Is Sugar Bad For Athletes?

Intro

In this day and age, there is no shortage of sugar slander. The uneducated health and fitness crowd has demonized any and all sugar and fails to differentiate natural sugars (fructose and lactose) from modified sugars (sucrose and added sugars). These self-proclaimed experts can create a lot more confusion than clarity and prevent people from advancing their health-seeking behaviors. I hope, by writing this article, I can make these complex sugars more digestible (HA! Go food puns).

What is sugar?

Simply put, sugar is a carbohydrate — which, in chemical terms, is a structure of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The different chemical structures of various sugars determine how they are digested and absorbed in the body. Generally speaking, the more complex the structure, the longer it takes to digest and the longer the energy lasts. Sugars are categorized into four groups of sugars, depending on the amount of sugar molecules (saccharides) in the structure. These groups include: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. ‘Simple’ sugars are single-saccharide sugars, also called monosaccharides. Slightly more complex sugars, called disaccharides, have two sugar molecules bonded together. Continuing up the complexity chain, oligosaccharides have 3-10 sugar molecules chained together. Lastly, complex sugars are called polysaccharides, and have many sugar molecules chained in sequence. If this is too wordy, use the graphic below for a simpler explanation. Each blue circle represents a sugar molecule, a.k.a. saccharide.

How does sugar impact the body?

The body uses sugar in a variety of ways. The two primary uses are for immediate energy use (glucose) and for energy storage (glycogen). Glucose is a monosaccharide and is readily available to be used for energy. This simple sugar flows through the blood and is used primarily by muscles and the brain. Any excess glucose that is not being used by the body is stored in larger clusters, called glycogen. Glycogen is a polysaccharide and must be broken down into its simple sugars before it can be used for energy. Once broken down, glycogen becomes thousands of glucose molecules — which can then flow through the blood to the muscles and the brain. You can conceptualize glucose and glycogen as cars and a parking garage. Cars (glucose) drive around freely and get to where they need to go. However, thousands of cars parked on the street causes traffic jams. Parking garages (glycogen) are needed to keep things organized. When cars need to get to their destinations, the garage can be emptied and the cars can move freely.

So, if sugar is just energy and energy storage, why do people say it’s bad for you? The answer depends on which type of sugar is being discussed. Simple sugars, particularly added sugars (unnatural, compacted sugars), take very little time to be digested and used for energy; they give a quick burst of energy. However, they are also cleared from the stomach rapidly and can leave a feeling of hunger or craving. This is why foods like candy never really fill us up and we always want more. It is also why people experience a quick burst of energy (hyperglycemia) followed by an intense crash (hypoglycemia). However, complex sugars take a lot longer to digest and produce a steady flow of energy. They also sit in the stomach longer, leaving us feeling full and satisfied. The slow release of energy also prevents the rollercoaster of energy — the sugar high and the crash. Referring back to the car and parking garage metaphor, simple sugars arrive one car at a time and can leave quickly. Conversely, complex sugars require the cars to stop and pay their fee; the garage kicks out one car at a time until they are empty.

What difference does speed of digestion make? One big difference is the amount of calories consumed. Because simple sugars don’t leave us feeling full, it is easy to overeat them, which can lead to weight gain or obesity. It is no secret that obesity is a major health concern in the U.S. In 2017, it was estimated that 74% of adults over the age of 20 were overweight or obese.

In addition to weight concerns, excess sugar in the diet has been linked to dental cavities, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease. Reminder: these health concerns are chronic developments that occur with consistent over-consumption of sugar. One sweet treat every so often will not cause most of these problems.

Is sugar bad for athletes?

For most people, big bursts of energy followed by intense crashes are not conducive to a productive work day. This outcome also applies to athletes. It can be hard, if not impossible, to fight through a food coma and get motivated for a training session or game. In this context, excess sugar can be bad for athletes because it can decrease alertness and readiness to perform.

While excess sugar in the diet often causes weight gain in the general population, it is less common in athletes because of how many calories are burned during sporting events. Michael Phelps reportedly consumed 12,000 calories per day, nearly 6x the recommended amount for the general population. Yet, despite this ridiculous volume of food, he remained lean and fit.

While weight-gain and obesity is unlikely in athletes, excess sugar can contribute to various other health conditions that athletes are not immune to. 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose struggled with a significant candy addiction. His love for candy earned him a Skittles vending machine to go with two stomach ulcers that nearly held him out of the NCAA championship. Eight-time NBA all-star Dwight Howard developed nerve dysfunction that caused tingling in his hands and feet, which impacted his ability to perform. Howard was reportedly eating 5,500 calories per day in candy alone.

All this being said, eating candy and sugar on occasion is not going to prevent you from becoming a professional athlete or being healthy. In fact, as I pointed out in another article, eating sweets in moderation can reduce the likelihood of binge-purge cycles that athletes often struggle with when trying to cut out “junk” food.

What can I use instead of sugar?

I personally love sipping coffee. Morning, afternoon, evening, sometimes all of the above. However, I don’t like drinking black coffee. My palette is more geared toward sweet and savory than bitter. So when I drink coffee, I always mix in some form of sweetener. Below is a list of non-sugar sweeteners, how they are often used, and what the research says about their impact on health.

• Aspartame: Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that is widely used in flavored drinks. It is mostly known for its role in sweetening diet soda, but it is also the sugar-substitute used in Equal (the blue sugar packet). Many wrongly claim that it causes cancer. This belief largely stems from a study on rats. However, the WHO and FDA have both stated that it is safe to consume under 40mg and 50mg per kg of bodyweight respectively. To put this in perspective, the average adult can safely consume 20 cans of diet soda or ~90 packets of Equal.

• Sucralose: Sucralose is a 0-calorie general-purpose sweetener that is frequently used in baking, beverages, chewing gum, and low-calorie ice cream. Sucralose is the generic name of Splenda. The FDA suggests that 1500mg of sucralose per kg of bodyweight can be consumed safely for most people. This equates to a LOT of Splenda packets, but the FDA capped their recommendation to ~23 packets per day. It should be said that the majority of sucralose is not absorbed by the body and is rather filtered out by the kidneys. For this reason, anyone with kidney issues should consult a physician before consuming sucralose.

• Stevia Extract: Stevia is a natural sugar substitute that is extracted from plant leaves. It is mostly sold as a powder or in packets to mix into baked goods, coffee, or tea, but is starting to be used in mainstream sodas like Coca-Cola. This plant has a very distinct taste that some love and others hate. Stevia has even been shown to provide some health benefits, such as decreased bad cholesterol and increased good cholesterol. While stevia leaves have been used to sweeten drinks in South America and Asia for many years, it has only recently become studied scientifically in the U.S. The FDA only recently recognized stevia extract as generally safe for consumption in 2018.

• Sugar Alcohols: With the increasing popularity of ketogenic diets, many processed foods are made while catering to the demands of customers. Low-carb cookies, keto-friendly breads, and many other manufactured foods seek to cut out carbs and replace them with sugar alcohols. The most commonly used sugar alcohols are xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and maltitol. While they are not as sweet as sugar, they do provide some sweetness without the calories of sugar. Sugar alcohols appear to be better for diabetics and anyone trying to manage blood glucose levels because they don’t cause the sharp spikes that sugar does. However, they can cause GI distress, including bloating, gassiness, or diarrhea.

Conclusion

Sugar is not the best nor worst thing in the world. It is simply a form of energy for the body to use for fuel according to the demands of activity. One cookie or piece of candy will not make or break an athlete’s chances of becoming a pro. That being said, our bodies are the accumulation of our habits. If the majority of our diet is candy and we only occasionally consume nutrient-dense foods, we are likely to run into health issues. Athletes are no different. Eat the cookie when you’re craving it, but don’t replace the veggies portion of your plate with ice cream regularly. Sweets should be consumed sparingly, with the bulk of the diet coming from nutrient-dense foods. If you love sweets but want to cut excess sugar out of your diet, there are many options available and many of them have been approved by the FDA.

For more nutrition information, check out my general nutrition guide here.