Unit 3: Carbohydrates: The Ultimate Performance Food Flashcards
Glycogen
A complex carbohydrate that occurs only in animals; the form in which glucose is stored in the body.
Insulin
A hormone made by the pancreas, insulin helps move glucose (sugar) from the blood to muscles and other tissues. Insulin controls blood sugar levels.
The main energy source for athletic activities
Carbohydrates
Cofactor
A substance that must be present for another substance to be able to perform a certain function.
Disaccharide
A simple carbohydrate composed of two sugar molecules.
Polysaccharide
A complex carbohydrate.
Monosaccharides
Carbohydrates consist of one sugar unit.
Sugar
A catchall term that refers to various types of carbohydrates.
Main Monosaccharides in foods
Glucose and Fructose
High Intensity Sweeteners
Ingredients commonly used
as sugar substitutes or sugar alternatives to sweeten and enhance the flavor of foods and beverages.
Oligosaccharides
Complex carbohydrates containing 3 to 10 sugar units.
Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are
complex carbohydrates that have 10 or more monosaccharide molecules linked together.
Fiber
The carbohydrates (also lignins, a type of complex organic polymers) that are not digested and not absorbed in the small intestine.
Dietary Fiber
Non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intrinsic and intact in plants.
Soluble Fiber
Fiber that dissolves in water to form a thick gel-like substance in the stomach
Insoluble Fiber
Fiber that does not dissolve in water and passes through the gastrointestinal tract relatively intact and, therefore, is not a source of calories.
Functional Fiber
Non-digestible carbohydrates that have beneficial physiological effects in humans.
Total Fiber
The sum of dietary fiber and functional fiber.
Cellulose
A nondigestible polysaccharide consisting of glucose molecules linked together with a special bond.
The main structural compound of plant cells
Cellulose
Chitin
Chitin is one of the most common natural polymers. Chitin is present in the group of animals called arthropods.
Chitosan
This occurs naturally and is produced commercially from chitin using a simple manufacturing process.
Beta-Glucans
β-glucans are polysaccharides of branched glucose resides.
Fructo-oligosaccharides
Polymers of fructose and they can contain a terminal molecule of glucose at the end of their chains.
Gums
A diverse group of polysaccharides that typically derived from seeds for commercial applications.
Hemicellulose
A group of polysaccharides found in plant cell walls.
Pectins
These are found in the cell wall and intracellular tissues of many fruits and berries. Pectins consist of galacturonic acid units with rhamnose interspersed in linear chains.
Prebiotics
A term used in relation to probiotics, the live microorganisms in the digestive tract that have beneficial effects.
Glycemic Index
A method used to group carbohydrate foods based on their effect on blood glucose levels.
The base molecule/food in the glycemic Index that equals 100%
Glucose
Glycemic Load
How fast a food will raise the levels of blood sugar.
Glycogen Sparing
The saving of glycogen by the body for other functions.
Carbohydrates
A diverse group of macronutrients that contribute a major source of high-yielding energy for athletic performance.
