No evidence that sugar is bad when you’re in energy balance
As we discussed in the previous article, a lot of research shows the negative effects of sugar when consumed in excess and calorie surplus. But many cyclists are good at maintaining weight or even losing it. This means that they are either in energy balance or even in a calorie deficit – but they still consume a lot of sugar to fuel their rides. What do we know about the effects of sugar under those conditions?
Most research looks at the effects of sugar during controlled overfeeding or in free-living conditions where people unfortunately often overconsume. There are much fewer studies looking at sugar under energy balance. There doesn’t seem to be convincing evidence that there are any negative health effects of sugar in that scenario.
This could be because the quantity of sugar intake is only one of several effects that influence how the body responds to the ingested sugar. If simply eating a lot of sugar was a guarantee of health issues, we would see the most health problems in cyclists and triathletes because those are people who eat some of the largest amounts of free sugar. However, research shows that, in fact, people who regularly and actively do these sports are among the best at handling sugar intake in a healthy way.
Is sugar bad during weight loss?
Research shows that health markers improve even in people with a relatively high sugar intake as long as they are losing weight. This suggests that excess calories are a much bigger problem than the amount of sugar in a diet. This means that you can definitely use those energy gels and drinks while cycling to lose weight. You just have to keep an eye on your overall energy balance.
Missing out on important nutrients
It’s important to mention that this doesn’t mean you can eat as much sugar as you want as long as you avoid a calorie surplus. Free sugar typically comes in the form of performance foods, sweetened drinks or desserts and sweet snacks. These types of foods are typically very poor in essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Having too many of these foods in your diet means you’re missing out on important nutrients and that poses a health risk as well.
What can you do to stay in energy balance?
How do you keep your calories in check if you need sugar to fuel your hard rides and races? First, you don’t always need sugar when riding, you can do easy rides without much sugar. Make sure to only eat the amount of sugar that will allow you to complete the training you want to do and no more. You should also adjust your sugar intake based on the phase of training throughout the season. Check out our previous article for a more detailed overview.
