Low Blood Sugar Causes Mental Fatigue During Competition - Triathlon Week

sfricks · 11-24-2007, 03:36 PM

Athletes can expect to feel fatigued when their blood sugar levels drop. Researchers at Loughborough University, UK showed that athletes who did not take sugar during soccer competition lasting 90 minutes felt more tired, had less competitive desire, and had far lower blood sugar levels than athletes who took a sugared drink every 15 minutes during their game (Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, October 2007).
Your brain gets more than 98 percent of its energy from sugar in the bloodstream. However there is only enough sugar in the bloodstream to last about three minutes. The liver must constantly release sugar into the bloodstream, but there is only enough sugar in the liver to last eight hours during rest and far less than that during exercise. So athletes who do not take a source of sugar during events lasting more than an hour can suffer the psychological effects of low blood sugar levels what include a mental feeling of fatigue and lowered competitive desire.
In another study, researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada showed that taking sugar 30 minutes after starting to cycle and every 15 minutes afterwards increases strength, speed and endurance when exercising fairly intensely at 60 percent of maximal oxygen uptake (Journal of Applied Physiology, July 2007). Muscles burn carbohydrates, fats, and protein for energy. Carbohydrates (sugars) require the least amount of oxygen for conversion to energy, which allows you to move faster with less effort. Athletes use sugared drinks, power bars or candy bars, concentrated sugared gels, cookies and almost any other source of carbohydrates during prolonged
competition. It is possible to take in too much sugar and get a
high rise in blood sugar if you are not exercising intensely, but this is rarely a concern for competing athletes. Competition takes great concentration, and eating and drinking are distractions that most athletes limit as much as possible..

pyschosyd · 11-24-2007, 05:07 PM

Nice article scott.

I am doing a coaching course right now with a buddy of yours. Tara Norton. Apparently you put her up when she comes down to race!

Super fast and cool chick. Can't believe what she has been through.

cheers
Syd

sfricks · 11-25-2007, 03:45 PM

Thanks Syd. Congrats on an amazing IMFL.

Yes, we L_O_V_E our Tara girl. She's amazing in many ways. Perhaps one day I'll do Lanzarote with her.

I believe she's doing St Croix again in '08. Karen G fro Scotland is supposed to come back and we'll have a little reunion. Why don't you try and get down for the St Croix 70.3?

pyschosyd · 11-26-2007, 12:33 PM

Would love too. she was trying to talk me into Lanzarotte and St.Croix too. not in the budget though. I also need most of my races to fall during our summer so I don't have to book off of work.

Would be awesome though. I would love to give the beast a shot!

sfricks · 11-27-2007, 12:50 PM

Had my best Beast Ride ever on Sunday. Legs for miles! (for a change :))

This race needs to be on your Christmas list. There are worse places to punish your body.