Use the glucose index--a measure of how carbs affect your blood sugar--to get the energy you need during a workout and enhance your training
As an endurance athlete, you already know how important carbohydrates are to performance. Carbs provide the fuel for your body as well as your brain-they are digested and turned into blood glucose to be used immediately, or stored in your muscles as glycogen for later use.

In recent years, there's been increased interest in exactly what kinds of carbs are best for your health. Diets like The South Beach Diet are based on cutting out high GI foods and relying on lower GI options to encourage weight loss.

But the GI can help competitive and recreational athletes as well. Read on for how eating the right GI foods can improve your workouts:

THE BASICS OF THE GI
"The GI is actually a chart or formula that's based on the effect of 50 grams of carbohydrates ... and how eating that 50 grams of carbohydrates affects your blood glucose levels," explains registered dietitian and American Dietetic spokesperson David W. Grotto, RD, LDN, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life.