written by: “The Colonel” Brian Sulc
I have been getting some questions from the troops about diet and energy which boils down to a question on blood sugar (glucose).
Your body stores about an active day’s worth of glucose in your blood stream. In the average male this is about 1,500 calories and about 1,000 in a woman. You burn this first when you burn calories. And you refill this first when you eat. And if you eat too much, your pancreas secretes insulin. This is called an insulin response. This happens in order to lower your blood sugar to a normal level. But, the pancreas puts out too much insulin and you crash. This is not good either, for now you have overworked your pancreas and you are left feeling tired after refueling. This is why most experts suggest eating many small meals. Remember fuel is burned along with fat while you sleep. This is why most gravitate to coffee in the am – to wake up. When really they should eat. This is also why it takes a while for you all to get moving in the am. You burned 400 plus calories while sleeping and another 300 in your class. You are toast after class. Read on…
“Carbs are fruits, veggies, breads and sugars. Some are good and some are bad. Anything processed is bad and anything grown is good. Carbs are converted in to glucose and burned and stored.”
Muscle Fuel/Sugar (Glycogen). This is stored in the muscles and also used as fuel. About 12 hours’ worth of additional fuel (think of this as a back-up tank). This is best to reload immediately after exercise. So after class, clients should eat right away. Bring a carb type food to eat right (and I mean right) after class. Coffee will decrease your appetite could cause skipping breakfast.
Carbs. Carbs are fruits, veggies, breads and sugars. Some are good and some are bad. Anything processed is bad and anything grown is good. Carbs are converted in to glucose and burned and stored. If your diet is low on carbs, you will be low on energy. One client this am mentioned that on a low carb diet she could not lift a 5 lb dumbbell. Know why? Read the above again. She did not have the energy. When is the last time you ate a hamburger (protein and fat) and wanted to go for a 5 mile run? Never. So the only carbs that are bad are the processed ones and the ones in excess that you over ate. No different than proteins or fats.
Hope this helps!
Semper Fi
Colonel Brian Sulc designed and developed the Colonel’s Fitness Program from more than 32 years of experience in fitness. His experience involves the most important aspects of running an organization, including leadership, management, personal training, and group exercise instruction. He understands that leadership develops relationships with clients by listening to and understanding their needs, challenging them, motivating them and ensuring that they are getting what they need (which is not always what they think they want!).
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