Sugar to replace Glucose

**British Bulldog** · 01-13-2004, 09:18 AM

I have a simple question regarding post-workout nutrition. Will sugar have the same affect as glucose? Both are highly glycemic simple carbs. So is there any reason why sugar is not as efficient as glucose in providing an insulin spike?

**bigsd67** · 01-13-2004, 09:22 AM

i believe this question was raised and the answer was that sugar would convert to glucose obviously and therefore cause an insulin spike...one thing i do know the type of sugar counts for something because you want to restore muscle glycogen NOT liver glycogen...i know that fruits and juices restore the latter...im fairly sure that pure sugar would restore muscle glycogen.

**cb25** · 01-13-2004, 09:27 AM

Here's the difference - table sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide (fancy word for two sugars bound together) - it is a combination of one molecule glucose and one molecule fructose.

bigsd was right about fruits/juices replenishing liver glycogen - this is because they contain high levels of fructose.

so taking regular sugar is probably better than nothing because you're still getting some glucose. However, dextrose is a better choice for a couple reasons. First, as I understand, you'll get a higher GI (not a huge difference, but still...). Also, the extra fructose that you get from sugar will first replenish liver glycogen, then be stored as fat. With dextrose (glucose) you'll use all of it for muscle glycogen.

Like i said, sucrose is better than nothing...but dextrose is king.

**British Bulldog** · 01-13-2004, 10:49 AM

Thanks for the answers. For my post workout shake, i've been consuming 30g of whey, a banana, 30g of maltodextrin and 20g of sugar. Now I realise why glucose is superior to sugar. I'll have to get myself some glucose.

**SwoleCat** · 01-13-2004, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by cb25

Here's the difference - table sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide (fancy word for two sugars bound together) - it is a combination of one molecule glucose and one molecule fructose.

bigsd was right about fruits/juices replenishing liver glycogen - this is because they contain high levels of fructose.

so taking regular sugar is probably better than nothing because you're still getting some glucose. However, dextrose is a better choice for a couple reasons. First, as I understand, you'll get a higher GI (not a huge difference, but still...). Also, the extra fructose that you get from sugar will first replenish liver glycogen, then be stored as fat. With dextrose (glucose) you'll use all of it for muscle glycogen.

Like i said, sucrose is better than nothing...but dextrose is king.

G-Dayum!! Break it down bro..........karma!

~SC~

**ADAWG** · 01-13-2004, 09:32 PM

hey swole cat, do you ever go to the body building forum?

**ADAWG** · 01-13-2004, 09:35 PM

Are you looking at me? Im the only one in here so you must be lookin at me

**SwoleCat** · 01-14-2004, 09:03 AM

HUH???

~SC~

**cb25** · 01-14-2004, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

G-Dayum!! Break it down bro..........karma!

~SC~

i should know this ****...i only majored in it in undergrad...so I try to add the things that I know well...

the difficulty is having an ADA-certified education and translating it into bodybuilding nutritional advice...because, as I'm sure you know, if the ADA had their way, we'd all be eating 0.8g protein per KG of body weight, not 1-2g per lb...

but it's nice to hear it from swole...gotta admit.