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We have all looked at a
nutrition label to find out exactly how much sugar our mid-afternoon snack has
or have opted for a diet drink, because regular ‘has too much sugar’. But what
exactly are sugars and what role do they play in an athlete’s diet?
Sugars are simple
carbohydrates, and although there are numerous sugars that exist, there are a
few that stand out in the athletic diet. First and foremost is glucose. Also
known as blood sugar, or dextrose, glucose is a main source of energy for the
body and the only source of energy that can be used by the central nervous
systems. Fructose, or fruit sugar, is another monosaccharide (single sugar) the
body uses after it is converted to glucose in the liver. Sucrose, an important
disaccharide (double sugar) is a polymer of glucose and fructose and is easily
recognizable to most of us as common table sugar. Maltodextrin is a
polysaccharide (multiple sugar), a long-chain polymer of glucose. It is
important because it provides glucose for energy, but as a long chain polymer,
it does not have the sweet taste that is characteristic of the other sugars
mentioned. All of these sugars are high glycemic index (HI GI) carbohydrates,
meaning that they will cause a rapid increase in blood sugar. As an athlete,
this is important for both “quick energy” during exercise and muscle glycogen
restoration after exercise. During exercise an
athlete should be consuming about 30- It is also important to
consider that for optimal rate of carbohydrate absorption to occur there must be
an appropriate amount of sodium present. This combination of
sugars can also be found in most post exercise recovery drinks. The ultimate
goal of these drinks may be different form sports drinks, but the concept is the
same: rapid carbohydrate digestion and absorption. The quicker carbohydrates are
absorbed after exercise, the faster muscle glycogen restoration will take place.
Sugars are not only
beneficial to the athletes in the form of powder and gel. There are lots of
sugar-containing foods that are essential to an athlete’s diet as well. The
energy that comes from fruits and vegetable is derived from sugars. This does
not mean that we can replace our daily servings of broccoli with cupcakes.
Fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense; their sugars arrive in our bodies
together with water, fiber and, and many vitamins, bioflavonoids and minerals.
It is the foods that have large amounts of refined sugars and very few nutrients
that you should be cautious about. Refined sugar is delivered in a concentrated
form to the body, almost completely devoid of nutrients. They key to eating the
right sugars is knowing what your body needs and when it needs it. During
exercise, foods that contain a combination of at least two of the aforementioned
sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltodextrin) will quickly provide you
with clean-burning energy. When snack time comes around, fruits and vegetable
provide energy as well as the important nutrients your body needs. Refined
sugars and nutrient-barren foods are fun and sometimes a tasty treat, but they
shouldn’t make up a significant part of an active person’s nutrition program.
Stick to the right sugars and you’ll have all the energy you need for a
productive day and a great workout.
Scott Dwyer is a Resident Coach with Carmichael Training Systems, Inc. (CTS). He graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise; and competes in events ranging from sprint triathlons to expedition-length adventure races. To find out what CTS can do for you, please visit http://www.trainright.com. 
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