In bodybuilding, proteins are the booster of muscle development. They are also essential for bodybuilding recovery....

Bodybuilding and sugar: fast and slow sugars
Posted on: 01/16/2019For many years now, the WHO (World Health Organization) has been warning against consuming too much sugar on a daily basis. Long before that, it was the same WHO that warned against eating too much fat, as if these two nutrients were to be banned from our diet.
However, even if too much fat is bad for our health on a daily basis, when consumed in reasonable quantities, these nutrients are of real importance to the body's functioning, provided we choose the right quality and time to consume them.
In this article, I'm going to take a look at sugar, or rather sugars in the plural (e.g. simple carbohydrates such as glucose, fructose...), because there are two types of sugar, and each has its own importance for bodybuilders, alongside their training.
The different types of sugar
- To perfect your knowledge of nutrition and optimize your chances of gaining muscle, here are the two types of sugar that exist
- :Slow sugars are those with a
- low GI (Glycemic Index). In other words, the release of energy linked to the breakdown of sugar by the body takes place slowly and will therefore fuel the body over a longer period of time. Slow sugars include wholegrain rice, wholegrain pasta, wholegrain bread, vegetables (except potatoes), apples, etc .
- Fast sugars are
- sugars with a high glycemic index, which means they are digested quickly. They release their nutrients rapidly into the bloodstream, providing energy in a shorter time. These include foods such as white rice, pasta, white sugar, confectionery, honey, potatoes, fruit juices, soft drinks and so on.
So it's up to you to compose your meals (and avoid cheat meals) by combining them with proteins, fruit and vegetables. And why not add a protein bar when you're feeling peckish, for optimum glycemic intake.
Summed up like this, you might think that fast sugars are the most interesting. But we need to consider the impact these sugars have on the body (and on each muscle-building, mass-gaining or weight-loss session) and the mechanism by which they act.
from a physiological point of view, the consumption of carbohydrates causes the pancreas to release a hormone called insulin, whose role is to regulate blood sugar levels.
When sugar is ingested, insulin is released to carry the sugar to the muscles and cells. When there are slow sugars in the blood, insulin is released slowly, without a peak. As a result, cells and muscles will be progressively fed over several hours. Ideal, therefore, for your muscles, to give you energy during a workout and promote muscle recovery.
When fast sugars are consumed, insulin is released in large quantities, causing a peak. Although the cells and muscles will be rapidly supplied, once saturated the surplus will, via this same insulin, be brought in and stored as fat. Which, at first sight, seems much less interesting for a body-builder whose main aim is to build muscle and gain muscle mass.
When to consume sugars?
It seems quite clear that, as part of an adequate diet for bodybuilding, the ideal is to favor the consumption of carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. In the form of several small meals, to avoid too much insulin in the bloodstream and thus avoid energy crashes and possible hypoglycemia, you shouldn't banish sugars with a high glycemic index. Yes, but when should you incorporate them and take advantage of their ability to cause an insulin spike without damaging your physique? When I was an avid bodybuilder, I identified two key times for consuming fast sugars.
- The first was breakfast: the overnight fast triggered a period of muscular catabolism, and the body urgently needed to recharge with nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates. What better way to quickly get these essential muscle-building nutrients into the cells and muscles than with the insulin spike. So, for breakfast, I consumed protein in the form of fromage frais, muesli (wholegrain cereals and pieces of fruit) and honey to increase insulin and optimize the transport of amino acids in the blood to muscles and cells.
- Thesecond key moment is the post-workout meal, which corresponds to the famous anabolic window when the body is hungry for nutrients to build muscle and recover. So after my workout, I consumed a shake made up of fast- and slow-absorbing proteins (casein and whey), to which I added simple carbohydrates (a certain amount of dextrose powder). The insulin spike triggered by this intake of fast sugars will quickly replenish glycogen stores and rapidly supply the muscles with the protein they need to grow.
With all this in mind, it's easy to see why, even though fast sugars are so demonized, you shouldn't banish them from your meals and your diet for good. Eaten at the right time, they can be a great ally in building muscle. Eating them at the right time can provide excellent support in your quest for imposing muscles, without adding fat to your physique. Put on weight, but only at muscle level. This principle of carbohydrates and sugar can be adapted to all athletes who want to save muscle mass and recover after training.
Author Alexandre CARPENTIER
Bodybuilding Champion N.A.C 2012
Alexandre shares his bodybuilding experience with MegaGear blog readers