Back9Nutrition; Sports Nutrition designed for Golfers, Go High or Go Low
Go High or Go Low?
By: Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
High carb, low carb, some carb, no carb…are there better carbohydrates for pre-workout, post-workout and during a round of golf? The answer is YES! Carbohydrates are the body’s #1 source of energy, but certain carbs are better than others to maximize energy and recovery.
Looking at the Glycemic Index (GI) of a carbohydrate is one of the keys in determining which type of carbohydrate is optimal for a specific activity. The GI is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods in order of how they affect the body's blood sugar (glucose) levels compared to pure glucose or white bread. The glycemic index of glucose is 100 and thus the highest ranking on the GI scale. It is important to note that not all carbohydrates have the same effect on the body’s blood sugar levels; some spike the level and some gradually increase it. Thus, we categorize carbohydrates as high, medium and low glycemic.
High Glycemic: GI of 70-100
•Grains: White bread, whole wheat bread, bagel, gluten-free bread, Bran Flakes®, Coco Pops®, Puffed Wheat®, Cornflakes®, Cheerios®, Shredded Wheat®, Grapenuts®, wild rice, jasmine rice, white mashed potatoes (skinless), instant mashed potato, baked potato, graham crackers, rice cakes, pretzels, popcorn
•Fruits: Watermelon
•Legumes: Broad beans
•Starchy Vegetables: Other potatoes, French fries
•Other: Candy, table sugar, doughnut
Medium Glycemic: GI of 56-69
•Grains: Hamburger bun, rye bread, croissant, wholemeal, Basmati rice, wild rice, couscous, cornmeal, tapioca, Oatbran® Cereal, Raisin Bran®, untoasted muesli, quick oats, cream of wheat, bran muffin, carrot muffin
•Fruits: Apricots, mango, raisins, cantaloupe, pineapple
•Starchy Vegetables: New potato, corn, pumpkin, pea soup, black bean soup
•Other: Potato Chips
Low Glycemic: GI of 55 or less
•Grains: All Bran® cereal, barley, pasta, oatmeal, bulgar, semolina, pumpernickel bread, brown rice, long grain white rice
•Fruits: Cherries, grapefruit, peach, apple, pear, plums, orange, grapes, kiwi, banana, strawberries, prunes,
•Legumes: All beans, peas, lentils
•Starchy Vegetables: Sweet potato
•Non-starchy Vegetables: All, tomato soup, minestrone soup
•Other: Skim milk, plain yogurt, soy milk, low-fat ice cream, chickpeas
A variety of factors affect the GI of a carbohydrate including the type of starch, cooking & processing, fat/protein content and the acid level of the food. For example, instant oatmeal is higher glycemic than steel cut rolled oats (a very low glycemic food) because it is pre-cooked and thus more processed. On the reverse side, you can add fat and/or protein to a high glycemic food and lower its overall glycemic index. For example, adding 2 Tbs. peanut butter to a bagel (a high glycemic food). Fat and protein both slow down digestion so when added to a high glycemic food they cause a less dramatic spike in blood sugar.
So now that you know what the glycemic index is and which foods fall into which categories, how do you apply that to exercise/training and playing golf? You have to look at the goal…
Pre-exercise
Pre-exercise there is one main goal with food: supply the body with energy to fuel the activity. As an athlete, you don’t just want energy for 20 minutes, you want sustained energy throughout your whole workout…thus, you want low-medium glycemic carbohydrates with a lean protein and a small amount of healthy fat. This will digest slower and as a result give you energy for a longer period of time.
Post-exercise
Post-exercise there is also one main goal with food: RECOVER! Within two hours after a workout your body is primed to take up carbohydrate and protein at a faster rate. So, post-workout you should aim to eat high glycemic carbohydrates as they digest quickly, spike the blood sugar, cause a spike in insulin levels and thus help your body take up carbohydrate faster to trigger the recovery process.
During a round of golf
While playing golf there is again, one main goal with food: keep the blood sugar stable. Low blood sugar can manifest as a headache, feeling fatigued/dizzy/lightheaded, and even losing focus…all bad things in golf! So, in order to keep your blood sugar stable over the course of a 5-6 hour round, you should focus on consuming lower glycemic carbohydrates or snacks every few holes. For example, if you eat a bagel-add peanut butter, if you eat a banana-add almonds, if you eat granola-add nuts and crumbled flaxseed. These easy snacks will help you stay focused and keep your energy levels high.
So…when you are playing golf, go low…with your score and your glycemic index!
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