The original Glycemic Index was created in the early 80`s by a team of scientists at the University of Toronto in Canada. An athlete is a person who complete or excels in physical exercise. The general recommendation that athletes should eat is high -GI foods before exercise may not be the complete hold for athletes who participate in events that required great endurance. Such athletes may also have the proper diet that contains low -GI. They can get this from dried beans, peas, fat-free yogurt, fruits bar, milk, fresh and dried fruit pasta made from durum wheat and low-fat ice cream.

Benefits of Glycemic Index for Athletes:

The complete diet of GI foods will be good for the athletes. Low -GI diet will be the best option for the athletes because the proper use of low-GI foods ensures that carbohydrates oxidation is much lower, while free fatty acid oxidation is much higher during exercise, which gives a sustained release of energy. During exercise carbohydrate intake improves performance, it decreases stress and avoid post-event respiratory infection. Generally athletes need 1 gm of carbohydrates per kg body weight while doing exercise. A 60 kg athletes should, therefore take 60-66 g of carbohydrates during intensive exercise. A low-GI food is the best source of taking carbohydrates by every athlete. Athletes must make sure that fructose can cause gastrointestinal symptoms and distress, which can give negative effect on the athlete's performance. Post- exercise and recovery period: Carbohydrates can play an important role in the post-exercise period when an athlete recovers from strenuous physical condition. The recover period can be divided into two parts Short-term and Long-term periods. In addition to carbohydrates, athletes can also enhance their protein intake during post-exercise to boost whole body protein synthesis.

Athletes can use the following nutritional guideline for planning their food and beverage intake around an event:
1) Pre-exercise - Carbohydrates with low-GI foods.
2) Immediately pre-exercise - have a high-GI drink and snack (this is not for those athletes who participate in ultra-endurance exercise).
3) During exercise - Use high-GI drinks.
4) First 24-hours after - Use high-GI foods, drinks and enhance protein intake.
5) Post exercise - Back to carbohydrates loading with low-GI foods.

Athletes should take the proper intake of carbohydrates as well as low-GI and high-GI foods.