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Does Glycerol contain carbs and/or sugars? Anyone here use it before?
Glycerol or Glycerine...whatever!
- Thread starter Smokescreen
- Start date
Stryc-9
New member
This one is tricky - as science cannot seem to identify glycerol within the confines of any particular macronutrient. Is it a carb? Is it a precursor to fat? It's hard to say.
In any case, glycerol (chemically identical to glycerine) contains something like 4.32 calories per gram - so it does have an impact in terms of calculating daily totals. It became all the rage in the low-carb world when it was found to have very little effect on insulin levels.
For our purposes, I'd say glycerol is most useful in terms of its hydrating/dehydrating properties. It holds onto water very well - and may be useful precontest (i.e., immediately before stepping on stage, or, perhaps, simply onto the beach) for drawing out subcutaneous water (in other words, it'll help you look more ripped). Be wary of cramping.
In any case, glycerol (chemically identical to glycerine) contains something like 4.32 calories per gram - so it does have an impact in terms of calculating daily totals. It became all the rage in the low-carb world when it was found to have very little effect on insulin levels.
For our purposes, I'd say glycerol is most useful in terms of its hydrating/dehydrating properties. It holds onto water very well - and may be useful precontest (i.e., immediately before stepping on stage, or, perhaps, simply onto the beach) for drawing out subcutaneous water (in other words, it'll help you look more ripped). Be wary of cramping.
Stryc-9 said:
Have you used glycerol before? Its just that at the gym, and where I work I sweat WAY TOO FUCKING MUCH!!! I end up drinking around 2 gallons of water a day! And that doesn't even include the water I have with my shakes and my meals! And as the day goes on...I start to look really flat! And feel weak!
And since I live in Florida. I do go to the beach when I can. And of course I sweat like a pig! And within minutes I start to lose vascularity in my muscles and I start to look flat. Trust me! I drink water and lots of it.
I was thinking of taking glycerol for these purposes. But I do not want to take it if has carbs in it. I'm trying to cut down on BF. And so I NEED TO KEEP CARBS DOWN!
Stryc-9
New member
Honestly, I would avoid it altogether. Metabolically speaking, glycerol is not as readily available for energy as a typical carb - BUT it could certainly enter the gluconeogenesis pathway and be used in the production of glucose (and I would think this to be more likely if you were already eating minimal carbs).
I mean, glycerol is produced naturally in the body through the breakdown of fats...so it seems logical that adding more to your diet will increase the likelihood that it gets used for glucose production (which is what it sounds like you would to avoid). Not only that, but it will make you even more dehydrated than you already feel, and you'd have to consume that much more water to compensate.
Interesting side-story relating to the dehydration factor: I saw a guy backstage at a show once pounding back glycerol (it was later revealed that he was shooting for 1g of glycerol per kg of bodyweight) - and while he did achieve that saran-wrap look to his skin - ultrashredded - he cramped up severly on stage and had to be carried away.
I mean, glycerol is produced naturally in the body through the breakdown of fats...so it seems logical that adding more to your diet will increase the likelihood that it gets used for glucose production (which is what it sounds like you would to avoid). Not only that, but it will make you even more dehydrated than you already feel, and you'd have to consume that much more water to compensate.
Interesting side-story relating to the dehydration factor: I saw a guy backstage at a show once pounding back glycerol (it was later revealed that he was shooting for 1g of glycerol per kg of bodyweight) - and while he did achieve that saran-wrap look to his skin - ultrashredded - he cramped up severly on stage and had to be carried away.
Stryc-9 said:
So what you are saying is that I shouldn't take this? Simply because I am currently on a low carb diet and trying to get shredded? So taking this will hinder me from losing fat?
No no. I meant....since I'm on a low carb diet. Taking glycerol would be like adding more carbs to my diet. Obviously this is something that I do NOT want.
Stryc-9
New member
lol - well that's what i meant about it being tricky - because technically, no, it wouldn't be the "same" as adding straightforward carbs because glycerol is not broken down and utilized like, say, oatmeal or sucrose, etc.,
if it is carbs you are looking to avoid - then on a sliding scale you can consider glycerol as a "lesser" carb than most others (it has minimal impact on blood sugar, it won't necessarily be broken down into glucose, and some of it is actually excreted in the urine without being metabolised at all). that's why it has become a common ingredient in so-called "lowcarb" protein bars.
if it is carbs you are looking to avoid - then on a sliding scale you can consider glycerol as a "lesser" carb than most others (it has minimal impact on blood sugar, it won't necessarily be broken down into glucose, and some of it is actually excreted in the urine without being metabolised at all). that's why it has become a common ingredient in so-called "lowcarb" protein bars.
Well, I read in some article that supplement companies that make bars, were claiming that their bars were low in carbs. Like for example pure protein bars. I remember when the nutrition facts used to say that it only had 9grams of carbs. Then all of a sudden one day I looked and now it said something like 30grams of carbs. That this whole time these companies were NOT including Glycerol as a carb. When in fact it is a carb. Shit! I'm confused. Carb or not carb...that is the question!
