What is Sugar Metabolism?

What is Sugar Metabolism?

Under normal circumstances, the human body's primary source of daily energy supply comes from sugars. In comparison to fats and proteins, sugars require relatively less oxygen during energy metabolism. Thus, sugars can be considered the most "efficient" energy substrate for the human body.

When students engage in physical training, they expend a substantial amount of energy. Consequently, judiciously replenishing sugars before and during training can significantly enhance the effectiveness of their training. Insights from relevant research indicate a close connection between variations in blood sugar levels and the timing of pre-training sugar consumption. As a result, sugar supplementation should be timely and moderate, as different timing choices yield distinct effects on training outcomes. Generally, the optimal period for sugar supplementation is about half an hour or two hours before training, enabling direct transport of sugars to muscle tissues through the bloodstream. During the commencement of physical training, muscle and liver glycogen are mobilized to meet the demand for blood sugar, maintaining elevated blood sugar levels. Throughout the training session, it is advisable to consume low-concentration sugar-containing beverages every half hour. This recommendation is rooted in the fact that low-concentration beverages enhance osmotic absorption, and the stomach can only empty a limited amount of liquid within a short span. High-concentration beverages, in contrast, would prolong gastric emptying time, adversely affecting both training performance and sugar absorption.

Furthermore, physical training does exert an impact on blood sugar levels. In a state of rest, blood sugar levels among healthy individuals remain relatively consistent. However, individuals participating in training experience varying trends in blood sugar levels due to differences in exercise type and intensity. This phenomenon is primarily manifested in two aspects: firstly, under conditions of high training intensity and shorter duration, heightened neural excitability triggers the breakdown of liver glycogen, though glucose consumption remains limited. Consequently, blood sugar levels exhibit an upward trend. On the other hand, when training involves prolonged high intensity, glucose consumption exceeds the rate of glycogen conversion, leading to a decline in blood sugar levels.