How to Cut Sugar Without Losing Performance – Fuelling Intensity

Sugar mainly causes problems outside of training

We discussed the dangers of sugar in the previous article. It’s not a pretty picture to see that sugar has been linked to weight gain and a variety of diseases. But it’s important to remember that these problems occur when added sugars are consumed in excess while at rest. Your body doesn’t normally have a great need for quick and easy sugars, you burn fat mostly when you’re sitting or walking around. Added sugar is not needed immediately in muscle or to replenish resting glycogen stores. So when you eat a sugary snack or drink, it builds up in the bloodstream. This means your body has to produce extra insulin to deal with it, which can cause problems over time. Thankfully, if you eat sugar while you work out, it’s a different story.

Sugar allows you to push hard

As you start pedaling and increase the intensity, your body gradually increases glucose, a type of simple sugar that burns energy and reduces fat. When you reach your aerobic threshold, your body relies almost entirely on glucose for energy. It’s clear that if you really want to push yourself and go fast, you need sugar. In the first 60-90 minutes of exercise, this sugar can come solely from your own muscle glycogen stores, but it can also be added from eating or drinking.

Sugar can prevent the fuck

After about 60-90 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity cycling, the average person will likely begin to experience what is known as “bonking.” This is where your glycogen starts to run out and your body can’t maintain the same level of performance. You’re forced to slow down and your body has to revert to using more fat for fuel. If you want to push hard for longer, you have to add extra sugar in the form of energy gels and drinks. This time, the sugar goes straight into the muscle to be used as energy.

This is when anti-sugar could become a problem. If you decide to cut sugar out of your life entirely, you put yourself at high risk of racing freaks and you can spend less time doing high-intensity workouts.

Sugar helps you recover faster for the next day’s ride

We should also not forget the third use of sugar when it comes to exercise. If you spend several hours in the saddle and ride hard, you’re likely to use up a lot of your sugar stores in the form of glycogen. Your body will start to replenish those energy reserves once the ride is over, but if you give it a quick bit of sugar it will go faster. That’s why you see Peter Sagan swallowing a handful of gummy bears at the end of a stage of the Tour de France.

When you need to perform at your best two days in a row, it’s important to help your body replenish glycogen quickly. This is especially true for cyclists who take part in stage races, training camps or cycling holidays. If you have a rest day or two between your rides, you don’t need to worry as much about speeding up this process.

Exercise is the place for sugar

In summary, sugar is important for intense training 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 sugars.

• Just before an intense ride to replenish your glycogen stores
• During a hard workout or a race lasting more than 60 minutes
• Right after a hard workout or race to recover well for the next day

We shouldn’t forget that sugar, even when consumed on a bike, can still cause tooth decay. Even lifelong athletes can develop type 2 diabetes if they overindulge in sugar. In the last article in the series, we look at how you can keep your sugar consumption as low as possible and still enjoy fast and long drives.