Sugar - The not so sweet facts -

How many of you would be able to estimate how many grams of sugar you consume a day or even regularly check the foods you by for sugar content? Many of us will scan the isles for products that are low in fat without considering how much sugar may be added to make the low fat option more palatable (yoghurts and breakfast cereals are bars are notorious for this). As fighters we constantly need to make sure we are making smart food choices, not only to maintain lean physiques but also to improve performance and recovery and prevent illness.

What you need to know about sugar

Sugar can go by a number of different names depending on its chemical structure. Carbohydrates are made up of sugars and starches. Simple carbohydrates contain molecules that are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and provide a speedy source of energy. These include fructose, glucose and galactose known as monosaccharides and disaccharides lactose, sucrose and maltose. Disaccharides require a little bit more energy to be broken down into their single components. Most foods will have intrinsic sugars such as fruit and milk however there are many processed foods that come with an abundance of added sugars usually in the form of sucrose and fructose sometimes in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

The current guidelines for daily sugar intake based on a daily intake of 2000kcal are set at 90g. They go on to recommend that non-milk extrinsic sugars should be no more than 11% of total daily calories, and that intrinsic, milk sugars and starch should be 39%. What makes it tricky to quantify is current nutritional information labels do not distinguish between intrinsic sugars and added sugars. It is a good idea to read up and be more aware of what foods contain high amounts of added sugar and avoid these where ever possible.

As a rough guide:
1,600 calories - Limit sugar to 6 teaspoons per day or 22 grams per day

2,200 calories - Limit sugar to 12 teaspoons per day or 44 grams per day

2,800 calories - Limit sugar to 18 teaspoons per day or 66 grams per day

Foods that contribute to increased sugar consumption
1. Regular soft drinks (33%)
2. Sugars and candy (16%)
3. Cakes, cookies and pies (13%)
4. Fruit ‘drinks’ (not 100% juice) such as fruit punch (10%)
5. Dairy desserts/milk products

The role of sugars in an athlete's diet

Carbohydrates are an essential part of an athlete's diet and when consumed at the appropriate times can be beneficial for performance and recovery. It would be unwise to try and remove sugar completely from the diet. Carbohydrates provide a large proportion of the energy needed for training and heavy training sessions that deplete the muscles of glycogen need to be replaced in order to promote recovery and maintain muscle mass.

Understanding the glycemic load and glycemic index of foods and paying attention to when you eat certain foods is important for athletic performance and maintaining a desirable body composition.

GI:Measures the impact that a food has on blood glucose levels. Glucose is considered to have a glycemic index of 100

GL: is a ranking system for carbohydrate content in food portions based on their glycemic index (GI) and the portion size. Glycemic load or GL combines both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate in one ‘number’

During the day athletes should consume Low GI carbohydrates that deliver their energy slowly and keep blood sugar levels stable. This is thought to help with energy levels and appetite control. During training sessions that are high intensity or long duration some fast acting or simple carbohydrates (containing more sugar) will help to deliver glucose to the working muscles. Post training simple carbohydrates combined with protein will create a spike in insulin that helps to drive glucose and amino acids back into the muscle and prevent the breakdown of lean muscle mass.

Health Problems and Concerns that may be linked to an over consumption of sugar

As an athlete it pays to understand the science behind the food choices you make as much as possible. Just because you lead an active lifestyle doesn’t mean you can compensate and eat foods high in sugars or fats. You may burn off the calories but these foods have adverse physiological effects on your body

The problem with processed foods that are high in added sugars is that they have little nutritional value and often a high amount of calories which can contribute to weight gain and may cause micronutrient dilution. In order to metabolize foods with little nutritional value the body is forced to use vitamin and mineral stores. This is why an abundance of processed foods add vitamins and minerals to fortify and reduce the effect of this process. An overconsumption of sugar is linked to a weakening of the immune system and the development of a number of health problems and chronic diseases including obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Conclusion

So to stay fit and healthy and avoid developing colds and other illnesses that can be detrimental to training cut right back on the added sugars found in processed snacks, and consume simple carbohydrates intelligently to increase performance and recovery.