BulkMeUp said:
Isnt it suggested to have a 'faster' carb post workout? Due to that suggestion i do dextrose instead of oats in my shake. Or is that only a matter of personal choice?
Yes and no.
Yes, faster digesting carbohydrate sources are the best in terms of 'maximising rapid recovery' in the post-workout period. They not only help to increase insulin secretion (thus blunting cortisol release quickly) but also increase the speed at which glycogen is replenished (via increasing the immediate availability of glucose)... However, if you think about it - what else does dextrose offer you? Zip. It is nutritionally pointless. There are other sources of high GI carbs that can provide you with this function and a lot more - as I feel your post-workout recovery should encompass things such as restoring blood/whole body glucose levels, restoring electrolytes, decreasing the rate of oxidative damage (seen to be much heightened following strenuous exercise) stimulating anabolic/growth factors and decreasing catabolism...
Dex is not really good for doing any of those things.
For the insulin response - Well, you do not really need to do the 'high GI' thing. Insulin, although related somewhat to the GI of the food, is also released to other things. Both milk and whey stimulate an insulin response - a large insulin response. Infact, when used in combination it is actually a synergistic effect and you will increase insulin more so than the individual substances. You can get more than the required response from these things.
For the glucose availability thing - well, both milk and fruits will have natural dextrose/glucose in them (I believe skim milk has about 7g per cup, the average medium banana has about 6g glucose, a cup of blueberries has about 7g glucose and a cup of grapes has about 12g of glucose). These things are also much more nutritionally valuable - having vitamins, minerals, water etc etc and MANY other benefits that pure dextrose does not have.
Oats - well, yes, they don't have a lot of glucose but they are not as 'low GI' as many believe. This is only really some times of oats. Yes, both scotch oats and oatbran are low GI (less than 55) and THICK cut wholegrain rolled oats (esp those in Australia
) are lowish to intermediate (40 to 58) , however, most rolled oats (esp thinly rolled oats and those that have been de-hulled) are actually intermediate to high GI (ranging around the 65-75 and up to 80). You could even go for oat-flour porridge which has a GI of about 75! Sure, not as high GI as dextrose, but still in the range that they will provide energy to the body. So they are highish GI and do offer your body energy... but they also offer you the nutritional benefits of the oats.
If the GI of oats is not 'high enough' for your likings then why not look for something else NATURAL that is - eg:
Dates!: They have a GI of 104! They also have 20-35g of glucose per 100g (depends on the type)... But they also give you magnesium, potassium, vit B6 and lots of other nutritional benefits...
Potato: *shock*.. Yup.. Potato... often shunned for it's high GI why not USE this as an advantage? It is much more nutritious than dextrose as they also give you significant levels of magnesium, Vit B6, folate and potassium.
Millet: High GI (up around 80 and above) and a great source of your B vitamins and magnesium. They are also high in phosphorus, which, if you think about it is essential in things such as DNA formation, bone formation AND ATP formation!
??? Why not think outside the 'dextrose or nothing' square?
And a word on fruits.... Yes, most are lower in GI (even banana's are only intermediate GI) however, they offer vitamins, minerals, water, anti-oxidants and phytochemicals which are all amazingly useful in the post-workout time frame. They will help repair oxidative damage, restore minerals/electrolytes that have been lost during sweating and will also restore BLOOD/WHOLE BODY glucose which is essential in whole-body recovery and in preventing catabolism! Also, you do have higher-glucose options such as bananas, pineapples, grapes etc - these give you the benefit of the fruits and that glucose that you need...
Just some food for thought....