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There is a lot of talk about carbohydrates and whether they are beneficial to your diet. Some believe that you will have a much higher chance of succeeding in building a lean body without them, while others argue that they should be included in a diet to promote energy.
While low-carbohydrate diets have their place, the more important factor when it comes to carbohydrates is the type you are choosing to eat. There isn't quite as much discussion about the difference between fructose and glucose forms of carbohydrates and the effects each has on your body. By understanding this connection you will be better able to use the carbohydrates in your diet to your advantage, helping you achieve the look you are after.
fructose facts
Fructose is a form of carbohydrate found in fruits, fruit juices, some vegetables, and processed foods that have a sweet taste. The sweet taste in these foods comes from an ingredient called high-fructose corn syrup, which is added during the preparation process.
Weight gain
The most important thing you need to know about fructose is that your body has limited storage space for it, and once you surpass this limit, your body will start turning any excess into triglycerides. These triglycerides are released into the blood stream and increase your chances for having a variety of negative health conditions, as well as causing an increase in weight.
Low energy
Fructose is also directed toward the liver where it is processed and will not go into the muscle tissues. This is a significant point for you because it means that foods high in fructose will not serve to provide you with enough muscular energy to get you through your workouts. If you are eating the majority of your carbohydrate calories from fructose, you will start seeing a lack of energy at the gym and a reduced muscular recovery ability.
Increases liver glycogen
The good thing about fructose, however, is that it will signal the body as to whether you are in a catabolic or an anabolic state. When you are trying to gain muscle mass you will want to be in as much of an anabolic state as possible; therefore, ensure your liver glycogen stores are topped up by eating some fructose.
Decreases hunger pain
In addition to signaling an anabolic state, fructose also sends signals to the body that you are in a fed state and will help keep hunger pains at bay. This can be a good point for dieters to think about. A simple piece or two of fruit can make a diet a lot more manageable if one of the biggest issues you are dealing with is hunger.
No effect on blood sugar level
Since fructose does not enter into the bloodstream, it is not going to have an effect on blood sugar levels or insulin, therefore making it a slightly better choice for diabetes or those who suffer from hypoglycaemia if they are eating a carbohydrate-containing food alone. If you are having protein and fat with the carbohydrate food, then this becomes less of an issue as those two macronutrients will help prevent surges in blood-sugar levels from glucose.
More tips…
Most of the foods you eat that contain fructose will be fruit, sweetened beverages (colas), fruit juices, "real fruit" types of snacks, and any other packaged or processed foods that contain HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup).
Generally, the amount of fructose in a piece of fruit is really quite low -- around 5-7 grams per piece. You should be aiming for about 50 grams of fructose per day to ensure your liver isn't depleted, while also preventing excess triglyceride formation.
The best time to eat carbohydrates containing fructose will be either before your workout along with glucose or at another point during the day. You will want to avoid it post-workout, however, as during that time your main goal is to get carbohydrates into the muscle cells for recovery. This is something fructose cannot do.
glucose facts
After hearing the word “glucose,” far too many people immediately think of simple sugar and come up with a negative connotation. This should not be the case.
Glucose is basically the simplest form of carbohydrate that is used by the body. Any carbohydrate aside from fructose (and lactose, which is a combination of glucose and galactose) will be broken down into glucose.
Replenishes glycogen
Glucose is used by the body to feed muscle cells and replenish muscle glycogen, so it is increasingly important in any active individual. Without replenishing glycogen stores, over time they become depleted and exercise performance suffers.
Do note that the body is able to run off an alternate source of fuel called ketone bodies (those on very low carbohydrate diets will experience this); however, even with those diets, if exercise is to be performed one is required to undergo a large “carb up” period, usually once per week, in order to replenish their muscle glycogen.
Burns off easily
The body also has a much higher storage capacity for glucose than for fructose since the muscle cells make up such a large portion of your body. Therefore, you are able to consume a lot more glucose than fructose without worrying about the excess weight gain. What's more is that in short-term periods of excess glucose intake (think Thanksgiving dinner), the body has a tendency to ramp up its rate of glucose oxidation, causing you to burn much of the excess glucose off so you don’t gain weight. That is short-lived, though; if the over-consumption occurs for a longer period of time, you will start increasing your body fat.
Takes longer to digest
When selecting your foods, keep in mind that since starch is a more complex form of glucose it will take slightly longer to digest and will not spike your blood sugar level as much. If you have hunger issues or suffer from hypoglycemia this is an important point to consider.
More tips…
Glucose comes from pretty much all carbohydrate foods; even fruit will have some. In addition, if you are currently dieting and taking in more protein than you need, your body will also start converting some of that excess protein to glucose to meet its needs. The most commonly known glucose-containing foods are bread, bagels, cereal, rice, pasta, candy, and any other products made with wheat.
Eat glucose-containing foods right around the time of your workout where they will be directed toward the muscle tissue since sensitivity will be higher at this point. Most individuals do well having carbohydrate and protein meals at this time (pre- and post- workout) and then moving on to more protein- and fat-containing meals for the rest of the day.
carb it up
The choice between glucose and fructose can have quite a large effect on your body-fat levels and on your workout performance. Remember: Keep your fructose intake to about 50 grams per day (accomplished by three to six pieces of fruit per day, assuming no other fructose sources are being eaten), and get the rest of your carbohydrates from glucose -- preferably slow-digesting sources. The total intake of those will depend largely on your current body weight, activity level and which type of diet program you are following. The better you get at reading your body and recognizing the signs that you are running low on either fructose or glucose stores, the better you will be at regulating the intake to match your needs.
While low-carbohydrate diets have their place, the more important factor when it comes to carbohydrates is the type you are choosing to eat. There isn't quite as much discussion about the difference between fructose and glucose forms of carbohydrates and the effects each has on your body. By understanding this connection you will be better able to use the carbohydrates in your diet to your advantage, helping you achieve the look you are after.
fructose facts
Fructose is a form of carbohydrate found in fruits, fruit juices, some vegetables, and processed foods that have a sweet taste. The sweet taste in these foods comes from an ingredient called high-fructose corn syrup, which is added during the preparation process.
Weight gain
The most important thing you need to know about fructose is that your body has limited storage space for it, and once you surpass this limit, your body will start turning any excess into triglycerides. These triglycerides are released into the blood stream and increase your chances for having a variety of negative health conditions, as well as causing an increase in weight.
Low energy
Fructose is also directed toward the liver where it is processed and will not go into the muscle tissues. This is a significant point for you because it means that foods high in fructose will not serve to provide you with enough muscular energy to get you through your workouts. If you are eating the majority of your carbohydrate calories from fructose, you will start seeing a lack of energy at the gym and a reduced muscular recovery ability.
Increases liver glycogen
The good thing about fructose, however, is that it will signal the body as to whether you are in a catabolic or an anabolic state. When you are trying to gain muscle mass you will want to be in as much of an anabolic state as possible; therefore, ensure your liver glycogen stores are topped up by eating some fructose.
Decreases hunger pain
In addition to signaling an anabolic state, fructose also sends signals to the body that you are in a fed state and will help keep hunger pains at bay. This can be a good point for dieters to think about. A simple piece or two of fruit can make a diet a lot more manageable if one of the biggest issues you are dealing with is hunger.
No effect on blood sugar level
Since fructose does not enter into the bloodstream, it is not going to have an effect on blood sugar levels or insulin, therefore making it a slightly better choice for diabetes or those who suffer from hypoglycaemia if they are eating a carbohydrate-containing food alone. If you are having protein and fat with the carbohydrate food, then this becomes less of an issue as those two macronutrients will help prevent surges in blood-sugar levels from glucose.
More tips…
Most of the foods you eat that contain fructose will be fruit, sweetened beverages (colas), fruit juices, "real fruit" types of snacks, and any other packaged or processed foods that contain HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup).
Generally, the amount of fructose in a piece of fruit is really quite low -- around 5-7 grams per piece. You should be aiming for about 50 grams of fructose per day to ensure your liver isn't depleted, while also preventing excess triglyceride formation.
The best time to eat carbohydrates containing fructose will be either before your workout along with glucose or at another point during the day. You will want to avoid it post-workout, however, as during that time your main goal is to get carbohydrates into the muscle cells for recovery. This is something fructose cannot do.
glucose facts
After hearing the word “glucose,” far too many people immediately think of simple sugar and come up with a negative connotation. This should not be the case.
Glucose is basically the simplest form of carbohydrate that is used by the body. Any carbohydrate aside from fructose (and lactose, which is a combination of glucose and galactose) will be broken down into glucose.
Replenishes glycogen
Glucose is used by the body to feed muscle cells and replenish muscle glycogen, so it is increasingly important in any active individual. Without replenishing glycogen stores, over time they become depleted and exercise performance suffers.
Do note that the body is able to run off an alternate source of fuel called ketone bodies (those on very low carbohydrate diets will experience this); however, even with those diets, if exercise is to be performed one is required to undergo a large “carb up” period, usually once per week, in order to replenish their muscle glycogen.
Burns off easily
The body also has a much higher storage capacity for glucose than for fructose since the muscle cells make up such a large portion of your body. Therefore, you are able to consume a lot more glucose than fructose without worrying about the excess weight gain. What's more is that in short-term periods of excess glucose intake (think Thanksgiving dinner), the body has a tendency to ramp up its rate of glucose oxidation, causing you to burn much of the excess glucose off so you don’t gain weight. That is short-lived, though; if the over-consumption occurs for a longer period of time, you will start increasing your body fat.
Takes longer to digest
When selecting your foods, keep in mind that since starch is a more complex form of glucose it will take slightly longer to digest and will not spike your blood sugar level as much. If you have hunger issues or suffer from hypoglycemia this is an important point to consider.
More tips…
Glucose comes from pretty much all carbohydrate foods; even fruit will have some. In addition, if you are currently dieting and taking in more protein than you need, your body will also start converting some of that excess protein to glucose to meet its needs. The most commonly known glucose-containing foods are bread, bagels, cereal, rice, pasta, candy, and any other products made with wheat.
Eat glucose-containing foods right around the time of your workout where they will be directed toward the muscle tissue since sensitivity will be higher at this point. Most individuals do well having carbohydrate and protein meals at this time (pre- and post- workout) and then moving on to more protein- and fat-containing meals for the rest of the day.
carb it up
The choice between glucose and fructose can have quite a large effect on your body-fat levels and on your workout performance. Remember: Keep your fructose intake to about 50 grams per day (accomplished by three to six pieces of fruit per day, assuming no other fructose sources are being eaten), and get the rest of your carbohydrates from glucose -- preferably slow-digesting sources. The total intake of those will depend largely on your current body weight, activity level and which type of diet program you are following. The better you get at reading your body and recognizing the signs that you are running low on either fructose or glucose stores, the better you will be at regulating the intake to match your needs.