1. Intestinal training
Our people often neglect the importance of the digestive tract during activity. Providing fluid or carbohydrates can be crucial, especially for people training endurance sports or during prolonged exercise. Disturbances arising from the gastrointestinal tract such as bloating, transferring or diarrhea are a common occurrence, they appear in every discipline.
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It is worth remembering that without a well-functioning gastrointestinal tract we are not able to fully concentrate on the exercises performed – the quality decreases significantly. Of course, the digestive tract is very flexible, „well-trained”, reduces discomfort. Regular consumption of meals during the activity improves the adaptation of the body, absorption and gastric emptying. During „gut” training, we can notice which products have a positive effect on our body and which should be avoided. This technique allows us to prepare our body for performances and thanks to it we can be sure that during the starts / matches we will not face an uncomfortable situation.
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Recent studies indicate that in addition to meals during training, a full-day menu can also play a special role here. The diet can affect the ability to empty the stomach and absorb it in the intestines. It is suggested that high carbohydrate foods increase the transport of glucose through the SGLT1 transport protein, improving the use of carbohydrates during exercise.
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2. Absorbency of glucose
The abnormality in the gastrointestinal tract depends on the composition of the meal. Thanks to the research on the ability to use carbohydrates, we know that the body has some limitations. Glucose is absorbed in the gut through the SGLT1 transport protein and subsequently used in the body. Consumption of carbohydrates in excess of 60-70 g (glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltodextrin, starch) determines the exogenous peak released carbohydrates at a similar level, or 60 g per hour. Consumption of higher doses of carbohydrates in the amount of 144 g / h or 180 g / h did not increase exogenous glucose concentrations above 60 g / h. This limitation was not associated with gastric emptying – it was found that the use of glucose by muscle or liver must be limited. Doses exceeding 60 g / h are not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The consumption of higher doses contributes to the development of discomfort from the gastrointestinal tract.
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A tip when attempting to increase the amount of glucose, it is worth remembering to increase the intake of fluids, because increased carbohydrate absorption is associated with the absorption of liquids. This protection can reduce discomfort from the digestive tract.
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3. Carbohydrate mixture
Fructose is a carbohydrate absorbed by another GLUT transport protein. The combination of glucose and fructose may promote an increased use of carbohydrates by the body. Studies confirm that a carbohydrate mixture increases carbohydrate oxidation to 75% in relation to those that only used SGLT1 (transport proteins for glucose). The most preferred carbohydrate combinations are maltodextrin, fructose, glucose; fructose, glucose; saccharose; fructose.
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In all cases, the glucose transporter must be saturated, i.e., 60 g / h. In addition, the second carbohydrate source (fructose) must be consumed in sufficient quantities (30 g / h or more). A glucose to fructose 2 1 ratio is recommended, in which the total intake should be 90 g / h. It is worth emphasizing individual tolerance here. If you can eat higher doses of fructose – you can keep the ratio 1 1, here glucose or maltodextrin are still consumed at 60 g / h.
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It has been shown that rinsing mouth with carbohydrates gives a similar effect on improving the efficiency of eating them during activity, but the positive effect is not related to the losses caused during the activity (glycogen), but may be related to the central nervous system. It is believed that the taste affects the mood, and this in turn may affect the perception of effort and support for the central nervous system. It is worth noting that in a hypoglycaemic state after a hard run, the intake of a small portion of carbohydrates quickly brings relief before the carbohydrates are absorbed. For now, the main conclusion is that carbohydrates, regardless of whether they are consumed or used only for mouthwashing – can improve the overall result of the exercise lasting about 1 hour. Routine mouthwash with carbohydrates lasting 5-10 sec. improves the results of an effort lasting 30-70 minutes. It is suggested that the benefits of improving the results are similar to those consuming carbohydrates.
However, the intake of snacks in some athletes contributes to the discomfort of the gastrointestinal tract, especially during intense exercise. In addition, rinsing and expectoration of carbohydrates may be a beneficial nutritional strategy for people who perform exercises, and for which the goal is to maintain adequate body weight. Such a strategy improves the perception of exercise and / or higher intensity of exercise without consuming additional calories.
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