Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load (explaination)

**B.E.N.** · 05-15-2008, 02:02 PM

I think I am confusing myself or reading too much into this. I've been reading Nark's posts and was wondering if someone (NARK????) can put the difference in meathead terms for me to understand.

If I am even halfway understanding this I think I should be more concerned with measuring the GL of foods than what the GI of the foods are.

Am I on the right track atleast.

(Noobs need not respond...just read the responses)

**MuscleScience** · 05-15-2008, 09:25 PM

Glycemic index is a rating on how fast a food raises your blood glucose. Glycemic load is the glycemic index multiplied by the amount of carbohydrates in the food you consume. (GI x # of carbs) Think of Glycemic Load as the actual amount of sugar that makes it out of the liver and effects your blood sugar. Remember that sugars after being absorbed by the GI tract tract are shuttled to the liver via the hepatic portal vein. Whatever sugar that makes it out of the liver is considered your glycemic load as a simplified explaination.

**xlxBigSexyxlx** · 05-15-2008, 10:51 PM

http://www.thebestofhealth.eu.com/gp.cfm?id=3

**MuscleScience** · 05-15-2008, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by xlxBigSexyxlx

http://www.thebestofhealth.eu.com/gp.cfm?id=3

That is a very good link I want to add about the fruit part. Fruit contains a sugar known as fructose. Fructose as it is ingested is soaked up by the liver and converted to fats at a much higher proportion than that of other monosaccarides such as glucose for example. That is why there is a descripency between its GI and GL. The liver will release the fatty acids made from the fructose or will store it in the liver as fat. What fructose that does make it out of the liver has a high affinity for fat cells. Fat cells seem to overly express fructose transporters (Glut 5) on their cell membrane, or have some other mechanism as to why fructose tends to be more absorbed in fat cells. I am not sure that there is a agreed upon answer at the moment.

**B.E.N.** · 05-16-2008, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by MuscleScience

That is a very good link I want to add about the fruit part. Fruit contains a sugar known as fructose. Fructose as it is ingested is soaked up by the liver and converted to fats at a much higher proportion than that of other monosaccarides such as glucose for example. That is why there is a descripency between its GI and GL. The liver will release the fatty acids made from the fructose or will store it in the liver as fat. What fructose that does make it out of the liver has a high affinity for fat cells. Fat cells seem to overly express fructose transporters (Glut 5) on their cell membrane, or have some other mechanism as to why fructose tends to be more absorbed in fat cells. I am not sure that there is a agreed upon answer at the moment.

Excellent info...thanks.

Would this be a fair statement then? Foods with high GI but with lower GL would be ideal for cutting or mantaining weight becuase the caloric expenditure would be higher to 'process' these foods but the net result is less. Like a carrot for example has a moderate GI but lower GL...

**ChuckLee** · 05-16-2008, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by MuscleScience

Glycemic index is a rating on how fast a food raises your blood glucose. Glycemic load is the glycemic index multiplied by the amount of carbohydrates in the food you consume. (GI x # of carbs) Think of Glycemic Load as the actual amount of sugar that makes it out of the liver and effects your blood sugar. Remember that sugars after being absorbed by the GI tract tract are shuttled to the liver via the hepatic portal vein. Whatever sugar that makes it out of the liver is considered your glycemic load as a simplified explaination.

Just WOW

**MuscleScience** · 05-16-2008, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by B.E.N.

Excellent info...thanks.

Would this be a fair statement then? Foods with high GI but with lower GL would be ideal for cutting or mantaining weight becuase the caloric expenditure would be higher to 'process' these foods but the net result is less. Like a carrot for example has a moderate GI but lower GL...

Well I guess that is a matter of philosophy to tell you the truth. Since the liver will process the sugars in different ways then it is really a difficult question to give you a definate answer to. Sugar in the liver will be processed in three ways.

The first is it will be used in as an energy source for the metabolic needs of the tissue.

The second is that it will be converted to glycogen and stored in the liver for release later when glucose levels are low which is stimulated by the hormone Glucagon.

The third is that it can be converted to fatty acids and released to the blood stream or stored in the liver as triacylglycerides.

As you can see its not a simple answer at all and there are different camps that will say that it will matter and some will say it doesnt. The GL doesnt take into account the amount of energy that is released as fat or say how much glycogen is going to be released at a later period of time.

Then again it can tell you how much of the energy is being absorbed by the liver in stored or self metabolic processes.

In other words I really don't know, because I can rational out any one of the positions pro or con that it will make a difference in your diet.