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The Glucose Revolution, Pocket Guide to Sports Nutrition, is the book to read about nutrition and endurance backpacking. This guide offers the nutritional basics for pre-hiking, hiking and post-hiking diets. It offers a handy carbohydrate chart of over 300 foods and supplements to optimize the simple principles of this book. This is a no-hype book. It's the real enchilada!

The Jogging LaBella Brother's return to the Grand Canyon (May 2001) resulted in new research about hydration and nutritional planning for endurance backpacking. RB, proficient in The Zone, helped "g" with the concept of the Glycemic Index (GI), the role that carbohydrates play in weight gain (or loss), and how one's body metabolizes food to produce ready to use energy (or fat).

The Glucose Revolution is about achieving peak performance in sport through foods and supplements that are rich with glucose, and consequently, high on the glycemic index (GI). Depending on which phase of a hiking cycle you are in, meals and snacks should emphasize carbohydrates that are:

Low on the GI-scale when eating one hour or more prior to hiking

High on the GI-scale when eating immediately prior to, during, and within one hour of ending a hike

Low on the GI-scale when eating two hours or more after a hike

Here are some key concepts to better understand The Glucose Revolution:

(1) Carbohydrates provide the hiker with the best source of energy.

(2) The term "glycemic index" (GI) refers to a ranking of carbohydrates (foods and supplements) in relation to their glucose content and their immediate effect on raising blood sugar levels for energy. The GI-index allows you to pick the correct carbohydrate to consume depending on which phase of a backpacking cycle you are in!

(3) Our body's primary source of immediate energy comes from carbohydrates rich in glucose (high-GI). Glucose is stored in small quantities in the muscles and liver.

(4) During exercise, carbohydrates with a high-GI are desired because they are easily digested and provide quick energy to replenish tired, glucose depleted muscles. They also stimulate the production of correct blood/sugar levels.

Mini-Nutrition Lesson (Skip this section if your eyes become glazed-over by technical stuff!):

The pancreas produces the hormone insulin. Insulin production is triggered by carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates low on the GI-scale and foods low in monounsaturated fats allow for a slower digestion process and less of a need for insulin production. This is good. You will lose unwanted weight. You won't get fat. You will limit your tendency to develop heart disease. You will avoid the potential for type two diabetes and coronary disease. So, when resting or inactive, carbohydrates with a low-GI are desired.

Carbohydrates with a high-GI break down quickly in the body to fill limited glucose stores. (This is good because it creates immediate energy when hiking.)

When limited glucose stores are filled and excessive glucose is not burned-up due to inactivity, the body converts excessive sugar to fat. (This is bad.) You will gain weight.

If you do not maintain the correct balance of glucose rich carbohydrates during endurance backpacking you will deplete the glucose stores in your muscles and liver. (This is bad.) When glucose stores are depleted, the body will try to convert fats into an energy source. (This is bad.) Fats convert too slowly into an energy source and can't create the immediate energy required for endurance hiking. This results in fatigued muscles, exhaustion and a dangerous drop in blood/sugar level.

To maximize endurance performance, carbohydrates with a high-GI should be used immediately prior to, during, and after the endurance hike. (This is good.)

In extreme backpacking activities with hot temperatures (over 90 degrees), hydration supplements (like Gatorade) and power bars provide critical salts and glucose that can't be adequately ingested during sporting because of the bulky quantities required to meet the body's demand for large quantities of carbohydrates. (This is very good.)

(End of nutrition lesson.)

OK. Here's the deal. This book is a mere 106 pages. Almost 30 are case studies that could be skipped. The GI-chart is 12 pages. Even "g" had no problem reading and understanding the simple principles of The Glucose Revolution. In addition to "g's" food dehydrator, The Glucose Revolution has changed his way of refueling on the trail and dining in the backcountry! On "g's" five vegetable rating system, this book gets a: