"Glyconutrient" is a term coined by a supplement company manufacturer and has no real scientific basis. It is a combination of "glyco," or sugar, and "nutrient," which is something that provides a fuel or required compound for your body. There are a variety of nutrients that can affect sport performance, and sugar is one of them. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
What Exactly Are Glyconutrients
Glyconutrients are sugar, nothing more, nothing less, or properly, saccharides. There is no evidence to support the idea that glyconutrients do anything more for athletic performance than any other form of saccharides. Some marketing departments have claimed that there are eight "essential" glyconutrients, but there is no independent, peer-reviewed research to support the claims of essential glyconutrients.
Sports Performance
Just as there is no evidence to support the use of glyconutrients, there is nothing stating that they will be harmful. There is no indication of the precise effect these products will have on your blood sugar, including a glycemic index evaluation. The glycemic index is a method of rating the effect a sugar has on your blood sugar levels approximately two to three hours after you eat it. A rating of one is very low, or little effect, and a rating of 100 will cause your blood sugar to spike, and then quickly plummet.
Post-Workout
Regardless of what type of sugar they may be, glyconutrients consumed immediately after a workout restore depleted muscle glycogen, or the sugar you burned while training. Sugar used immediately after a workout will be used by your muscles instead of being stored as fat. If you combine your glyconutrients with a quickly digesting protein such as whey, you can get an additional anabolic, or muscular growth, effect.
Warnings
Avoid using glyconutrients right before bed, as you will not burn the carbohydrates and they will more than likely be stored as fat. If you are going to use them any other time than post-workout, eat them with some other food to slow down the absorption and avoid any possible spike in your blood sugar. If you do not, you may cause your energy levels to quickly rise, then fall, which would make them terrible for sports performance; the last thing you want is a sugar crash in the middle of a game.
References
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load: Measurement Issues and Their Effect on Diet-disease Relationships. Brain Venn, et al.; Dec. 2007
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Dietary Supplements Affect the Anabolic Hormones After Weight-Training Exercise; Raymond M. Chandler, et. al.; Feb. 1994
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; The Effect of a Carbohydrate and Protein Supplement on Resistance Exercise Performance, Hormonal Response, and Muscle Damage; John J. Baty, et al.; May 2007
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