carb digestion

[Kim2884]

Ok, this is something i've been wondering about for a little while now. I know that it takes a few hours for food to be digested in the stomach, and I know that the majority of nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine. Many people use this fact to say that pre-workout carbs don't really do any good. That makes sense....but if this is the case, what's the point of post-workout carbs? By the time your body absorbs them, it's already a couple hours after your workout. I know this is why quick-absorbing carbs are usually eaten pwo, but nevertheless, these carbs still have to spend a good amount of time being digested in the stomach. They don't just pass right through. But then what about diabetics who are advised to drink OJ when they are hypoglycemic to bring blood glucose levels up quickly? There is no doubt that if you are hypoglycemic and you eat or drink something with carbs, you immediately feel better... so what's with the conflicting information? can carbs be absorbed in minutes? or do they take hours to be digested and absorbed? I hope someone with some educational background in this subject can answer this for me.

[daman1]

Ok, this is something i've been wondering about for a little while now. I know that it takes a few hours for food to be digested in the stomach, and I know that the majority of nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine. Many people use this fact to say that pre-workout carbs don't really do any good. That makes sense....but if this is the case, what's the point of post-workout carbs? By the time your body absorbs them, it's already a couple hours after your workout. I know this is why quick-absorbing carbs are usually eaten pwo, but nevertheless, these carbs still have to spend a good amount of time being digested in the stomach. They don't just pass right through. But then what about diabetics who are advised to drink OJ when they are hypoglycemic to bring blood glucose levels up quickly? There is no doubt that if you are hypoglycemic and you eat or drink something with carbs, you immediately feel better... so what's with the conflicting information? can carbs be absorbed in minutes? or do they take hours to be digested and absorbed? I hope someone with some educational background in this subject can answer this for me.

You basically answered your questions. Liquids are abosorbed a great deal faster than solid foods. Liquids that you take such as whey are absorbed in less than an hour. See when people talk about pre-workout carbs, the majority are talking about ingesting whole foods and liquid foods. As for getting in depth, I can, if need be. As for diabetics, I cannot answer that question as I am not knowledgeable on the topic.

[papawood696]

You basically answered your questions. Liquids are abosorbed a great deal faster than solid foods. Liquids that you take such as whey are absorbed in less than an hour. See when people talk about pre-workout carbs, the majority are talking about ingesting whole foods and liquid foods. As for getting in depth, I can, if need be. As for diabetics, I cannot answer that question as I am not knowledgeable on the topic.

Just to add onto what Pat said, I would say your metabolism also plays a part in digestion of food. Some can digest something in 30 minutes while the next guy will take 2 hours.

[longhornDr]

Something like dextrose begins being absorbed within seconds...it needs no digestion. For it the rate-limiting step is gastric emptying which is determined by the osmolality of the shake you consumed.

[SwoleCat]

Yup....

and smart pwo eaters have a solid meal within the "3 hour or so" window after a weight training endeavor, to allow for those carbs/protein/nutrients to still reap the benefit of accelerated nutrient uptake.

~SC~

[Kim2884]

AHA...i found the answer i was looking for to this question...I happened to be reading a book on sports nutrition today and discovered that the stomach empties small amounts of digested food into the small intestine every 20 secs. So, although it takes 1-3 hrs. for ALL the food in the stomach to be digested, nutrients begin being absorbed very quickly...just a little at a time (depending on the content of the meal). Just thought I'd share incase anyone else was interested in knowing this.

[Brazy]

i've always wondered about the digestion thing to kim.. i've tried eating a pro/fat meal before a workout vs a protein/carb meal..

i really dont think its a mental issue, but time and time again i get more umph in my workout when i consume a carb/protein meal 1/5-2hrs before hand

[bigsd67]

i've always wondered about the digestion thing to kim.. i've tried eating a pro/fat meal before a workout vs a protein/carb meal..

i really dont think its a mental issue, but time and time again i get more umph in my workout when i consume a carb/protein meal 1/5-2hrs before hand

ill just say to do what works for you as long as it's not detrimental...for me though i can honestly say that i lift great with consuming protein/fat 1.5 - 2 hours before lifting...and my lifts are slowly getting better...who knows, which is why i advise to do what makes you happy....and STRONG!