Diabetes/Energy Drinks

[mjr]

One difference is that I don't think anyone is labouring under the misconception that malt loaf is magic and provides loads of simple sugars without an insulin response.

[Vorpal]

Sports drinks potentially have two benefits. The mix of simple and complex carbohydrates gives us energy and the electrolytes and water help us rehydrate. The poblem is, they are usually much more than we need, unless we are engaging in extreme sport or competition.

For most of us, most of the time, electrolyte drops in water or juice and regular meals are sufficient.

If we drink sports drinks when we don't need them, they will create an insulin response. If they have either caffeine or artifical sweeteners in them, they can make this worse because both of those things reduce insulin sensitivity and/or change the insulin response.

I have had occasional problems with low blood sugar whilst cycling, so if I am riding long distance, I take some powdered drink mix and an emergency banana, in case I need them. I don't usually.

[FUJI AL]

On reading the ingredients on Go Energy............Carbohydrate mix 97% ( Maltodextrin, Fructose) Natural flavouring, Citric acid, Sweetener ( Aspartame). Also nearly always take a banana with me on rides. On the mention of my weight give or take a pound I,m where I should be ! Thanks for all the information. Alan

[TonyR]

Sports drinks potentially have two benefits. The mix of simple and complex carbohydrates gives us energy and the electrolytes and water help us rehydrate. The poblem is, they are usually much more than we need, unless we are engaging in extreme sport or competition.

For most of us, most of the time, electrolyte drops in water or juice and regular meals are sufficient.

If we drink sports drinks when we don't need them, they will create an insulin response. If they have either caffeine or artifical sweeteners in them, they can make this worse because both of those things reduce insulin sensitivity and/or change the insulin response.

There is a far simpler reason for not using them. They are addictive. If you take a sports drink, it gives you a performance boost and then when you don't take it your performance drops and feels lousy so you are then enticed into taking it again. I usually just use water with a rehydration tablet in it in summer to make up for lost sweat and reserve the energy drinks for if I'm doing an event that is going to stretch me. I then have it in reserve if the going gets tough.

[al_yrpal]

Too much pseudo scientific waffle here. If you ride a bike you must drink more because you sweat and eat well. If diabetes is threatening loose some weight. {This from an experienced and ex diabetic). You DONT need energy drinks, eat things like porridge and muesli which release energy slowly at the start of the day. The energy drink thing is all driven by marketing and money, not science. Normal foods contain the salt you need.

Al

[meic]

Normal foods contain the salt you need.

Not in my experience, hard riding for any length of time will lead to me getting cramps after the event unless I take preventatives, in my case I use Holland and Barret's IsoEnergy but at much lower doses than they recommend. Without it, I suffer.

[al_yrpal]

Normal foods contain the salt you need.

Not in my experience, hard riding for any length of time will lead to me getting cramps after the event unless I take preventatives, in my case I use Holland and Barret's IsoEnergy but at much lower doses than they recommend. Without it, I suffer.

You are probably dehydrated. So easy to do.

Al

[meic]

One large bottle every 30 miles is my norm. If those bottles are all my normal cordial I get cramp if one in four is the IsoEnergy then I do not.

[Norman H]

TonyR wrote:


Well, "real food" frequently contains additives such as maltodextrin so what's the difference?

It depends on what you consider to be “real food” but yes, the bad news is that even if you avoid these energy products, maltodextrins are widely used as additives in the food industry. The difference, and what's important, is the amounts that they contain.

Making informed choices is not easy because of the opacity that surrounds food labelling. For instance, even though maltodextrins behave as sugars there is no requirement to label them as such. They will be included as total carbohydrate and you can generally get a pretty good idea of how much a food product contains by how near the top of the list of ingredients they appear.


Returning to the meaning of “real food”. I deliberately tried to avoid the term “natural food” because this is a word that has been somewhat devalued by the food industry. Food prepared mostly from whole ingredients is, I suppose, closest to what I understand as “real food”.

Using the malt loaf as an example. If you sourced your own ingredients and baked your own malt loaf, it would not contain half of the ingredients that are listed in your link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/malt_loaf_95881

Not that I think there are any obvious nasties in the recipe that you posted, compared to the one in the link above. Even “real food” needs to be eaten with caution, especially by diabetics, and I'm not sure I'd recommend either recipe in such circumstances.

[al_yrpal]

What the quack looks at to decide whether you are diabetic or not, is a glucose reading that describes where your glucose has been over the last few months. If you are the 'right' weight thats a bit worrying. If you now eat lots of sugary stuff, not only energy drinks, but lots of carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta and bread etc these will all be causing spikes and its probably good to moderate the carbs and cut the sugary things out. My weight loss made my glucose readings go back to normal. If you are very active indeed and survive on sweet things and carbs a transition to protiens and low carb vegetables rolled oats might do the trick and hold back diabetes. Rather than listen to a lot of confusing pseudo scientific waffle on internet forums why not consult one of the NHSs diabetic dieticians? My surgery makes these available annually but you can consult one free by appointment.

Al

[galaxy1]

I have come back to cycling after a 20 year lay off, mainly because i got very overweight and seriuosly unfit. My diabeties was triggered not so much by sugary food, although i did and still do eat that, but by, as said Carb overload. What you dont burn turns to sugar in a simple way of putting it.
Once eating the right diet i still could not lower my blood sugars below 13. My first turn on the bike, 2o mins on the turbo trainer lowerd my sugar to 7. Now i eat okish, and gently cycle 4-5 times a week at a gentle pace and keep my sugars in the hi 4`s- low 5`s

[al_yrpal]

I have come back to cycling after a 20 year lay off, mainly because i got very overweight and seriuosly unfit. My diabeties was triggered not so much by sugary food, although i did and still do eat that, but by, as said Carb overload. What you dont burn turns to sugar in a simple way of putting it.
Once eating the right diet i still could not lower my blood sugars below 13. My first turn on the bike, 2o mins on the turbo trainer lowerd my sugar to 7. Now i eat okish, and gently cycle 4-5 times a week at a gentle pace and keep my sugars in the hi 4`s- low 5`s

There, thats two of us saying exactly the same thing… Dont let it get any worse avoid loads of carbs and energy drinks although a treat now and again wont hurt as long as the trend is more protien less carbs and regular exercise.

Al

[galaxy1]

My Diabeties nurse can not stress enough about moderation, dont give up treats, dont eat lots etc. You have to do what is sustainable long term. She has even advised not to go back to large volunes of cycling, unless i can sustain it long term.

[TonyR]

My Diabeties nurse can not stress enough about moderation, dont give up treats, dont eat lots etc. You have to do what is sustainable long term. She has even advised not to go back to large volunes of cycling, unless i can sustain it long term.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/715313

"Physical activity programs for those with type 2 diabetes without significant complications or limitations should include appropriate endurance and resistance exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and muscular strength and endurance."

[galaxy1]

None of which will do you any good if you can not sustain it.