Insulin is a hormone that causes us to store fat. By doing this it decreases our aerobic capacity and endurance. To be an endurance athlete, we need to keep our insulin levels down.

Different carbohydrates have a different effect on our insulin levels. To assess this we have two systems called a Glycemic Index and a Glycemic Load.

Rather than having to learn both systems, we have put together a colour coded chart that will make it easier for you to know what to eat and not to eat. At www.spinewise.com.au/performance (click on Carbohydrate Food Stages) we have created a carbohydrate table that colour codes the various foods for you.

The colour codes provide you with an easy to follow system of how various carbohydrates affect your insulin levels. The lowest effect comes from the foods in the Blue then Green, Yellow, Orange and finally the Red.

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Over years of working with various athletes from all forms of sport, we have found that endurance athletes function best when they stick to the Blue, Green and Yellow category carbohydrate foods and avoid Orange and Red category.

Indulging into the Orange and Red category foods is fine for no more than two meals a week. The exception to this list is sports drinks. Despite being in the Red section, these are ok to consume but ONLY after 45 minutes of exercise.

We’ll get into that with hydration a little later down the track.

Week 8 Program