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As
many of you know, I write a column for Ponytail sports www.ponytailsports.com and this was written to
help athletes keep their blood sugar level stable when exercising. It
can be applied to non exercising situations too.
Hypoglycemia (low
blood sugar)
When you go too long
without eating, or are exercising/playing hard, do
any of these symptoms occur?
Shaking
Fast Heartbeat
Sweating
Anxiety
Dizziness
Extreme Hunger
Impaired Vision
Weakness and Fatigue
Headache
Irritability
You could be suffering from
low blood sugar. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (blood sugar)
and then sent into our cells with the help of insulin. The glucose in our
cells is then converted into ATP to make energy. So you can see how a lack
of carbs or a lot of exercise will cause our
levels to drop. The low carb hype doesn't help this either. Athletes need carbs, and lots of them!
Normal fasting (no food) sugars are 70-100. Some people
start to feel "not right" or show the above symptoms when they're
under 80. Every SERVING of carbohydrate (15 grams) raises blood sugar
initially about 35-40 points.
I recommend a serving
or 2 of carbs (30 grams) prior to exercise and
then the same after to replenish the carbohydrate stores (glycogen) in the
muscles. If you are in tournaments you may need to have a serving or two
every hour, and may need some protein too. Some of my severe hypoglycemics mix 4-8 ounces (1/2-1 cup) of juice in
their water bottle so they are constantly replenishing.
Here is what a serving
(15 grams) of carbohydrate looks like:
1/2 cup juice
1 small fruit (apple)
1 cup mixed fruit salad
About a cup of
strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe
17 grapes
1 slice bread
Small handful of
crackers, pretzels, animal cookies
1/4 cup granola
3/4-1 cup dry cereal
1 cup milk or yogurt
(also contains protein)
PowerAde/Gatorades also
contain carb (from sugar...not natural sugar) and can help. I'm not a huge
fan of them because they are pretty low in nutrients. Even Ironman Tri-athletes will use 3 parts water to one part
Gatorade. When you see the pro athletes drinking out of Gatorade
glasses...it's usually water in there. The Gatorade is usually in the
locker rooms which they replenish between periods/innings/quarters.
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