The Truth About Sugar, Mood, And Performance

How much sugar is too much? And is some healthier, or should you avoid it all? Let’s delve into the truth about the sweet stuff…

Is all sugar unhealthy?

Sugar is one of the foods that has polarised diet discussions over the decades. Like fat, we’ve been given mixed messages. In the 1960s, adverts proclaimed that sugar was a valuable source of energy (especially for children, and dieting women…) Fast-forward to the 2020s, and we are told that it isn’t just bad for us, it’s actually addictive.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Sugar isn’t inherently evil (and it is a good source of energy, those ads were right about that!) But what we do to it makes it unhealthy.   

What are the different kinds?

When we talk about “sugar”, we usually mean refined like granulated table sugar, or the kind that is used in sweets, biscuits, and baked goods.

It’s important to remember that there are four types: glucose, fructose, lactose, and sucrose. The first three are fine in moderation, and can be part of a healthy diet. The last one – sucrose – isn’t.

When is it OK to eat?

Many of you reading this will be endurance athletes, cyclists, runners, triathletes and long distance walkers. You lot need some sugar! Sugar is a phenomenal source of fast energy which can be digested and put to use very quickly.

When you need some, it’s OK to eat some. The problem arises when we eat far too much when our body can’t use it.

There’s a big difference between eating dried fruit or a homemade flapjack on a 50 mile bike ride, vs sitting at your desk mindlessly picking at a bag of jelly sweets.

What is the worst kind?

I don’t like to demonise any food, but refined sugar has very little to commend it. It’s a pure source of energy, and that’s about it. All sugar starts as a natural source, but when we refine it we strip away the fibre and remove the vitamins and minerals. All that’s left is energy – lots of it.

You should also pay attention to your intake of fructose (fruit sugar). Although fructose usually contains fibre, vitamins and minerals from the source, we often consume it in forms that make it more calorific.

Think about fruit juice – a glass of orange juice might contain the juice of 8 oranges, but would you ever eat 8 whole oranges? The same goes for dried fruit. That little handful of dried mango or raisins is the equivalent of a huge bowlful of the original fruit. Exercise portion control with fructose – and focus on getting it from whole fruit.

Is sugar addictive?

No, it is not addictive in the real sense of the word. But it is moreish (“hyper palatable” in nutritionist-speak) and not very filling. So it’s very easy to eat far too many calories from refined sugar, and barely feel like you’ve eaten anything. It is often paired up with fat (think about doughnuts, cookies etc) which increases the problem.

Surprising foods that contain refined sugar

If you want to cut out refined sugar, you need to do more than stop taking sugar in your tea. You’ll find it in a surprising list of foods…

  • Soft drinks and sports drinks
  • Fancy coffee-shop coffees
  • Cereals, muesli, granola
  • Cereal bars, flapjacks
  • Pastries, cookies, baked goods
  • Sweets, ice-cream
  • Canned fruit and even some canned beans
  • Jams and spreads
  • Some low-fat diet foods
  • Sauces, dressings, ready meals

How does refined sugar impact the body

Refined sugar has had all the fibre and micronutrients removed, so it travels through the digestive system extremely quickly. And, as already mentioned, it’s hyperpalatable and very easy to overeat.

Sucrose has been scientifically linked to increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, oral health problems, depression, liver disease and some cancers.

5 health reasons to avoid refined sugar

Mood & mental health

Diets high in refined sugar have been linked with depression, increased anxiety, and low mood. This 2015 study from the Women’s Health Initiative looked at a high glycaemic index diet as a risk factor for depression. Although its findings are about postmenopausal women, the link between high sugar intake and poor mental wellbeing can be applied to everyone.

A 2013 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at the link between glucose levels and risk of dementia and found that high sugar intake can lead to hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, and increased microvascular disease of the central nervous system – al of which can contribute to dementia.

Energy & performance

Sugar is pure carbohydrate, which is very useful if you’re cycling hundreds of miles or walking the length of the British Isles. But for every day life, sugar should be kept to a minimum. It can boost training performance, but don’t kid yourself that you need it for a regular workout. Long endurance sessions, or two-a-day intense training might call for a sugar boost.

In general, sugar will lead to intense spikes in blood sugar which will give you that horrible crash a few hours later.

Weight gain

Sucrose in food and drinks has been consistently linked with weight gain in both children and adults, as evidenced by this 2013 systematic review and meta-analysis from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The main reason for this is sugar’s inability to fill us up, coupled with its hyper-palatability, so it’s very easy to take in too many calories.

Long-term health

The choices you make today will lay the foundations for your long-term health. There are clear links between refined sugar intake and cancer risk, fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and the cognitive issues already discussed.   

Look after your long-term health by building a diet around lean protein, wholefood carbohydrates, healthy fats, vegetables and some fruits. Your future self will thank you.

Do you need help and support with healthy eating? Get in touch to discuss my fitness and performance coaching.

Coach Joseph Webb.

‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’

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