implementing the Glycemic Index

John Fowlie

John Fowlie - Head Coach

Ginninderra Swim Club

Lucozade 95

Lungkow 26

Macaroni 45
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*Maize*

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Cornmeal wholegrain 68

Sweet corn 55

Maltose 55

Mars bar 68

Melba toast 70

Millet 71

Mini Wheats 58

Morning coffee biscuits 79
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*Muesli, cereal*

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Toasted 43

Non-toasted 56
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*Muffins*

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Apple 44

Bran 60

Blueberry 59

Noodle 2-minute 46

Nutri-grain 66

Oat Bran &Honey loaf 31

Oat bran 55

Oatmeal biscuits 54

Parsnips boiled 97
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*Pasta*

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Capellini 45

Fettucini 32

Gnocchi 68

2-minute 46

Linguine (thick) 46

Linguine(thin) 55

Macaroni 45

(with cheese) 64

Ravioli 39

Rice pasta brown 92

Spaghetti white 41

(wholemeal) 37

Spirale 43

Star Pastina 38

Tortellini 50

Vermicelli 35

Pastry flaky 59

Pea and ham soup 66

Peanuts 14

Peas green 48

Pelde brown 76

Pinto beans canned 45

Pinto beans soaked 39

Pizza cheese and tomato 60

Plums 39

Popcorn 55

Porridge 42
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*Potatoes*

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Fries (fine cut) 75

Instant potato 83

New boiled 62

New canned 61

Pale skin boiled 56

Pale skin baked 85

Pale skin mashed 70

Pale skin steamed 65

P.S microwaved 82

Crisps 54

Pretzels 83

Pumpkin 75

Rice vermicelli 58

Rich tea biscuits 55

Rock melon 65

Roggenbrot bread 59

Roll Kaiser 73

Romano beans 46

Sausages fried (high fat) 28

Semolina 55

Short Bread biscuits 64

So Good 31

Soya beans canned 14

Soya beans boiled 18

Spirali durum cooked 43

Split pea soup 60

Sponge cake 46

Sucrose 65

Sultana Bran 52

Swede peeled boiled 72

Sweet corn 55

Sweet potatoes 54

Tapioca boiled 70

Taro 54

Tomato soup 38

Tortellini 50

Vermicelli 35

Vitari 28

Waffles 76

Yam boiled 51

This table has been reproduced and modified from Pocket Guide to the G.I Factor and Sports Nutrition
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Implementing the Glycemic Index

John Fowlie

John Fowlie - Head Coach

Ginninderra Swim Club
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*BOOKS*

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Brand Miller J. Colagiri S. Foster Powell, The G.I. Factor, Hodder & Stoughton Book, Australia, 1996

Curtis H., Biology, Worth Publishers, New York, 1979

O'Connor H. Brand Miller J. Colagiri S. Foster Powell, Pocket Guide to The G.I. Factor and Sports

Nutrition, Hodder & Stoughton Book, Australia, 1997
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*Articles*

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Brand Miller J. Colagiri S. Foster Powell, The G.I. Factor, Swimming in Australia, May-June, 1999,

pages 5-13

Brand Miller J. The G.I. Factor Part 2, Swimming in Australia, July August, 1999, pages 7-14
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*Internet Resources*

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http://www.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/diabetes.html DATE ACCESSED 15/7/02
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http://dogwood.botany.uga.edu/~darley/btny1210/Sept18Fri.htm DATE ACCESSED 15/7/02
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www.glycemicindex.com DATE ACCESSED 16/7/02

www.gisymbol.com DATE ACCESSED 16/7/02
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*Personal Contact*

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Correspondence with Toni Irwin, Business Manager, GI Symbol Program and Nutrition Consultant
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## robdog (Dec 2, 2003)

Good post mate!!

Actually ill make it a sticky for a while.


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## big (Sep 14, 2004)

Good post as always mate.

I am glad to see linguini, my personal favourite, quite low on the GI scale. I can't imagine eating jelly beans during training though! :bounce:

If I remember correctly, Chef says not to worry about GI index. Care to explain chef, or put it in a book?


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## Killerkeane (Nov 9, 2003)

big said:


> Good post as always mate.
> 
> I am glad to see linguini, my personal favourite, quite low on the GI scale. I can't imagine eating jelly beans during training though! :bounce:
> 
> If I remember correctly, Chef says not to worry about GI index. Care to explain chef, or put it in a book?


i would be interested also to see that as a lot of people argue the GI and its implications.

nice post sd, change the font though as it makes it longer and more spaced to read.


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## Jimmy1 (Aug 14, 2003)

I find the GI index useless unless consuming carbs alone

The absorbtion of a carbohydrate is slowed considerably buy protein/fat/fibre....get my point?


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## SD (Sep 3, 2004)

Jimmy said:


> I find the GI index useless unless consuming carbs alone
> 
> The absorbtion of a carbohydrate is slowed considerably buy protein/fat/fibre....get my point?


Then combine and average the GI's Jimmy my friend, so: you eat salmon, broccolli and rice (sound familiar ) add the Gi values of each together and divide by three 

From this you can see that the lower the GI value of the carb the lower the overall result, it is useful you see Sir Jim! now get back to botle feeding the nipper :bounce: hope thats going well btw mate 

SD


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## Gossioii7 (Mar 7, 2009)

This is a great post and makes me think of where I can fit in. I do a little bit of everything mentioned here and I guess I have to find my competitive advantage.


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