Energy on demand

摘要

Nowadays, sports drinks have to be true all-rounders. Of course they need to taste good but above all they are consumed to supply the right kind of energy in sufficient quantities. While it was formerly assumed that energy supply is determined solely by the calorific value of carbohydrates, interest today is focused on the composition of the carbohydrates and their different modes of action. One unit of measurement is the so-called "glycaemic index" (GI), which classifies carbohydrates according to their effect on blood sugar levels. The effect of glucose serves as reference and is assigned a GI value of 100.The underlying principle has become familiar. Since high glycemic sugars quickly enter the bloodstream they supply rapidly available energy, which is exhausted in a short time. As a result, the blood sugar level goes down, signalling a lack of energy to the body.