SODA not so POP!

I was recently in line at a breakfast/coffee shop and I overheard a conversation of a young woman and her friend talking about losing weight. Both girls were probably in college and they were not quite obese but they were definitely overweight and showing an excess of adipose tissue around the

midsection, face and butt. The one woman turned to her friend and said that she really need to stop drinking soda and that her friend stopped drinking soda and she has lost a lot of weight. I didn’t think much of it but later as I sat down drinking my coffee as I watched her walk out with a big cup full of soda (could have been diet soda I’m not sure but I’ll have already covered that here) and I wondered “does she not really know that soda consumption is a major influencer of adipose fat storage?” I almost stopped to ask her but I felt that would be rude. In the next few paragraphs I would like to show you why soda and sugary drink consumption can lead to overweight and obesity problems.

 

So what is in Soda?

This is a great question but let’s look at what is really in soda. We all know there is sugar in there but what else and why is the sugar inside sodas bad for you? Most sodas contain Water, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Carbonation, Caffeine, Sodium, Potassium, Food Coloring and Preservatives.  In other words Soda contains Sugar or Super Sugar, and chemicals your body can not use.  In fact most sodas have so much sugar in them that they should make you throw up, but because of the phosphoric acid they do not.

“Basically just don’t drink soda”

Rapid Blood Sugar Spike

Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) are the main culprit in weight gain associated with soda consumption, In a 12 ounce serving of soda it is common to get 44g of sugar in a serving, 3 or 4 times the recommended daily allowance. So what, big deal, that is only 175 calories. The problem here is what happens to your blood sugar once you drink that soda. After consumption in 30-45min your blood sugar will spike well above the normal range. When you have a blood sugar spike this signals cells in your pancreas to increase insulin production. That rapid insulin increase signals cells to uptake glucose into your cells. When insulin levels are high your body knows that you have just eaten food, signaling your body into storing these excessive amount of sugars into fat. After a short amount of time all the glucose has been absorbed into your your cells rapidly causing your blood sugar to fall over the course of about 1 hour total. This spike and fall of blood sugar is a stress on your body, encouraging your body to hold onto body fat, store body fat and burn glycogen at rest rather than using stored fat as energy. This sort of loop is what can cause weight gain specifically around the midsection.  This storage of fat and burn of carbohydrates effect can last several hours. After a rapid insulin spike, fat oxidation stops and fat storage begins. Compound this by several sodas a day over several months or years of the same behavior and all of the sudden that muffin top has become a full on spare tire.

Cane Sugar VS HFCS

Table Sugar, cane sugar or beet sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup are not the same thing, not all sugars are created equal.  Let’s look at table sugar and cane sugar. Cane sugar and table sugar both are a blend of 2 types of “Sugars” about 50% Glucose and 50% Fructose bonded together. On the glycemic index from 0 to 100 cane sugar and table sugar (Sucrose) both are about a 50 out of 100.  Conversely HFCS is a super sugar created by the use of a few enzymes in a lab that is still a blend of Glucose and Fructose but will behave differently when consumed in the human body. According the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Americans have consumed 1000% more HFCS between 1970 and 1990.  Furthermore when we consume HFCS we still have a large insulin response from the glucose but we also have a relatively large amount of fructose being metabolized in the liver. Recent studies have shown that large amounts of fructose metabolized in the liver leads to lipogenisis, or fat storage. HFCS can range from 55% Fructose and 45% Glucose to 90% Fructose and 20% Glucose. What does all this mean?  Both Sugar and HFCS in large doses from soda or sugary drinks have negative impacts on weight gain and there is a strong correlation between the introduction of HFCS and obesity in modern diets.

 

Why do sodas contain HFCS?

Many food manufactures use HFCS because it is inexpensive to produce, will last a long time on the shelf and is a very stable food additive.  A simple rule of thumb is to read food labels and limit the foods you buy that contain HFCS. At first this will be a chore because there are a lot of foods that contain HFCS but you need to remember that your health is an investment in your future and you should invest wisely.

To Sum it all up

1.   Drinking Sodas with or without meals is a major contributing factor in weight gain
2.  Rapid blood sugar spike and crash will cause your body to store body fat rather than burn body fat
3.  Rapid blood sugar spike and crash is a systemic stress on your body with poor health consequences
4.  Avoid foods that are high on the glycemic index
5.  Limit your soda or sugary beverage intake to a minimum

Food for thought

"The food we consume is not a breakdown of nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats but a beautiful symphony of infinite complexity working in perfect harmony to nourish our bodies"

Food Timing

One of the most often misunderstood concepts in training for an endurance event or sport is Food Timing. Knowing when, what, and how much you should eat before training or racing is just as important as knowing what your workout for the day is. Eating too much, too little or the wrong things before training or racing can sabotage your performance dramatically. Furthermore overhydrating before training or racing can also hinder your performance. This is a complex concept to understand but I have created a few rules to follow that can help guide you through this.

The first and most obvious thing you need to know is what time are you will be performing, if it is early in the morning the amount of food and the type of food you eat will be different than if the event is mid-morning or later in the day. Most triathlons start at about 7am so it is not likely that you will wake up and eat a complex meal at 4am however some people may choose to do so. It is likely that you will be scrambling for time and eating at 5:30 on your way to the race. These differences will impact what you eat.

Pre Rule #1: The Night Before

Most of us train and race in the morning so fueling up properly the night before is a good idea. If you know what glycogen is, then you know that it is fuel for muscles, that it is stored mostly in the liver and that some glycogen is stored in muscle tissue. Having an adequate meal the night before will make sure that glycogen stores are topped off. Remember you have about 1800 calories worth of glycogen stored up to help get you through training or racing.  However going to an all you can eat pasta buffet will not help your race day performance. Aim for 800-1200 calories consisting of a moderate amount of protein 10-15g, a small amount of healthy fats but mostly carbohydrates.  

As a reminder there is no need gorge yourself and “Carbo-Load” eat and drink (not beer) a normal amount the night before.

Rule #1

The longer you have before the race the more you can eat, the more complete the meal can consist of and the higher amounts of Protein and Fats relative to Carbohydrates. The ideal way is to break it down into chunks of time before an event. Like this

3-4hrs before

2 hrs before

1 hrs before

If you have 3-4 hours before the event you can afford to eat a more natural meal. The closer the time to the event comes the more simple the meal needs to become. 45min before training or racing you should only be consuming something simple like ½ a bagel and some sports drink 100-150cal/22oz of water.

Rule #2

How much should I eat? This is a relative term that you need to decide but I will give you a few loose suggestions for the given time windows.

3-4hrs before and event you can eat 500-1000 calories that should consist of lean protein, 10-20g, health fats and low fiber carbohydrates 150-300g. With a good amount of water, 24oz. There is a lot of wiggle room in this so I suggest practicing this and making some notes on what worked well and what did not.

2-3hrs before an event, this is probably the most often time to eat. You are going to want to cut way back on the protein and fat and consume mostly carbohydrates 100-150g with a low amount of fiber. Oatmeal, Bagel with a light amount of peanut butter, and make sure you stay hydrated but don’t over drink just a normal rate of drinking water.

1hr to go is game time, you are going to want to cut solid foods to a minimum, sports gels, sports drinks, gel blocks, are good choices but be cautions that you are not consuming more than 200 calories per hour and be sure to drink 12-24oz of water.

Rule #3

There is no magic rule when thinking of food timing, it is very individualized that is why there is so much wiggle room use these rules as guideline and pay attention to what has worked for you in the past and don’t change anything drastically race day morning. If you eat oatmeal every day before a big ride, then eat oatmeal before a race.

Sum it all up

Like I said in the beginning of this post Food Timing can be complicated, use these rules as a general guide and make notes of what works for you now and has worked in the past. (Share them with me here if you want)

As for race day if you are like most of us, it is pure chaos so the simpler you can make your nutrition plan the better.

Stay tuned for future updates