Balanced energy for busy work days
Professionals in a modern career are always on the go, balancing various worlds with a pile of tasks on each side, aiming to satisfy all and perform well. Often there is little time to care for proper meals and healthy foods during busy work days. Feeling a constant lack of time and energy becomes a common phenomenon among those. With skipped meals, food on the go and quick sugary snacks in between, it can be a challenge to keep energy levels up and in balance all day. Fast energy boosts from sugary snacks and drinks are of short duration; the quick blood sugar spike is followed by a fast blood sugar crash, and cravings for next are likely to follow soon.
Isomaltulose is different from common “fast” sugars. As a slow release carbohydrate, it supplies the body with carbohydrate energy in a more balanced and sustained way, causing less ups and downs in blood sugar levels. Such lower blood sugar excursions over the day with isomaltulose-containing foods and meals have been demonstrated in continuous glucose monitoring studies by Henry et al (2017) and Kahlhöfer et al (2016). Hence, isomaltulose can help stabilize blood sugar spikes and maintain energy levels better during the work day.
Apart from benefits for metabolic regulation and health, balanced and sustained energy supply with isomaltulose can help to improve cognition and mood. This has been shown in studies by Young and Benton, who compared breakfast with isomaltulose in place of glucose or sucrose in cross-over design: Isomaltulose with its sustained energy supply maintained memory performance better over the morning and improved mood in adults (Benton et al 2014) or school-age children (Benton et al 2015).
Sustained energy for regular actives
Many professionals make regular physical activity part of their weekly schedule. Taking the running shoes early in the morning, going to the gym after working hours, or hiking or cycling for several hours during weekends with friend, family or alone are just some examples to compensate for long office hours and train the body for fitness and health, to stay lean and in shape, and to keep the mind fresh for the next tasks and challenges.
Those active people look for sustained energy to keep going during sports and busy work days, they aim for fitness and training effects, or for fat burning and body firming to look lean and sporty. In all cases, they do not need fast carbohydrates for their energy needs. Looking for foods and drinks that supply the energy continuously without high blood sugar rise and without suppressing fat burning would be the better choice instead. Isomaltulose is such a carbohydrate.
Studies have shown clear benefits when regular actives take their sports drink or snack with isomaltulose: Consuming a sport drink with isomaltulose instead of sugar before the physical activity allowed for a more steady glucose supply, with less insulin release, and higher fat burning rates, hence creating a metabolic profile that supports fitness and training effects.
After workout, a refreshment drink often comes as a reward. However, choosing a drink or snack with fast carbs after workout suppresses the fat burning metabolism of the previous endurance exercise. Where there is no need for a fast refill of glycogen stores, and workout aims to burn fat for fitness and body shape, isomaltulose can be the better choice for its low glycaemic properties, avoiding a high insulin release and therefore maintaining the fat burning metabolism.
References
Henry CJ, Kaur B, Quek RYC, Camps SG (2017) A Low Glycaemic Index Diet Incorporating Isomaltulose Is Associated with Lower Glycaemic Response and Variability, and Promotes Fat Oxidation in Asians. Nutrients 9(5). http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/5/473/htm
Kahlhöfer J, Karschin J, Silberhorn-Bühler H, Breusing N, Bosy-Westphal A, Kahlhofer J, Silberhorn-Buhler H (2016) Effect of low glycemic-sugar-sweetened beverages on glucose metabolism and macronutrient oxidation in healthy men. Int J Obes (Lond) 40(6):990–997. http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v40/n6/full/ijo201625a.html
Young H, Benton D (2014) The glycemic load of meals, cognition and mood in middle and older aged adults with differences in glucose tolerance: A randomized trial. e-SPEN 9(4):e147–e154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnme.2014.04.003
Young H, Benton D (2015) The effect of using isomaltulose (Palatinose™) to modulate the glycaemic properties of breakfast on the cognitive performance of children. Eur J Nutr 54(6):1013-1020. doi: 10.1007/s00394-014-0779-8