Glycemic Index

The glycemic index or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates (laden foods) on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates (laden foods) that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have by definition a high GI; carbohydrates (laden foods) that break down more slowly have by definition a low GI.

The concept was developed by Dr. David J. Jenkins and colleagues in 1980–1981 at the University of Toronto. The purpose of their research was to find out which foods were most suitable for subjects with Diabetes Miletus.

A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the foods' carbohydrates and may also indicate greater extraction of carbohydrate digestion. A lower glycemic response usually equates to a lower insulin demand but not always, and may improve long-term blood glucose control.

You can find additional info relating to the GI at http://www.glycemicindex.com The Official Website of the Glycemic Index and Database.

Glycemic Index Defined
The glycemic index of a food is defined as the area under the two hour blood glucose response curve (AUC) following the ingestion of a fixed portion of carbohydrate (usually 50 g). The AUC of the test food is divided by the AUC of the standard (glucose) and multiplied by 100. The average GI value is calculated from data collected in 10 human subjects. Both the standard and test food must contain an equal amount of available carbohydrate. The result gives a relative ranking for each tested food in comparison to 50g of pure glucose.

Glycemic Indexes Of Foods    

Classification	GI range	Examples
Low GI	55 or less	most fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads, pasta, legumes/pulses, milk, yogurt, fructose
Medium GI	56–69	whole wheat products, basmati rice, sweet potato, table sugar
High GI	70 and above	corn flakes, puffed rice, baked potatoes, watermelon, croissants, white bread, white rice, glucose (100)

The glycemic effect of foods depends on a number of factors such as the type of starch (amylose vs. amylopectin), physical matrix of the food, fat and protein content of the food and organic acids or their salts content. Adding vinegar, for example, will lower the GI of a meal. The presence of fat or soluble dietary fiber can slow the gastric emptying rate, thus lowering the GI
The glycemic index can be applied only to only foods with reasonable carbohydrate content, as the test relies on subjects consuming enough of the test food to yield about 50 g of available carbohydrate. Many fruits and vegetables contain very little carbohydrate per serving, and the average person is not likely to eat 50 g of carbohydrate from these foods. Fruits and vegetables tend to have a low glycemic index and a low glycemic load.

Related Glycemic Indexes

Glycemic load
The glycemic load (GL) is a ranking system for carbohydrate baring food portions based on their glycemic index (GI) and the portion size. Glycemic load or GL combines both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate into one ‘number’. It is one of the better best ways to predict blood glucose values of different types and amounts of food.

The formula is: GL = (GI x the amount of carbohydrate) divided by 100.The usefulness of glycemic load is based on the idea that a high glycemic index food consumed in small quantities would give the same plasma glucose effect as larger quantities of a low glycemic index food. By way of example white rice has a somewhat high GI, so eating 50g of white rice at one sitting would give a particular glucose curve in the blood, while 25g would give the same curve but half the height. Since the peak height is considered by many experts the most important parameter for diabetes control, multiplying the amount of carbohydrates in a food serving by the glycemic index gives an idea of how much effect an actual portion of food has on blood sugar level.

Many have questioned the value of using glycemic load as a basis for weight loss programs; however, glycemic load is generally a useful concept in dietary designs targeting health maintenance. Studies have shown that elevation in blood sugar and insulin levels may lead to increased diabetes risk. Studies concluded (repeatedly) that women whose diets had the highest glycemic index were 21 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women whose diets had the lowest glycemic index.

Insulin index
The Insulin Index is a measure used to quantify the typical insulin response to various foods. The index is similar to the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load, but rather than relying on blood glucose levels, the Insulin Index is based upon blood insulin levels. This measure can be more useful than either the Glycemic Index or the Glycemic Load because certain foods (e.g., lean meats and proteins) cause an insulin response despite there being no carbohydrates present, and some foods cause a disproportionate insulin response relative to their carbohydrate load.

Holt et al. have noted that the glucose and insulin scores of most foods are highly correlated, but high-protein foods and bakery products that are rich in fat and refined carbohydrates "elicit insulin responses that were disproportionately higher than their glycemic responses." They also conclude that insulin indices may be useful for dietary management and avoidance of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia.

Explanation of Index
The insulin index shows how much insulin is present in a subject’s blood as a result of particular food consumption, the glucose index shows how much glucose is present in the blood as a result of a particular food, and the satiety index shows how much a particular food decreases one's propensity to eat more.

Glucose (glycemic) and insulin scores were determined by feeding 1000 kilojoules (239 kilocalories) of the food to the participants and recording the area under the glucose/insulin curve for 120 minutes then dividing by the area under the glucose/insulin curve for white bread. The result being that all scores are relative to white bread. The satiety score was determined by comparing how much food was eaten by participants at a buffet after being fed a fixed number of calories of a particular food while blindfolded (to ensure food appearance was not a factor), then dividing that number by the amount eaten by participants after eating white bread. White bread serves as the baseline of 100. In other words, foods scoring higher than 100 are more satisfying than white bread and those under 100 are less satisfying.

Limitations And Criticisms

• The glycemic index does not take into account other factors other than glycemic response, such as insulin response, which is measured by the insulin index and can be more appropriate in representing the effects from some food contents other than carbohydrates.
• The glycemic index is significantly altered by the type of food, its ripeness, processing, the length of storage, cooking methods, and its variety
• The glycemic response is different from one person to another and even in the same person from day to day, depending on blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, and other factors.
• The number of grams of carbohydrate impacts blood sugar levels more than the glycemic index.
• Lowering glycemic index leads to small (momentary) improvements in blood sugar levels, but consuming fewer total carbohydrates would benefit the blood glucose profile much more.
• Carbohydrate impacts glucose levels most profoundly, and two foods with the same carbohydrate content are generally comparable in their effects on blood sugar. A food with a low glycemic index may have high carbohydrate content or vice versa; this can be accounted for with the glycemic load.
• Most of the values on the glycemic index do not show the impact on glucose levels after two hours.
• The GI of foods is determined under experimental conditions after an overnight fast (with only 10 test subjects), and might not apply to foods consumed later during the day because glycemic response is strongly influenced by the composition of the previous meal.

Relevance And Application
The Glycemic Index holds extraordinary relevance to a diabetic subject (or anyone using exogenous insulin). The ability to comparatively rate the release rates of dietary glucose holds life saving value to the clinical diabetic.

For non diabetic and non insulin using subjects the value of such data is questionable at best. The Glycemic Index holds almost no valuable info for the non insulin using athlete. Food volume and meal frequency has a far greater “GI” slowing effect than the carbohydrate bearing matrix or starch chemistry.

As the above overview illustrates dietary carbohydrate quantity dictates the total daily plasma insulin volume. The simple conclusion is that over consumption of carbohydrates not the comparative GI of said carbohydrate is the larger problem.

B.”EvilGenius”Chavez
www.EvilGSP.com

Proper Programming and Scheduling

By B.Chavez, EvilGenius Sports Performance

How do I manage my training to arrive at my very best on but not before the date of my next event. How do I train at a high level while avoiding over-training? These questions needlessly paralyze a lot of coaches and athletes.

Programing, Periodization and many others are just fancy words for ORGANIZATION! This article will show that with a little planning and the right training techniques, you can map out your weight training outline for the entire year in just a few hours.

Map It OutOn a calendar (either paper or digital) fill in the basic structure of your year. This will need to include your work and or school schedule, any travel or vacation plans ,etc. Major competitive events you will attend, as well as the any events you MIGHT attend need to be filled in next. Quickly a very solid and obvious structure will begin to emerge that should be very easy to expand on.

The sport you are training for as well as your personal/professional philosophy will determine the details of the finer structure of your year plan.

Here are just a few tips for helping to develop workable multi-year programing no matter what sport you are training for.

• Think at least 1 year in advance
• Use past records/journals to help guide your current decisions.
• Build your plan from the Macro to Micro
• Always include non-competition info and concerns to preemptivly avoid conflicts.
• Don’t go overboard with the detail (there is always time to fill in more later)
• Include friend, family and coworkers in your plans to help prevent unforeseen conflicts.
• Be flexible if you begin to see flaws in your initial plan.

Whey Protein

Whey Protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. Some preclinical studies in rodents have suggested that whey protein may possess anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties; however, human data is lacking. The effects of whey protein on human health are of great interest and are currently being investigated as a way of reducing disease risk, as well as a possible supplementary treatment for several diseases.
Whey protein is commonly marketed and ingested as a dietary supplement, and various health claims have been attributed to it in the alternative medicine community. Although whey proteins are responsible for some milk allergies, the major allergens in milk are the caseins.
ProductionWhey is left over when milk coagulates and contains everything that is soluble from milk.  Processing can be by simple drying, or the protein content can be increased by removing lipids and other non-protein materials. For example, spray drying after membrane filtration separates the proteins from whey.
CompositionWhey protein is the collection of globular proteins isolated from whey, a by-product of cheese manufactured from cow's milk. Cow's milk is 20% whey protein and 80% casein protein, whereas human milk is 60% whey and 40% casein. Whey protein is typically a mixture of beta-lactoglobulin (~65%), alpha-lactalbumin (~25%), and serum albumin (~8%), which are soluble in their native forms, independent of pH. The protein fraction in whey (approximately 10% of the total dry solids within whey) comprises four major protein fractions and six minor protein fractions. The major protein fractions in whey are beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin and immunoglobulins.
Major Market FormsWhey protein typically comes in three major forms: 

• Concentrates contain a low level of fat and cholesterol but, in general, have higher levels of bioactive compounds, and carbohydrates in the form of lactose — they are 29%–89% protein by weight.
• Isolates are processed to remove the fat, and lactose, but are usually lower in bioactivated compounds as well — they are 90%+ protein by weight. Both of these types are mild to slightly milky in taste.
• Hydrolysates are predigested, partially hydrolyzed whey proteins that, as a consequence, are more easily absorbed, but their cost is generally higher.Highly-hydrolysed whey may be less allergenic than other forms of whey. They are very bitter in taste.

Health EffectsThe use of whey protein as a source of amino acids and its effect on reducing the risks of diseases such as heart disease and cancer is the focus of ongoing research. Whey is an abundant source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) which are used to fuel working muscles and stimulate protein synthesis. In particular, leucine plays a key role in initiating the transcription pathway that fires up protein synthesis. When leucine is ingested in high amounts, such as with whey protein supplementation, there is greater stimulation of protein synthesis, which may speed recovery and adaptation to stress (exercise).
Whey protein contains the amino acid cysteine which can be used to make glutathione. However, this amino acid is not essential for the synthesis of glutathione and some studies have suggested that the amount of cysteine in the diet may have little effect on glutathione synthesis. However, another study suggested that large amounts of whey protein can increase cellular glutathione levels. Glutathione is an antioxidant that defends the body against free radical damage and some toxins, and studies in animals have suggested that milk proteins might reduce the risk of cancer.
Concluding Remarks
Commercial whey protein products are extremely refined (generally not a good thing) and expensive foods! Though a growing body of legitimate clinical research is show measurable HEALTH benefits little if any research shows sports specific benefits in athletes already consuming 1.5g/kg or more of dietary protein.
As a strength athlete I would focus more on whole food sources of protein and save whey for the children and geriatric patients who could gain some immunological benefit.

B.”EvilGenius”Chavez
www.EvilGSP.com

A Bridge To Nowhere

Next to “tapering” I think “bridging”, at least the term in the fashion most mean, is the dumbest thing an athlete could do. (Wow that felt good to say out loud!) As with most of my recent pennings this particular rant began with a good friend of mine. This story begins with this particular friend mentioning he was “off” at the moment. “Just a few hundred mg of xxxx/week” he told me! Of course I asked for clarification because “off” and a “few hundred mg” didn’t sound compatible to me. After the requisite round of dumb looks and eye rolls he said “You know, like a bridge, until I go ON”.  


On Off, On..On & Off..Off where the hell did this vernacular come from? I hate to berate a friend but, let’s be painfully clear - if you are taking a drug in any quantity then by definition you are NOT off. That sounds fairly clear and sensible doesn’t it? Taking equals “ON” and not taking equals “OFF”, there isn’t much more to say on the subject!


That’s just a play on the words you say! The reality is People seem to believe that if they are not taking their “therapeutic dose” (the dosage that gives them the desired effect) then they are “off”.  I have no idea where this thinking came from, but it’s very silly! Think about it for a minute, if you went to your family doctor and he said you have XYZ and you need 200mg of LMNOP for a week would you take 100mg for two weeks and expect the same result? Why then if it takes 1000mg of AAS to make you perform at the level you desire would you ever take less than 1000mg? AAS and almost all other drugs work on a body weight basis, taking less must mean your trying to lower your bodyweight! In very simple terms why take drugs if you know the dose you are taking isn’t sufficient to give you results?


Think I’m just picking apart the language? Think I’m just being mean because I personally don’t like the idea of bridging? Ever hear of Medical HRT? Well you should because it’s what each and every one of you who employ a bridge is doing to yourselves! HRT…..hormone REPLACMENT therapy is used in clinical medicine to replace and or normalize ambient hormone levels in patients with malfunctioning endocrine systems.


Please take a moment to re-read the last sentence. The goal of using AAS is to improve sports performance, not to normalize your ambient hormone levels! When bridging, you are REPLACING your natural production with a low dose synthetic! How could that possibly be of benefit to your athletic goals? You are simply making yourself more dependent on the exdrogenous drug and therefore not allowing your body to even try and resume any semblance of normalcy!


The concept isn’t the issue I’m arguing against, it’s the means. I believe the idea of “bridging” from one cycle of AAS to the next is indispensible in the pursuit of athletic performance and development (and retention) of muscular gains. If you believe for whatever reason your AAS therapy has run its course, then more AAS couldn’t possibly be the answer you are looking for.


How then might one “bridge” without implementing more AAS you ask? 21st century athletes have more sports performance compounds available to them than ever before. The key is to look to schemes and strategies that do not involve the AAS pathway. A myriad of non androgenic enhancement avenues exist to the savvy athlete, HGH, IGF-1LR3, clenbuterol……..ect.


I must refrain from elaborating more on the specifics of “how to” because it is after all information I get paid for. Just remember when you want or need to be “off” take the idea to heart and stop taking AAS! Think about your arsenal of ancillary drugs and schemes. The keys to “bridging” success is implementing a scheme that allows you to keep your bodyweight and strength “up” as much as possible while giving your physiology time to recover from the previous scheme.


B."EvilGenius"Chavezwww.EvilGSP.com

Waxy Maize

This is a reprint of a piece I published on the EvilGSP.com website some time ago. Im continually asked questions that are answered here, so i thought id put this up as a "quick reference" for those that are interested.

Waxy Maize

Waxy Maize, a genetically drifted (mutated) variety of normal dent corn was first identified in China in 1909. The endosperm of waxy maize was found to contain only amylopectin and no amylose in opposition to normal dent maize varieties that contain both. The starch Amylopectin is heavily used in food products, in the textile, adhesive, corrugating and paper industry.

Commercially prepared Waxy Maize products are nothing more than corn starch from a distinct variety of maize that only bears amylopectin as its storage carbohydrate.

Amylopectin is a highly branched polymer of glucose found in plants. It is one of the two components of “normal” starch, the other being amylose. Amylopectin is soluble and highly stable in water. Starch is made of about 70% amylopectin by weight. Amylopectin is highly branched, being formed of 2,000 to 200,000 glucose units. Its counterpart in animals is glycogen which has the same composition and structure, but with more extensive branching that occurs every 8 to 12 glucose units.

With a relatively rapid transport and early digestion AP (amylopectin) becomes available as plasma blood sugar more quickly than most other “starch” sources. Despite its rapid onset and large molecular structure AP consistently shows a moderate to high glycemic index rating on most charts.

History of Waxy Maize

The first mentions of Waxy Maize were found in the archives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1908, the Rev. J. M. W. Farnham, a Presbyterian missionary in Shanghai, sent a sample of seeds to the U.S. Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction. A note with the seeds called it: “A peculiar kind of corn. These seeds were planted on May 9, 1908, near Washington, D.C., by a botanist named G.N. Collins. He was able to grow 53 plants to maturity and made a thorough characterization of these plants, including photographs, which were published in a USDA bulletin issued in December 1909.

In 1922, another researcher, P. Weatherwax of Indiana University in Bloomington, reported that the starch in waxy maize was entirely of a “rare” form called “erythrodextrin”, known today as amylopectin. He found that this rare starch stained red with iodine, in contrast to normal starch which stained blue. Bates, French et al. and Sprague, Brimhall, et al. confirmed that endosperm starch of waxy maize consists nearly exclusively of amylopectin.

Biology

Experiments have shown that ten to twenty plants are required for adequate representation of genetic diversity in an open-pollinated maize variety. Since the number of ears saved for seed by ancient Asian maize cultivators with only small plots of land at their disposal was often smaller than this and, indeed, since new maize populations are sometimes established by growing the progeny of a single ear, it follows that there must often have been a high potential for genetic drift (changes in gene frequencies resulting from the creation of small breeding populations).

Genetics

A single recessive gene (wx), located on the short arm of chromosome 9, codes for the waxy endosperm of the kernel (Wx codes for endosperm with normal starch). This was first shown by Collins and Kempton.

Characterization with iodine

Amylose and amylopectin have different iodine binding-properties, with maize amylose and amylopectin giving iodine affinity (IA) values of about 19 to 20 and 1%, respectively, depending upon the source. The amount of apparent amylose can be determined either by measuring the absorbency of the starch-iodine complex (blue-value) and relating this value to that of pure amylose and amylopectin standards or by measuring the amount of iodine (mg) bound per 100 mg of starch in a potentiometric titration and relating the value to the amount bound by an amylose standard. Values used on the iodine binding, however, are only estimates of amylose content because of differences in the binding abilities (and structure) of amylose and amylopectin among starch types.

Biochemistry

Normal dent maize has two different pathways for starch formation: one leading to branched chain (amylopectin) and the other to straight-chain polysaccharides (amylose). The amylopectin consists of chain of α-D-(1-4) and α-D-(1-6)-glucosidic linkages that form a branched molecule. Amylose is primarily linear with α-D-(1-4)-linked glucose residues.

Agronomic features

Growing maize with pure amylopectin starch is not easy. The waxy gene being recessive, the waxy maize has to be isolated from any nearby normal maize field by at least 200 meters.

Amylopectin: industrial uses

Starch is the reserve carbohydrate in the plant kingdom. Although starch occurs throughout the plant world, there are only a few plants used to produce it commercially, and maize is the major source of starch produced world-wide. At the second range comes potato, then wheat and to a lesser extent rice. Maize starch was first produced in the U.S. in 1844 at the plant owned by William Colgate.

The amylopectin yield of the kernel ranges from 58.5 to 69% (of dry solid mass). Wet-milling waxy maize results in starch yields that are only 90% of those of dent maize. The wx starch is relatively easy to gelatinize and produces a clear viscous paste with a sticky or tacky surface, rather than one with sharp edges. This paste resembles pastes of root or tuber starches, such as potato or tapioca. Most starches in their native or unmodified form have limited use in various industries. Therefore, most starches including waxy maize starch are modified either to improve or repress their inherent properties as may be required for special use applications. Many types of modified waxy starches have a multitude of applications in the paper, textile, corrugating, and adhesive industries in addition to an enormous array of application in the food industry.

Food products

Modified waxy maize starches serve essential functions in foods, including the improvement of uniformity, stability, and texture in various food products. The clarity and stability of amylopectin starch make it especially suitable for thickening fruit pies. It improves smoothness and creaminess of canned food and dairy products as well as freeze-thaw stability of frozen foods. It gives a more desirable texture and appearance to dry foods and mixes. Waxy maize starch is also the preferred starting material for the production of maltodextrins because of improved water solubility after drying and greater solution stability and clarity. As of recent, the dietary supplement industry has seen an increase in the usage of Swedish Waxy Maize Starch. WM starch does have a moderate to slow Glycemic index; however, it is its unique osmolity that allows it to pass through the digestive system relatively quickly.

Livestock, dairy and poultry feeding

The feeding of waxy maize began in the 1940s. Beginning with a research report in 1944, waxy maize seemed to have the potential to increase feed conversion efficiencies. Manyother feeding trials involving swine, beef and dairy cattle, lambs and poultry were designed to compare the feeding value of waxy to normal dent grain. Generally, the trials indicated an advantage for feeding waxy grain. Seldom have the investigations shown any negative or adverse effects from feeding waxy grains. Increases of both milk production and butterfat content are not uncommon when waxy maize is fed to lactating dairy cattle. Increases of more than 20% in average daily weight gains in fattening lambs were observed when waxy grain was compared with normal dent. In addition, a 14% increase in feed efficiency was noted in favor of waxy grain. Likewise an increase in feed efficiency approaching 10% was obtained in trials where waxy grain was compared with the dent counterparts when fed to finishing beef cattle.

Conclusion

Waxy Maize is a great source of Amylopectin! What value a high molecular weight high GI starch is to body composition is a lot less certain! Sucrose and Dextrose have a dollar cost in the range of ten percent of commercial WM products and offer equal (or similar) Kcal/g and GI profiles. Amylopectin (WM) could have applications under extremely controlled conditions like pre-contest carb-up. Off season carb sources are vast and relatively low in cost making WM a hard sell in my view.

B.”EvilGenius”Chavez                                                                                                                                              EvilGenius Sports Performance
www.EvilGSP.com

EvilGSP Book Review!

The Black Prince: My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle

As always with memoir, it's a question of, is this person’s life worth writing about? In Robby’s case, the answer is, unequivocally, yes! His experiences are unique. No one else lived this story. I think this is precisely the right book Robby should have written. It’s as if he’s distilled every question that he’s been asked through the years, about his training, his life, and organized it perfectly in 200 pages. I learned a lot about the sport and all of the anecdotes, stories from his life are fascinating. The combination of teaching, tell-all and voice (his sense of determination and bravado are pitch-perfect: exactly right for the sport) make this a great read.

Linda Davis, writer and editor
PRINTED VERSION: $14.95E-
BOOK VERSION: $9.95

When I heard Robby had written a book on his life in bodybuilding I immediately put it on my must read list! I have met and talked with Robby many times and he has never failed to impress with his knowledge, experience and honesty!

As I expected Muscle vs Hustle is a MUST READ for any bodybuilding enthusiast! Robby's life in body building borders on the unbelievable!

B."EvilGenius"Chavez

www.EvilGSP.com