The Effect of High and Low Glycemic Index Menu on the Endurance
Performance of Football Player
Wilda Welis, Khairuddin Khairuddin and Elsa Yuniarti
Universitas Negeri Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia
Keywords: Endurance performance, glycemic index.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of high and low glycemic index menu on the endurance
performance of football player.The subject was 16 players divided into two group; 8 players on high glycemic
index (High GI =85) and 8 players on low glycemic index (Low GI =37) group. High glycemic group foods
included Mekongga rice, roasted chicken, carrots, watermelon while low IG group foods were Cisokan rice,
roasted chicken, beans and mango. The amount of energy was 1000 kcal for the lunch. The endurance
performance variable was measured using a multi-stage test. The effect of high and low glycemic index menu
on endurance performance of football player was analyzed using independent t test. The results shows that
the average VO
2max
score of low GI group was 44.2 + 3.5 ml / kg/min. The highest VO
2max
score was 47.4 ml
/ kg/min and the lowest VO
2max
score was 36.4 ml / kg/min. In the high GI group, the average VO2max score
was 43.7 + 7.8 ml / kg/min. The highest VO
2max
score was 51.9 ml /kg/min and the lowest score was 27.6 ml
/kg/min. The result shows that the low GI group had higher endurance performance than the high GI group.
The conclusions of this study indicate that the endurance performance was better in the low GI group than in
the high GI group. There was no effect of low glycemic index and high glycemic index on endurance
performance of football player (p>0.05).
1 INTRODUCTION
The increasing of sports achievement in Indonesia is
still not optimal because of various factors that affect
the achievements. Physical and health factors are
important and significant in improving the sports
achievements beside the technical and tactics factors.
In terms of health, the role of food intake is the
determinant of optimal energy metabolism. Well-
chosen foods will provide the nutrients needed for
normal body function. Conversely, if the food is not
selected properly, the body will experience
deficiencies of certain essential nutrients (Vorster et
al, 2009). One of the nutrients that plays an important
role in the provision of energy during sports activities
is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main
nutrient-supplying substances in a variety of physical
activities including exercise, because carbohydrates
can soon be used as a function of muscle movement,
brain function, liver function, red blood cells. The use
of carbohydrates increases along with the increasing
of exercise intensity. The decrease in carbohydrate
deposits is closely related to the appearance of muscle
fatigue, due to the decrease of pyruvate levels to
trigger the Krebs cycle to produce ATP (Powers and
Howley, 1997). During this time athletes have been
advised to consume foods which are high in
carbohydrates before having a game or practice, but
the fact shows that the endurance ability of athletes to
complete the game is still not optimal. Foods rich in
carbohydrates are recommended for athletes who
exercise in physical endurance (Sukmaniah &
Prastowo, 1992). However, high carbohydrate
feeding before exercise can lead to metabolic effects
of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia that are less
favorable for performance before exercising
(Jeukendrup & Michael, 2004).
Based on its response to blood glucose in the
body, carbohydrates are distinguished by the value of
the glycemic index constant ie high, medium and low
glycemic index.The glycemic index is a functional
tool used to categorize carbohydrates based on blood
glucose and insulin response to known foods.
Carbohydrates are generally categorized into low GI
carbohydrates (<55), medium (56-70) or high (70-
100) carbohydrates. Low GI carbohydrates produce a
slow and gradual rise in plasma glucose and insulin
Welis, W., Khairuddin, K. and Yuniarti, E.
The Effect of High and Low Glycemic Index Menu on the Endurance Performance of Football Player.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sports Science, Health and Physical Education (ICSSHPE 2017) - Volume 1, pages 263-266
ISBN: 978-989-758-317-9
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
263

while high GI carbohydrates result in rapid elevation
of glucose and insulin concentrations at peak values,
before returning relatively quickly (Jeukendrup et al.,
2010).
Foods with high glycemic index values resulted in
higher blood glucose and insulin responses than those
with low glycemic index values. Foods with different
glycemic indexes are oxidized and absorbed at
different speeds so it has different effects on blood
glucose and insulin. Consuming carbohydrates
before, during, and after the game is currently and
commonly used as a way to improve athlete
performance, but the role of carbohydrates with high
glycemic index and low glycemic index in sports
nutrition is debatable (Djuned, 2014).
A review by Donaldson et al. (2010) who
concludes some results of several studies has
suggested that eating a high carbohydrate diet with a
low glycemic index prior to exercise is more
favorable and shows better metabolic profiles, but
only a few studies suggested an effect on performance
improvement. No studies have reported the negative
effects of eating high carbohydrate foods with a high
glycemic index before exercise on endurance
performance. Only high glycemic index foods
consumed prior to exercise appear to cause blood
glucose levels to drop dramatically 15-30 minutes
before exercise, but are stable again after 60 minutes
of exercise and do not cause hypoglycemic symptoms
(Wright 2005). The effects of low glycemic index
foods consumed prior to exercise on metabolism and
exercise performance are the lower blood glucose and
insulin levels, lower plasma FFA pressures, higher
lipid oxidation rates and lower carbohydrate
oxidation resulting in greater savings and availability
of glucose sources during practice (Mondazzi &
Arcelli 2009). Wu and Williams (2006) studied the
effect of low GI and high GI mixtures given in 3 hours
before running at 70% VO
2max
to fatigue, performed
by 8 runners athletes. The results of Wu and Williams
(2006) study was the fat oxidation and endurance
capacity were higher after consuming low GI food.
Not much research has been done regarding the
utilization of the glycemic index and its role for
endurance. Therefore, a research needs to be done to
overcome the problems of nutritional intake and
athlete endurance in Indonesia. The purpose of this
study was to determine the effect of high and low
glycemic index foods on the endurance performance
of football athletes.
2 METHODS
The type of research was quasy experiment. The
subject was taken using purposive sampling. The
number of subjects in this study were as many as 16
people. The dependent variable in this study was
endurance performance. The independent variable
was food with high and low glycemic index. The data
collected are subject identity data, namely: age,
weight data with body scales, height data measured
with microtoice and hemoglobin. Then, the
endurance data was obtained by performing a multi
stage test method (bleep test). High glycemic index
foods (high GI = 85) consisted of roasted chicken,
Mekongga rice, carrots and watermelon given 3 hours
before the exercise and given in 1 time. Low glycemic
index foods (low GI = 37) consisted of Cisokan rice,
beans, grilled chicken and mango with 1000 kcal and
was given 3 hours before exercise. The effect of high
GI and low GI food intake on endurance performance
after feeding was tested with independent t-test.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The research subjects who are willing to complete the
series of research were as many as 16 people.
Subjects were then grouped into 2 groups: high GI
(HGI) group and low GI (LGI) group. Each group
consisted of 8 subjects.
Table 1: Subject Characteristic.
Charact
eristic
LGI
H GI
P
Max
Min
Mean
+sd
Max
Min
Mean+sd
Height
(cm)
179
161
168.1
+5.6
181
159
173.6+6.6
0.09*
Hb
(g/dL)
18.5
14.2
16.5
+1.4
17.8
14.7
16.3+1.0
0.40*
Weight
(kg)
71
50
60.4
+7.8
90
55
69.3+10.8
0.08*
*independent t-test has no significant difference
(p>0.05)
Based on Table 1, the mean of weight and height
of both groups were not significantly different
between HGI group and LGI group (p> 0.05).
Similarly, the mean hemoglobin levels of both groups
did not differ significantly (p> 0.05) too.
ICSSHPE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sports Science, Health and Physical Education
264

Table 2: VO
2max
Differences in HGI and LGI Groups.
VO
2max
(ml/kg/min)
LGI
HGI
P
Max
47.7
50.8
0.75*
Min
36.8
28.0
Mean
44.32
43.35
SD
3.39
7.21
*independent t-test has no significant difference
(p>0.05)
Table 2 shows that the mean VO
2max
of high GI
group was 43.35 + 7.21 ml / kg / min, with the highest
score was 50.80 ml / kg / min. In the low GI group the
mean value of VO
2max
was 44.32 + 3.39 ml / kg / min,
with the highest score was 47.70 ml / kg / min and the
lowest value was 36.80 ml / kg / min. According to
the Depkes (2000), the average of VO
2max
on high GI
group (43.35 ml / kg / min) and low GI group (44.32
ml / kg / min) were good. There was a tendency that
the endurance performance of football player who
were given low GI food is higher than high GI food.
Although statistical analysis results showed no
significant difference in endurance performance
between low GI group and high GI group. The results
of this study were in line with research conducted by
Chen et al. (2008) who found that there was no
significant difference in the performance of a 10 km
run in both subjects of low and high GI groups.
Febbraio et al. (2000) explains that research on 8
athletes supplied by muesli (low GI), instant potato
(high GI), jelly (control) with carbohydrate 1 gram
per kg body weight. Subjects cycled at 70% VO
2max
for 120 minutes, followed by 30 minutes at maximal
work. Febbraio et al. (2000) concluded that there was
no difference in endurance performance between the
treatment of high GI food groups and low GI food
groups.
Endurance can be interpreted with the ability of
the body to overcome the fatigue or the ability of the
body to do the loading as long as possible both static
and dynamic without decreasing the quality of work.
According to O'Reilly et al. (2010), they conclude
that low glycemic index foods have a beneficial
potency associated with exercise performance and
substrate use compared to high glycemic index foods.
However, if this nutritional strategy of the glycemic
index is used in mixed food, there is no clarity of
benefits for athletes either on performance or on
exercise capacity. In subjects who consume low GI
foods, the glucose will be released slowly when
compared to those eating high GI foods. Thus the
amount of blood glucose will be relatively stable
when they are compared to those who eat high GI
foods. At high GI, the blood glucose will increase
drastically and then quickly return down to basal
conditions. Low GI foods are digested more slowly
so that the storage process will also slow. It will be
beneficial for the athletes because glucose will be
available until the end of sport activities. Burke et al.
(1998) and Cocate et al. (2011) states that glucose
oxidation rate is higher after consuming high GI
foods.
4 CONCLUSION
From the results of this study, it can be concluded that
the endurance of low GI group is better than the high
GI group. There was no difference in endurance
performance between low GI groups and high GI
groups.
REFERENCES
Burke LM, Collier GR, Hargreaves M. 1998. Glycemic
index-a new tool in sport nutrition? International
Journal of Sport Nutrition 8:401-415.
Chen YJ, Wong SH, Wong CK, Lam CW, Huang YJ, Siu
PM. 2008. Effect of preexercise meals with different
glycemic indices and loads on metabolic.
Cocate PG, Pereira L, Marins JCB, Ceco PR, Bressan J,
Alfenas RCG. 2011. Metabolic responses to high
glycemic index and low glycemic index meals: a
controlled crossover clinical trial. Nutrition Journal
10:1.
Donaldson CM, Perry TL, Rose MC. 2010. Glycemic
index and endurance performance. Int. J. Sport Nutr.
Exerc. Metab 20:154-165.
Departemen Kesehatan RI. 2000. Pedoman Pelatihan IGzi
Olahraga untuk Prestasi. Direktorat Jenderal
Kesehatan Masyarakat. Jakarta: Direktorat IGzi
Masyarakat.
Febbraio MA, Keenan J, Angus DJ, Campbell SE, Garnham
AP. 2000. Preexercise carbohydrate ingestion, glucose
kinetics, and muscle glycogen use: effect of the
glycemic index. J App Physiol 89: 1845–1851.
Jeukendrup A, Gleeson M. 2004. Sport Nutrition An
Introduction to Energy Production and Performance.
New Zealand: Human Kinetic.
Jeukendrup AE, Killer SC. 2010.The Myths Surrounding
Pre-Exercise Carbohydrate Feeding. Ann Nutr Metab;
57 (suppl 2): 18–25. DOI: 10.1159/000322698.
Mondazzi L, Arcelli E. 2009. Glycemic Index in Sport
Nutrition. Journal of the American College of Nutrition
28:455S-463S.
O’Reilly J, Wong SHS, Chen Y. 2010. Glycemic index
and glycemic load in exercise. Sports Med 40:1-30.
Powers SK, Jackson MJ. 1997. Exercise-induced oxidative
stress: cellular mechanisms and impact on muscle force
production. Physiol Rev 88:1243-1276.
The Effect of High and Low Glycemic Index Menu on the Endurance Performance of Football Player
265

Vorster HH, 2009. Introduction to Human Nutrition: A
Global Perspective on Food and Nutrition. In: Gibney
MJ, Lanham-New SA, Casidy A, Vorster HH, eds.
Introductin to Human Nutritition, 2
nd
ed. Wiley-
Blackwell.
Wright, HH. 2005. The glycaemic index and sports
nutrition. South Africa J Clin Nutr 18:222-228.
Wu CL, Williams C. 2006. A low glycemic index meal
before exercise improves endurance running capacity in
men. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab 16:510-527.
ICSSHPE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sports Science, Health and Physical Education
266