I often encounter athletes seeking ways to enhance their performance and endurance during intense training and competitions. One valuable tool in an athlete's arsenal is the carbohydrate gel, a convenient and efficient source of energy. In this article, we will explore the benefits of carbohydrate gels and why practicing with them before an event is essential.
Understanding Carbohydrate Gels:
Carbohydrate gels are concentrated formulations of carbohydrates, primarily in the form of glucose, fructose, and maltodextrin. They come in small, portable sachets that are easy to carry during training and competitions. These gels are designed to deliver a rapid and easily digestible source of energy, making them popular among endurance athletes.
Benefits of Carbohydrate Gels:
Energy Boost: During intense physical activities, the body's glycogen stores are quickly depleted. Carbohydrate gels provide an immediate source of energy that can help delay fatigue and sustain performance, especially during longer training sessions or competitions.
Easily Digestible: Carbohydrate gels are formulated to be easily digestible, which means they are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. This feature is particularly beneficial during high-intensity workouts when consuming solid foods might be impractical and difficult to digest.
Improved Performance: Studies have shown that consuming carbohydrate gels during exercise can improve endurance performance and delay the onset of fatigue. The replenishment of glycogen stores helps maintain a steady supply of energy, allowing athletes to perform at their best for longer periods.
Preventing Hypoglycaemia: Hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar levels, can lead to dizziness, weakness, and impaired cognitive function. Carbohydrate gels can help prevent hypoglycaemia, especially in athletes who have higher energy demands during training and competition.
Customisable Intake: Carbohydrate gels are available in various formulations, allowing athletes to choose products with different carbohydrate ratios to suit their individual needs and preferences.
Practicing with Carbohydrate Gels:
Practicing with carbohydrate gels before a significant event is crucial for several reasons:
Gauging Tolerance: Some athletes may experience stomach discomfort or gastrointestinal issues when consuming carbohydrate gels for the first time. By practicing with them during training, athletes can assess their tolerance levels and make adjustments if necessary.
Optimising Timing: Understanding how the body responds to carbohydrate gels helps athletes determine the best timing for consumption during the event. This ensures a steady and sustained energy supply, maximising performance.
Individualising Intake: Every athlete has unique energy requirements. Through practice, athletes can fine-tune their carbohydrate intake strategy with gels, allowing them to find the optimal amount that suits their performance goals.
Psychological Conditioning: Practicing with carbohydrate gels helps athletes become familiar with the process, reducing any potential stress or anxiety associated with using them during competition.
Glycogen Depletion
Glycogen depletion can have a significant impact on exercise performance, particularly during endurance activities and high-intensity exercises. Since glycogen serves as a primary fuel source for muscles, its depletion can lead to various physiological and performance-related consequences:
Fatigue and Reduced Endurance: As glycogen stores deplete, the body relies more on other energy sources, such as fat, to fuel exercise. While fats can provide a long-lasting energy supply, they are less efficient in meeting the high-energy demands of intense or prolonged exercise. This can lead to feelings of fatigue and a decline in endurance performance.
Decreased Power and Strength: During high-intensity activities, the body heavily relies on glycogen for quick energy production. Depleted glycogen stores can impair power and strength output, making it more challenging to maintain peak performance during activities like sprints, weightlifting, or high-intensity interval training.
Slower Pace and Performance: For endurance exercises like distance running or cycling, glycogen depletion can result in a drop in pace and reduced overall performance. Athletes may experience difficulty sustaining their target speeds, and their times may slow down as they approach glycogen depletion.
Mental Fatigue and Impaired Cognitive Function: Depleted glycogen levels can also affect cognitive function, leading to mental fatigue, decreased focus, and impaired decision-making abilities. This can be particularly detrimental in sports that require tactical thinking and quick reactions.
Increased Perceived Effort: When glycogen levels are low, the body shifts to alternative energy sources, which often requires more oxygen to metabolise. As a result, athletes may perceive exercise to be more challenging than usual, leading to a higher sense of effort for the same workload.
Risk of "Hitting the Wall": "Hitting the wall" or "bonking" is a term commonly used in endurance sports to describe a sudden and severe drop in energy levels caused by glycogen depletion. Athletes experiencing this phenomenon may feel completely drained, unable to continue at their previous pace, and may even struggle to finish the event.
The rate at which glycogen stores are depleted during exercise can vary depending on several factors, including the intensity, duration, and type of exercise, as well as an individual's fitness level and glycogen storage capacity. Here are some general guidelines regarding glycogen depletion during exercise:
Exercise Intensity: High-intensity exercise, such as sprinting or intense weightlifting, depletes glycogen at a faster rate compared to low-to-moderate intensity activities like walking or slow jogging.
Exercise Duration: Longer-duration exercises, especially those lasting more than an hour, can significantly reduce glycogen stores, especially if the exercise is continuous and intense.
Glycogen Storage Capacity: Well-trained athletes generally have higher glycogen storage capacities than untrained individuals. This means that trained athletes can store more glycogen and, therefore, have the potential to perform longer before complete depletion.
Nutrition and Pre-Exercise Glycogen Levels: The amount of glycogen available at the beginning of exercise is also crucial. Proper nutrition and carbohydrate intake before exercise can help "top up" glycogen stores, delaying the onset of glycogen depletion.
Individual Variability: Each person's glycogen depletion rate can differ due to genetic factors and individual metabolic responses to exercise.
To provide some rough estimates, during intense exercise, an average individual can deplete their glycogen stores in:
1 to 1.5 hours of continuous running or high-intensity cycling.
1.5 to 2 hours of continuous moderate-intensity running or cycling.
Longer periods for lower-intensity activities or for individuals with well-trained muscles and high glycogen storage capacity.
Conclusion:
Carbohydrate gels are valuable tools for endurance athletes seeking to maximise their performance potential. They offer an instant and easily digestible source of energy, improving endurance, and preventing fatigue. However, it's essential to practice with carbohydrate gels before an event to assess tolerance, optimise timing, and individualise intake strategies. By incorporating carbohydrate gels into their training routines, athletes can harness the power of this convenient energy source and achieve peak performance on the big day.
References:
Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrate intake during exercise and performance. Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):669-77. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.017.
Jentjens RL, Jeukendrup AE. High rates of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation from a mixture of glucose and fructose ingested during prolonged cycling exercise. Br J Nutr. 2005 Apr;93(4):485-92. doi: 10.1079/bjn20041365.
Currell K, Jeukendrup AE. Superior endurance performance with ingestion of multiple transportable carbohydrates. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Feb;40(2):275-81. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e31815adf19.
Wallis GA, Rowlands DS, Shaw C, Jentjens RL, Jeukendrup AE. Oxidation of combined ingestion of maltodextrins and fructose during exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2005 Jul;37(7):426-32. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000163363.18563.2e.
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