Using the Glycemic Index to Fuel Runs and Support a Healthy Weight

Doggone Healthy Choices Friday, October 2, 2026

We want enough energy to enjoy our walks and runs, meals that satisfy us, and a healthy weight that helps us keep moving. And of course, we want our dogs beside us for as many happy miles as possible.

The glycemic index, or GI, can help us understand the carbohydrates on our plates. For our dogs, the useful lesson is to consider the whole diet, portions, and individual needs. We can work toward healthier habits together without following identical menus.

What the glycemic index tells us

GI ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by their effect on blood glucose compared with a reference food, usually glucose. Testing typically uses enough of a food to supply 50 grams of available carbohydrate. That means 50 grams of carbohydrate—not 50 grams of food or an ordinary serving.

On the glucose scale, the categories are:

GI category

Score

Low

55 or below

Medium

56–69

High

70 or above

GI describes blood-glucose response, not overall nutritional quality.

Portions belong in the picture

Glycemic load, or GL, adds the amount of carbohydrate in a serving to the equation. Its formula is GI multiplied by grams of available carbohydrate in the portion, divided by 100.

Preparation, ripeness, processing, and the other foods in a meal can also affect our response. Treat GI as a guide rather than a prediction of exactly what your blood sugar will do.

Yes, you can keep your white rice

I enjoy white rice, and learning about GI doesn’t mean I have to break up with it.

One practical option is to serve a comfortable portion alongside tofu, beans, and vegetables. If you want to experiment with brown rice, start by mixing a little into your white rice and build from there. You get to choose a change you can enjoy and maintain.

Lentils, beans, fruit, and less processed grains can be useful everyday choices. Exact GI values vary, so avoid treating every banana, bowl of oats, or type of rice as if it has one permanent score. You can look up tested foods in the University of Sydney’s GI database.

Match your food to your run

A filling lunch and a snack just before running has different jobs. Close to a run, comfort and easy digestion matter. Sports nutrition guidance favors familiar carbohydrate foods and avoiding large amounts of fat or fiber immediately beforehand.

Try this flexible approach:

A few hours before: Allow time to digest a meal. Adjust its size and fiber content to what your stomach tolerates.

Closer to the start: If you need a snack, try a small portion of familiar food, such as toast, a banana, or plain crackers. You don’t need to hunt for the highest GI number.

Afterward: Make room for carbohydrates, protein, and fluids. A rice bowl with tofu and vegetables is one simple plant-based option.

A short, easy outing doesn’t automatically require gels, a sports drink, or extra snacks. Longer or harder sessions may need a more specific fueling plan. Practice with foods you tolerate rather than making a big change on an important run day.

Use GI to support weight goals

Choosing a lower-GI food doesn’t guarantee weight loss. Research hasn’t consistently shown that lowering GI alone produces greater weight loss. Portions, the overall eating pattern, and energy intake still matter.

For daily meals, focus on foods that nourish and satisfy you. Notice whether your meals leave you comfortably full and whether your portions fit your activity. Fuel your exercise while making gradual changes you can repeat.

What about our dogs?

Researchers have studied glycemic responses in dogs, including responses to different starches and finished dog foods. But human GI charts aren’t a reliable scoring system for a dog’s bowl. Canine studies have limitations, and an ingredient’s number doesn’t establish how a complete diet will perform.

We also don’t have evidence that choosing low-GI ingredients reliably prevents canine diabetes or makes healthy dogs run faster. For everyday care, put nutritional completeness and an appropriate calorie allowance first.

Whether your dog’s food is plant-based, vegetarian, or meat-based, look for a nutritional adequacy statement identifying it as complete and balanced for your dog’s life stage. A homemade mixture of tofu—or meat—with rice and vegetables needs a properly formulated recipe and its specified supplements. A board-certified veterinary nutritionist can help. [5]

Make the bowl and the leash work together

Ask your veterinarian whether your dog needs to lose weight and what a suitable daily calorie target looks like. A dog already at a healthy weight needs maintenance, not a diet simply because their human is losing weight.

Measure meals, count treats, and track body condition. Keep treats and unbalanced extras to no more than 10% of daily calories; at least 90% should come from complete and balanced food. This is a calorie guideline, not a division of space in the bowl. You can also reserve part of the daily food allowance for training rewards.

Build activity around your dog’s fitness and comfort. Walking is a worthwhile starting point; an overweight or out-of-condition dog doesn’t need to start with running. Extra post-walk treats can also cancel out the calorie benefit of exercise.

Our dogs don’t need a copy of our pre-run snack. Keep feeding predictable, avoid scheduling a vigorous outing immediately after a large meal, and ask your vet about meal timing for your individual dog. Large meals are among the recognized risk factors for bloat, particularly in susceptible dogs.

For a dog with diabetes, food and activity changes need veterinary coordination because they can change insulin needs. Diet supports treatment; it doesn’t replace insulin.

One small change for tomorrow

Choose one manageable step: add beans to your lunch, try a pre-run snack that sits comfortably, measure your dog’s dinner, or set aside meal kibble for rewards.

The goal is to feel well, move comfortably, and build habits that support a healthy weight for each of you—one foot, one paw at a time.

What’s one change you and your dog could try this week? I’d love to hear from you. .Email us at: pamela@doggonehealthychoices.us​

Until tomorrow have a happy and healthy tail wagging day,

Pam and Freedom