You spend time and energy on your workouts, hoping to achieve a healthier weight and lifestyle. However, something within your diet can inadvertently undermine your efforts. What could be a harmless sugar craving can impact your performance. Discover how sugar can potentially sabotage your fitness goals.
Carbohydrates are categorized into two subtypes of sugar:
Fruits and some vegetables have fructose, glucose and sucrose, dairy has lactose and germinating grains have maltose. These types of sugar naturally occur in food, unlike sugary beverages and ready-to-eat cereals containing added sweeteners.
Both natural and added sugars are metabolized in the same way in your body but have different effects. Eating fruits does not harm health since they contain fiber and other beneficial nutrients. Added sugars are merely extra calories that can lead to weight gain.
Many people think that eating sugar causes an energy spike or “sugar high.” However, that’s not what science says. When you eat glucose, your body produces insulin to normalize blood sugar levels, which causes blood glucose to decrease and results in a sudden drop in energy or “sugar crash.”
This explains the sudden exhaustion after a sweet treat. Avoid feeling sluggish and shaky during your workout sessions by choosing foods with a lower glycemic index, like oats, barley and other whole grains. These offer steady energy without dramatic energy dips.
Proper hydration is essential for any type of physical activity, whether a 30-minute walk or an intense gym workout. While sugar can provide a quick fuel boost, overeating can make you more thirsty than usual. It alerts the brain that the body needs water. Glucose is quickly absorbed by the gut and enters the bloodstream, so you may feel thirsty five or 10 minutes later.
Always choose water, even if you’re craving something sweet, like lemonade or juice. Hydrate properly before, during and after your workouts.
Your sweet tooth can be why you’re not losing some pounds. Fast food, candy and sugar-sweetened drinks like juices and sodas contain fructose, which increases your hunger levels. Moreover, in other cases, too much sugar can raise your risk of gallstones, which can range in size from as small as a sand grain to as large as a golf ball. An abundance of sugar in your diet can also lead to cavities, inflammation, diabetes, hypertension and more.
If you want to start seeing results, reduce added sugar intake. Whether you want to lose fat, gain muscle or boost athletic performance, choosing whole foods can make a difference. Satisfy your sweet tooth by eating fruits and vegetables. Create a smoothie from your favorite fruits and add honey for that healthy hint of sweetness.
Exercise can help lower your stress levels, so many find it effective for relief. It impacts the mind and body, but so does sugar. If your idea of treating yourself after a productive workout involves ice cream or cookies, you are sabotaging your fitness goals. They can decrease your body’s ability to respond to stressors.
Moreover, it can also affect your mood, making it challenging to stay motivated or focused during workouts.
You don’t have to avoid sugar altogether, but you can make adjustments to limit your intake or make healthier choices. It’s always best to get sugar from fruits and vegetables rather than processed foods. The easiest way to do this is to focus on whole foods.
Cutting sugar is not as hard as it seems. Break the cycle with these easy yet effective methods that can make a huge difference.
Replace ice cream with yogurt, soda with unsweetened iced tea and candies with mixed nuts. Add sliced lemons, cucumbers or mint to your water for a refreshing treat. Avoid making significant changes all at once — take small steps and see if the substitutes work for you.
Mangoes, bananas, strawberries and papayas contain essential nutrients and sweetness that can help curb your cravings. Keep them handy so you can reach for them instead of your usual packaged snacks.
Sugars are sneaky ingredients. Before buying anything, review the “added sugars” section to see if there’s any hidden glucose content. Be mindful of the following sugar terms, including:
Don’t let your sugar cravings get in the way of achieving your fitness goals. No matter your objective, the most significant change will happen when you swap processed items with whole foods like fruits. Start small and stay consistent — you’ll soon reap the sweet benefits by working with your workouts instead of against them.
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