Sugar: Friend or Foe

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Sugar is a form of carbohydrate, not a good one but it still does its job when taken in the right amount and at the right time. Most people do tend to eat loads of sugar while exercising little to nothing. Eliminating sugar will do two things as follows:
  1. Reduce the amount of calories that come from sugar.
  2. Alter mood. Sugar is famously irresponsible in changing mood by elevating serotonin and dopamine.

In addition, some people accustomed to consuming lots of sugar daily, feel a sudden loss of energy when they entirely remove it from their diets.Instead of completely avoiding sugar (unless its a medical issue that requires immediate attention), its better to reduce it slowly over a period of few days, to a bare minimum. Say for example, if the current daily sugar consumption is 100grams, reducing 20grams every day for the next 4 - 5 days is a much better option.For healthy adults, the best time to consume sugar is around the workout i.e. either before, in-between or after the workout session. This is because sugar helps in providing instant energy that is needed to perform better in the gym and also to recover quickly after a heavy workout. Sports drinks for that matter are a much better option while choosing sugary beverages in comparison to fruit juices as sports drinks usually also have a balance of electrolytes and water needed for efficient recovery.

The amount of sugar needed by a fitness trainee each day will be different for everyone as it would be dependent on the total carb intake for the day. For all others (non trainees) wanting to indulge on that chocolate cake after a stressful day at work, choose the freshly cooked vegetables instead as they are the ones that have the micronutrients and phytonutrients to beat that stress.


As an example, for a strength trainee working out hard in the gym and having a daily carbohydrate goal of 300 grams can easily get in between 50 to 100 grams of sugar on workout days. The best way to structure this intake would definitely be around the workout as mentioned before. As for the remaining carbohydrate amount, consuming beans, grains, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, etc. would help meet the carb goal for the day along with hitting enough fiber intake.


Note:Before starting/changing an exercise, dietary and supplementation program consult a qualified doctor/health care professional.

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