THE THREE GS
… Glucose, Glycogen, Glucagon
TRUE or FALSE …
For every gram of glycogen you store (stored form of carbohydrates), you store 3 grams of water along with it.
Read below to find out!
GLUCOSE
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar found in our blood. Glucose comes from the types of carbohydrates we consume and it's our body's main source of energy. Our blood carries this glucose to all of our body's cells to use later for energy. Insulin is what helps this glucose get into our cells.
Our body's naturally monitor and regulate the levels of glucose in our blood (provided that we don't have diabetes). When glucose rises after we eat, insulin is then released by the pancreas. The insulin then signals muscle, fat and liver cells in the body to absorb glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream to be used for energy. Think of insulin as the “key” that unlocks the doors of the cell so that glucose can enter and provide energy to the cells.
NOTE: Even your brain’s main source of fuel is glucose - it uses about 130g per day!
Without glucose (from the carbs you eat) your brain wouldn’t function optimally. Hence why you have brain fog, if you cut your carbohydrate intake too low.
After your body uses glucose for the energy it needs, the excess energy is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.
GLYCOGEN
Glycogen, as stated above, is the excess, stored glucose your body is holding onto for later energy use. It is mainly stored in the liver and muscles to provide quick energy if blood glucose levels decrease and there's too little sugar in the blood to pull from. When your body senses a decrease in blood glucose, our pancreatic cells begin to produce glucagon to signal the body to break down glycogen back into glucose for energy use.
Ever go out for a big, indulgent, high carb meal? If so, it's likely, we're not immediately hitting the gym right after. As a result, your body stores the excess carbs as glycogen until you’re ready to use it. However, for each gram of glycogen that we store, we store 3g of water along with it. This means, when we store more glycogen in the body, we store more water in the body as well. This is often why we see the scale go up after a carb heavy day. But, don't let water weight confuse you with body fat. The scale will come down again in a day or two.
It is not fat! Just water.
GLUCAGON
As stated above, glucagon is released to stop blood sugar levels from dropping too low (hypoglycemia), while insulin is released to stop blood sugar levels from getting too high (hyperglycemia).
Because glucagon’s role in the body is to prevent blood glucose levels from dropping too low, it has to act on the liver in several different ways:
1) Glucagon will stimulate the conversion of stored glycogen (stored in the liver) to glucose, which can be released into the bloodstream. This process is called glycogenolysis.
2) Glucagon also promotes the production of glucose from amino acid molecules. This process is called gluconeogenesis.
3) Additionally, glucagon reduces glucose consumption by the liver so that as much glucose as possible can get released into the bloodstream to maintain blood glucose levels.
And that my friends, is the low down on glycogen, glucagon, and glucose!
Don't fear those carbs, fam! We need 'em!
With “GGG”ood vibes - Coach Alex