Contrary to popular belief, even simple sugars like table sugar can be a significant aid in maintaining your exercise routine. With the Olympics in full swing, many people are reevaluating their health goals, nutrition and exercise routines, inspired by the world’s top athletes showcasing their impressive skills.
However, Professor James Betts is keen to debunk one long-standing fitness myth: the sugar slur. The University of Bath Professor of Metabolic Physiology joined host Jason Goodyer on the Instant Genius podcast to discuss optimal post-workout recovery strategies.
Surprisingly, he went against conventional diet advice and encouraged listeners to consume regular simple sugars after exercise if necessary, even as table sugar.
Exercise consumes the body’s fuel, which comes from carbohydrates and turns into glycogen in the body. When asked about the perfect post-workout meal, the expert admitted that his suggestion might seem odd because it goes against conventional wisdom.
The professor highlighted the paradox of post-workout nutrition, stating: “Because we’re trying to get carbohydrates in quickly, it actually defeats some of the health advice. Often people try to consume less sugary foods or slow-release, so-called low-glycemic index carbohydrates, we’re trying to feed the muscles quickly with sugar, so we want quickly digestible, absorbable and metabolizable sugars.
Simple sugars include, for example, sweets, table sugar, syrups and fizzy drinks. Delving into the details of optimal post-workout carb intake, James said: “It’s nice and easy to remember because it’s believed to be one gram per pound of bodyweight for every hour of recovery. That’s the fastest recovery rate.”
In practical terms, this means that if you tip the scales at 75kg, you should aim for 75g of carbs per hour during recovery, but the professor warned that this number can be challenging to “get to the bottom of” consistently.
While he acknowledged that sports drinks can be an effective way to consume these carbohydrates, he suggested that making your own mix at home could offer more benefits.
He elaborated, “There’s no reason you can’t put 75 grams of table sugar in the solution and stir it. The advantage is that you can adjust the concentration a little bit,” especially as commercial beverage makers face restrictions on carbohydrate content, which often goes down. James recommended levels.
James acknowledged that more research is needed to determine the optimal timing of sugar intake after exercise, but suggested that an immediate approach could make it easier to meet carbohydrate needs.
He elaborated: “We know that your muscles and the tissues of your body are very receptive to sugar immediately after exercise, so the first 15 minutes is your opportunity. Then also another timing factor is to use it frequently, so more than every 15. 30 minutes feeding or sipping it continually.”
