Cycling Nutrition: Is your horse better nourished you are? Part 3

In Part 1 we saw the importance of hydration for both you and your horse, and in Part 2 we talk about intestinal motility and adrenal stress.

In this third part we will look at the importance of balancing sugar levels in the blood.

There is a problem that is related to excess cortisol, which is resistance to insulin.

First, let's look at the glycemic index (GI) of foods. Carbohydrates are essential for energy, but they are not all equal. The IG is based on how quickly carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream as glucose in the blood. High GI foods convert to glucose quickly and therefore give you quick energy. These are usually refined foods like white flour, tubers and some fruits. High GI foods are important during and after exercise. In order to use glucose for immediate energy and then to replenish its working muscles and liver glycogen, the storage form of glucose.

However, eating high GI foods away from training can cause problems as a result of an increase in blood glucose followed by a large release of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas and one of his jobs is to stimulate the body's cells to take glucose. The largest continuous secretion of insulin caused by eating high GI foods will ultimately translate into the cells become resistant to its effects. This means that not enough glucose stored in cells. The agency recognizes there is still too much glucose in the blood, so more insulin is secreted by the pancreas to treat and store glucose. This continuous production of insulin is known as "insulin resistance", which can lead to numerous problems, one of which is diabetes.

Foods that are low or medium GI are released into the blood moderately slow resulting in a moderate secretion of insulin. They give moderate but continuous power. High GI foods will give you a quick burst of energy followed by a sharp drop in about 1 ½ hours to eat what you can do moody, irritable and hungry ... usually for the wrong foods. Foods with low GI and a half, however, give you a steady release of energy that can last 3 to 4 hours.

Unfortunately, many athletes believe they can eat almost anything, and they burn. As you can see, the weight is not the only problem in making bad food choices.

As a pilot, waiting their turn before an event could take some time and you need to stay focused. His ideal meal before the event and can be a mixture of foods in the average GI as a means to stay alert and energized for longer. Physical coordination necessary for the signal to your horse with total accuracy and precision requires mental concentration that is difficult to achieve if a large GI food has been eaten.

At the end of this article we will review healthy eating, the possibility of deficiencies of vitamins and minerals and high performance.