
In a
blog post on my website earlier this week, I taught how to count your calories and log your diet the right way. But it’s important to realize that especially for triathletes, it’s the nutrient density and quality of your food that truly matters – not the calorie content.
But wait – a calorie is a calorie, right?
Not really.
In the most recent such study to date, two groups were compared (O’Connor). One group ate slow sugar release, low glycemic index foods (think raw nuts or beef jerky) and another group ate faster release, high glycemic index foods (think white rice or wheat bread).
But both groups ate identical amounts of calories.
Researchers then monitored blood sugar levels and appetite of the subjects, and found that those consuming the high glycemic index foods had a blood sugar level crash just a few hours after eating, and were hungrier sooner compared to the group that ate the slower release foods.