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The glycaemic index (GI)

When to eat carbohydrates

Just before, during and immediately after exercise, try to eat high and moderate GI foods to help stimulate glycogen synthesis.

Before: Remember to allow about two to three hours after a meal before exercising, to avoid stomach upset. Then five to 30 minutes prior to your workout have a 50g moderate- to high-GI carbohydrate snack such as toast, cornflakes or a currant bun. This will help you maintain your glucose levels so that you can train more efficiently. It is probably advisable to avoid the more bulky (fibre-rich) carbohydrates here, as these can cause abdominal discomfort. Try different snacks to find which ones suit you best.

During: If you exercise continuously for more than an hour, it is likely that you will need to consume carbohydrates during your workout to avoid fatigue. One of the best ways to achieve this is by drinking sports drinks, which provide water as well as sugar and therefore help hydration – see the section on fluids.

After: Most people don’t feel hungry immediately following exercise, so this is where sports drinks can be useful, as they are better tolerated and provide both carbohydrates and fluid - all helping speed up the recovery process.

In between: In between exercise sessions, try to include a mixture of low to moderate GI foods in your diet. Although be careful not to overload your bread, potatoes and pasta with lots of butter and cream as that would be a high-fat diet. Gram for gram fat has twice as many calories as carbohydrate so be careful!