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Glucose expert recommends eating sweet treats before working out in unusual advice
Before going to the gym, most people eat a healthy snack like an apple or a protein bar, but it’s actually the best time to have your sugary snacks, according to a doctor.
The glucose expert recommended timing your cookie or chocolate bar around your fitness regime in one unusual piece of advice – but why?
Eat sugary snacks before or after you work out
Speaking on Steven Bartlett’s Diary Of A CEO podcast, Jessie Inchausp� said there are two windows you can eat your unhealthy snack: right before you work out or right after.
It might sound counterproductive, but it all comes down to the way your muscles capture glucose and turn it into energy. Glucose is a type of sugar that comes from the carbohydrates in the food and drinks we consume. Our bodies process it, store it in cells, and then use it to function.
When you consume carbohydrates, your body converts it into blood glucose, which is the body’s main source of energy. However, your body doesn’t always need that energy straight away. So, it stores the glucose in your muscles and liver.
“Your muscles are really hungry for glucose all the time and the more you use them, the more they are going to capture that glucose for energy,” Inchausp� said.
Sugary foods are full of glucose, so consuming them before or after a workout will encourage your muscles to use it for energy.
High blood glucose levels cause diabetes
The amount of glucose in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas. When food is digested, it enters the bloodstream. Insulin then moves the glucose out of the blood and into the cells, where it is broken down to produce energy.
People with diabetes don’t have enough insulin, so their body can’t break down the glucose into energy and use it to function, the NHS explains. There are two types: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin, but it isn’t as common. This develops very quickly and isn’t impacted by lifestyle changes.
However, 90% of people with diabetes have type 2, which is where the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells do not react to insulin properly.
Lifestyle factors increase your risk of type 2 diabetes such as being overweight, not eating a healthy diet, having a family history of type 2 diabetes, taking certain medications, having high blood pressure and being of Asian, Black African or African Caribbean descent.
Jessie Inchausp� is a French biochemist and bestselling author who founded the Glucose Goddess movement, which helps people understand the importance of blood sugar in every aspect of our lives.
