4 Ways Athletes Should Be Using Sugar for Fuel

 

Is sugar ever good for you? You may have heard that sugar is bad and should be avoided, but for athletes in particular, this is absolutely not the case. Here, TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, RD, CSSD, the Director of Nutrition for the NWSL team, KC Current, destigmatizes sugar and shares the four ways athletes should be using sugar for fuel: before, during, and after exercise, and as a fun treat (in moderation).

The Difference Between Sugar and Carbohydrates

A lot of athletes and coaches become confused about the difference between carbohydrates and sugar, because often the two are used interchangeably. Sugars are always carbohydrates, but carbohydrates can be simple or complex, and can contain starch and fiber in addition to sugar. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate because of its size, and therefore, it can be quickly processed into energy in the body. The more complex the carbohydrate the longer it takes the body to convert it into energy.

“The longer or more complex the chain of carbohydrate, the closer we are to fiber, and the shorter the chain, the closer we are to sugars,” says Miezin. “I think that’s a nice way to think about it because it objectifies sugar rather than assigning it a good or bad connotation.”

The Problem With Demonizing Sugar

“Yes, there are associations in the general population research where we see higher added sugar intake associated with poor health outcomes or weight gain over time,” says Miezin. “However, these are general population studies, and it’s a big leap to say that young athletes should never have any sugar at any time. Sports nutrition and nutrition for athletes is a very specific context, and we know that many of our general nutrition recommendations do not always directly translate over to sport nutrition.”

As Miezin noted, sugar is simply a type of carbohydrate and isn’t inherently good or bad. “Typically, sugar is an evil word in the world,” she says. “But guess what the body breaks all digestible carbohydrates down into? Sugar. For example, we might think about a potato as complex carbohydrates and pieces of candy as a source of simple sugar. But at the end of the day, both of those are going to turn into glucose in the body. That is how the body can transform these foods into usable energy.”

Carbohydrates—yes, including sugar—also seem to play an important role in the prevention of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). “What we are seeing is the association with low carbohydrate availability, perhaps even in the absence of low energy availability, and how it might lead to some of these similar symptoms. Yes, choosing more nutrient dense sources of carbohydrate should be the main source of carbohydrate-rich diets. But that said, there can absolutely be a time and a place for sugar in an athlete’s diet.”

Recognize Sources of Added Sugar

While sugar isn’t bad, it is a good idea to know when you’re eating it. There are often surprising amounts of hidden sugars in everyday meals and foods, especially pre-prepared or ultra-processed ones. Even though sugar can be beneficial for an athlete who needs quick energy or needs to begin the muscle repair process, it is still possible to overdo simple sugars, and in doing so, skimp on more nutrient dense meals. So, added sugars in processed and ultra-processed foods are worth paying attention to—but not avoiding entirely.

“When we’re looking at nutrition labels, the ‘Added Sugar’ is something to look at,” says Miezin. “Added sugar means that the food or beverage has an addition of a sugar, whether that’s simple table sugar, honey, maple syrup, or any sort of syrup or fruit juice concentrate. These are not inherently bad, but we should pay attention to them.”

However, it’s also important to remember that a claim of “no added sugar” doesn’t automatically mean that something has no sugar—it just means that none has been additionally added, but it may still contain sugar. A good example is milk, which according to the nutrition facts panel usually has 12 grams of ‘Total Sugars’ but 0 grams of ‘Added Sugars.’ Cow’s milk naturally contains a simple type of carbohydrate, or a sugar, we know as lactose. Miezin advises not to worry about these naturally occurring sugars. “Research shows that naturally occurring sugars, like in milk, are not associated with increased health risks like added sugars can be,” she says.

Miezin adds that paying attention to labels is a good practice to better understand added sugar content, but she doesn’t advocate for counting or tracking grams of sugar or calories, especially for young athletes.

When Athletes Need Sugar

There are four key times an athlete may benefit from sugar to perform at their best: before, during, and after exercise, but also simply as a fun treat anytime, in moderation.

“Sugar is a great energy source before, during, and after a workout, because we know this type of carbohydrate is quickly digested and is easier on the stomach,” says Miezin. “That means we’re going to get quicker energy, which leads to more fuel in the system working to refuel the muscles.”