Sugar Causes Problems Mainly Outside of Exercise
We discuss the dangers of sugar. in the previous article. It’s not a pretty picture when you see sugar associated with weight gain and a variety of diseases. But it’s important to keep in mind that these problems arise when too much added sugar is consumed at rest. Normally, your body doesn’t have much of a need for quick and easily absorbed sugar, it primarily burns fat while sitting or walking. Added sugar is not needed immediately by the muscles or to replenish glycogen stores when resting. So when you have a sugary snack or drink, it ends up building up in your bloodstream. This means your body has to make extra insulin to deal with it, which can lead to problems over time. Fortunately, it’s a different story when you ingest sugar while exercising.
Sugar lets you push hard
When you start pedaling and increase the intensity, your body will gradually increase the proportion of glucose, a type of simple sugar, that it will burn for energy and decrease the proportion of fat. When you reach your aerobic threshold, your body relies almost exclusively on glucose for energy. It’s clear that when you really want to push yourself and go fast, you need sugar. In the first 60-90 minutes of exercise, this sugar may come solely from your own muscle glycogen stores, but it can also be added by eating or drinking.
Sugar can prevent bonking
After about 60 to 90 minutes of cycling at a moderate to high intensity, the average person will likely begin to experience what’s known as “bonking.” This is where your glycogen starts to run out and your body can’t maintain the same level of energy. You are forced to slow down and your body has to revert to a higher proportion of fat as an energy source. If you want to push harder for longer, you need to provide additional sugar in the form of gels and energy drinks. This time, the sugar goes directly to the muscle to be used for energy.
This is when being anti-sugar can become a problem. If you decide to cut sugar out of your life completely, you put yourself at high risk of crashing in races and you’ll be able to spend less time on high-intensity workouts.
Sugar helps you recover faster for the next day’s ride.
We should also not forget about the third use of sugar when it comes to exercise. When you spend several hours in the saddle riding hard, you are likely to deplete a lot of your sugar stores in the form of glycogen. Your body will start to replenish these energy stores when the ride is over, but if you give it some quick sugar, it will happen faster. This is exactly why you see Peter Sagan gobble down a handful of gummy bears at the end of a Tour de France scenery.
When you need to perform at a high level two days in a row, it’s important to help your body replenish glycogen quickly. This mainly applies to cyclists competing in stage races, or during training camps or cycling holidays. If you have a day or two of rest between your trips, you don’t need to worry as much about speeding up this process.
Exercise is the place of sugar.
In short, sugar is important for intense exercise and can be beneficial if you want to perform at a high level. There are three main scenarios where it makes sense to use added sugar.
- Just before a hard ride to top up your glycogen stores
- During a hard workout or race that will last more than 60 minutes
- Immediately after a hard training session or race, if you need to recover well for the next day
We must not forget that sugar can still cause cavities even when consumed on the bike. Plus, even lifelong athletes can develop type 2 diabetes if they overindulge in sugar. In the last article in the series, we’ll look at how to keep your sugar intake to a minimum and still enjoy long, fast trips.
