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With over 60% of the United States adult population being obese or overweight, sugar gets a bad rap. Yes, lots of processed foods with tablespoons (literally!) of sugar is bad for your weight and health. However, sugar is actually an endurance athlete’s best friend!
When I say that sugar is an endurance athlete’s best friend, I’m not promoting going out and buying fistfuls of donuts, ice cream, and candy. I’m talking about simple sugars such as glucose and fructose. Back in May I wrote a post on carbohydrates: See HERE! Yesterday’s post discussed oxidation rates of CHO (aka sugar) of glucose and fructose and their affects on athletic performance.
Most sports drinks are either made with one or more of the following sugars (1):
- Sucrose – A disaccharide (two simple sugar molecules) that is commonly known as table sugar. It is made of one glucose and one fructose molecules.
- Fructose – A simple sugar that is found in fruit and honey. It is digested more slowly because it must be converted into glucose first by the liver.
- High Fructose Corn Syrup – HFCS is made using chemical processes that first convert cornstarch to corn syrup and then convert 42-55% of the glucose in the corn syrup to fructose as a way to make it sweeter (2). HFCS has been under scrutiny as a possible culprit contributing to the obesity crisis.
- Glucose – Is the main carbohydrate found in the blood and is used to make the glycogen stored in both the liver and muscle. Dextrose is another name for glucose.
- Glucose polymers – Are long molecular chains of glucose. These molecules are not as sweet as other molecules such as sucrose or corn syrup.
- Galactose – Is another simple sugar. It must be converted into glucose first by the liver before the body can use it for energy.
- Maltodextrin – A glucose polymer that is manufactured by breaking long starch units into smaller ones. It is considered a complex carbohydrate and is most commonly found in sports drinks and other processed foods.
Various Popular Sports Drinks
Sports Drink
per directions
|
Carbohydrate (g)
|
% CHO
|
Protein
|
Calories
|
Sodium (mg)
|
Potassium (mg)
|
Carbohydrate Source
|
Accelerade
|
21
|
7
|
5
|
120
|
210
|
85
|
Sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, whey and soy isolates
|
Cytomax
|
13
|
5.4
|
0
|
50
|
55
|
30
|
Maltodextrin, fructose, dextrose
|
EFS (2 scoops in 24 oz bottle)
|
11
|
5.0
|
0.7
|
64
|
200
|
107
|
Complex carbs, sucrose, fructose
|
Fluid Performance
|
24
|
8
|
0
|
100
|
200
|
65
|
Maltodextrin, fructose
|
Ironman Perform
|
17
|
6
|
0
|
70
|
190
|
10
|
Maltodextrin, fructose, dextrose
|
GU Brew
|
26
|
8
|
0
|
100
|
250
|
40
|
Maltodextrin, fructose
|
Gatorade
|
14
|
5.8
|
0
|
50
|
110
|
30
|
Sucrose, glucose, fructose
|
HEED (2 scoops in 24 oz bottle)
|
17
|
7.0
|
0
|
67
|
41
|
11
|
Maltodextrin, xylitol, white stevia
|
Perpetuem
|
18
|
7.5
|
2
|
87
|
77
|
52
|
Maltodextrin, soy isolates
|
Powerade
|
15
|
6.0
|
0
|
56
|
52
|
32
|
Maltodextrin, HFSC
|
- More is not better. The body can only absorb so much ingested CHO. Studies have indicated that a combined source of carbohydrates, such as glucose/glucose polymers and fructose, can have a higher oxidation rate of CHO and increase fluid delivery while decreasing gastrointestinal stress.
- The ideal concentration of carbohydrates is between 6-8%. Gatorade has a concentration of about 6% and has the ability to empty from the stomach just as quickly has plain water. Anything above 8% will delay stomach emptying and can cause gastrointestinal distress.
- A sodium level of about 110 mg per 8 ounces of liquid enhances taste, optimizes absorption, and maintains body fluids. Many sport nutritionists suggest a drink with at least 200 mg of sodium per 8 ounces to decrease the chances of developing hyponatremia (low blood sodium concentration) (1).
- It is important to choose a sports drink that you can tolerate at full concentration. Diluting the drink defeats the purpose of drinking a sports drink.
- To calculate your sweat rate and possible hydration needs, review my post on Hydration. Sports nutritionists suggest consuming about 100-250 calories (25-60g) of carbohydrates per hour during workouts (2), which can come from a combination of sports drinks, gels, bars, etc.
- Seebohar B. (2004). Nutrition periodization for endurance athletes. Boulder, CO: Bull Publishing Co.
- Clark N. (2008) Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 4th Ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. .
I've given Perpetuem a shot and found it to be great until the weather heats up. Apparently the soy ferments causing it to taste pretty nasty. Switched over to Infiniti (whey protein) and haven't had any problems with taste.
I've heard that about Perpetuem and I'm guessing where you live it that it gets super hot and might not work well! I have not personally tried Infiniti, but I have heard very good things about it!