The Infonian

As a bodybuilder you already know that carbohydrates are an important part of our diet, and that all carbs are not created equal-some are good while others are not-so-good or even bad. The rate at which carbs release their energy determines where they fall on the spectrum. The carbs that release their energy slowly are the good ones, while the ones that release their energy quickly are the ones to avoid. There are three types of carbs: complex, simple and refined. Complex carbs are the slowest energy-releasers, with refined carbs releasing it the fastest. Knowing which is which used to be tough until the Glycemic Index was developed. The Glycemic Index (GI) classifies carbs based on the rate at which they release energy. Carbs that that fall low on the GI scale release their energy slowly while those that are high on the GI scale release their energy quickly. This is important to know and here’s why: Carbs that release their energy quickly produce a rise in blood sugar levels followed by a rapid fall, leading to a “crash,” which makes us feel lethargic. On the contrary, carbs that release their energy slowly help keep blood sugar levels on an even keel, which allows us to maintain our energy levels throughout the day.

Exactly where a particular food falls on the GI is determined by how much it raises blood sugar levels over a two to three hour period. The GI uses a scale of 0-100. Most people who use the GI classify any food that ranks at 55 or below as having a low Glycemic Index, meaning that it raises blood sugar levels considerably less than foods that fall higher on the scale. Foods with a medium GI are those that have a rank of 70 or below with anything above being classified as having a high Glycemic Index.

Refined carbs release their energy very quickly and therefore, have a high Glycemic Index. These are the ones you find in processed foods. Refined carbs have been processed by machines that strip the bran and the germ from the whole grain. They fall high on the GI because they release their energy quickly. Refined carbs have been largely stripped of the nutrients, meaning that they’re basically empty calories that have little nutritional value, send glucose levels skyrocketing and leave you feeling hungry a short while after you eat them. White bread and white rice are some foods that are made up of refined carbs.

Simple carbs are mostly sugar and also release their energy quickly. You’ll find them in sodas, candy, chocolate, fudge and other foods that have lots of added sugar. While you want to mostly avoid simple carbs because the majority of them have a high Glycemic Index, they’re not entirely bad because most fruits-which can be very good for you to eat now and then-are made up almost entirely of simple carbs.

There are plenty of fruits made up of simple carbs that don’t rank high on the GI. Fresh strawberries for example, rank 40 on the GI, well below the threshold of 55. Some other fruits that score low on the GI include apples, pears, oranges and cherries, among others. So even though they’re simple carbs, feel free to occasionally add a handful of these nutritious fresh fruits to your protein shake.

Complex carbs-like the ones you find in broccoli, beans and whole grains-generally score the lowest on the GI. These are the nutrient-rich, slow burning carbs. They don’t cause glucose levels to spike and since they release their energy slowly, they help keep the body feeling “full” and satisfied longer than fast-releasing carbs. This is important not only for sustaining energy levels throughout the day but is essential for maintaining proper weight.

It’s important to note that while the Glycemic Index can be a useful tool, it should serve as a general guideline, not as a hard and fast rule. If your goal is to lose weight, then you should definitely stick with almost entirely with foods that have a low GI. As a bodybuilder though, there are times when you will certainly want to mix in some foods with a higher GI-particularly after an intense training session when your body needs a quick burst of energy. In any case, the Glycemic Index really is a handy, worthwhile and easy-to-use planning tool, especially since there are lots of interactive websites that allow you to enter the name of a food to quickly find out its Glycemic Index.

Author: Mike Westerdal

Beta Alanine (BA) is a popular supplement widely used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve performance. BA is a non-essential amino acid and is the only naturally occurring beta amino acid. It is “non-essential” because it is produced in our bodies. Some bodybuilders are touting BA as the “new creatine” because of its purported ability to enhance performance-let’s see what the facts say and find out if it’s really true. Amino acids of course are organic compounds that are the building blocks of protein, which in turn is the primary fuel for muscle growth. And though BA-also known as-3-aminopropanoic acid-is an amino acid, it is in fact a non-proteinogenic amino acid, which means that it cannot be synthesized into a protein. Since it can’t be synthesized into a protein, how does BA improve performance?

The efficacy of BA appears to stem from the fact that it’s a pre-cursor to converting to carnosine in muscles. That’s important to know because in our bodies, muscle carnosine synthesis is limited by the availability of beta-alanine. And you may already know that carnosine is important to performance because it acts as a buffering agent, helping to delay the onset of muscular failure. So the theory goes that an increase in the availability of BA should result in a higher degree of muscle carnosine synthesis, which should result in enhanced performance.

In talking about alanine, you’ve probably also heard about a-alanine. Though they sound similar, BA and a-alanine are really very different from one another-and the difference is important to know. For example, whereas a-alanine is involved in enzyme function and protein synthesis, beta-alanine is not. Unlike a-alanine, BA’s role appears to be solely limited to fostering higher levels of muscle carnosine.

Over the past several years, a number of researchers have decided to put this theory to the test. For instance, one group of researchers studied a group of 33 college football players over a period of ten weeks. They found a clear connection between BA supplementation and enhanced performance.

Another study, conducted at the University of Oklahoma, showed that supplementing with BA measurably improved athletes’ endurance. Other studies have shown similar results.

Like I mentioned earlier, the theory is that BA results in an increase of muscle carnosine concentrations and test results appear to confirm that. In another trial, among a group of 13 athletes supplementing with BA, their muscle carnosine levels were measured at 4 weeks and at 10 weeks. After 4 weeks, the carnosine level had jumped by nearly 59% and had skyrocketed more than 80% after 10 weeks.

Interestingly, when BA is taken along with creatine, the outcome is even better. In another study, participants took not only BA, but creatine as well. These tests showed that the performance of the creatine plus BA group was significantly higher than both the creatine-alone and the placebo groups.

The trials that included both supplements showed a synergism between the two that considerably improved the results over the control group and those that supplemented just with BA. In these tests-in comparison to the other two groups-the duo supplement athletes showed a greater increase in their training volume, their strength was greater, their endurance was improved, they added lean mass and dropped body fat.

In fact, in the studies this group showed a more than 1% drop in overall body fat percentage despite the fact that they were not on a calorie-restricted diet. Again, the synergism between the creatine and BA appears to kick the body’s metabolism into high gear, resulting in significantly increased fat burning capacity. That may not seem like a big difference but if you’re competing, it can make a world of difference. It’s especially interesting because neither supplement-when taken alone-has been identified with a decrease in body fat percentage.

Because BA is a non-essential nutrient, there is no established recommended daily allowance for human consumption. In the research studies I mentioned, the daily BA dosage ranged from 3.2 grams to 6 grams. As you can see, in the studies the impact of BA hit its max at about 10 weeks.

So based on both a battery of scientific studies, along with plenty of anecdotal evidence, there seems to be little doubt that beta-alanine can certainly be a worthwhile and effective supplement-especially if it is taken along with creatine. Not only could it result in improved performance and endurance but the combination could also help you to add lean mass and drop your body fat percentage by a point or two-definitely things we like to see.

Author: Mike Westerdal