What are the reasons why you can't eat sugar during fitness

Controlling sugar intake during fitness is mainly related to exercise effectiveness, metabolic regulation, and health risks. There are mainly five core reasons that affect fat burning efficiency, interfere with insulin sensitivity, increase visceral fat accumulation, cause post exercise hypoglycemia, and accelerate muscle breakdown.

1. Affects fat burning efficiency

During high-intensity exercise, the body preferentially consumes glycogen for energy supply. Excessive intake of sugar can prolong the consumption time of glycogen reserves and delay the fat mobilization stage. supplementing refined sugar after exercise may interrupt the several hour fat burning window period and reduce the fat loss effect. It is recommended to choose carbohydrates with low glycemic index instead of refined sugars.

2. Interference with insulin sensitivity

Frequent intake of high sugar foods can lead to drastic fluctuations in insulin levels. Long term may induce insulin resistance and hinder muscle absorption and utilization of glucose. Sports enthusiasts require a stable insulin environment to promote muscle glycogen synthesis, and the rapid absorption characteristics of refined sugars can disrupt this process.

3. Increase visceral fat accumulation

Fructose is easily converted into triglycerides during liver metabolism, and excessive amounts can easily form visceral fat. This type of fat can secrete inflammatory factors that interfere with muscle recovery and increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. Fitness enthusiasts should pay special attention to avoiding hidden sugars in sugary drinks and processed foods.

4. Inducing hypoglycemia after exercise

Consuming high sugar foods immediately after exercise may cause reactive hypoglycemia. Sudden increases and decreases in blood sugar can lead to fatigue and dizziness, affecting subsequent training performance. It is recommended to supplement protein and complex carbohydrates after exercise, and then consider moderate sugar supplementation after blood sugar stabilizes.

5. Accelerate muscle breakdown

Severe fluctuations in blood sugar can stimulate the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that promotes muscle protein breakdown. For muscle building individuals, unreasonable sugar intake may offset the synthetic metabolic effects of strength training. If necessary, a small amount of low glycemic index carbohydrates can be supplemented before exercise. Fitness enthusiasts should prioritize obtaining carbohydrates through natural foods such as whole grains, potatoes, and low sugar fruits. Sports nutrition supplementation should be personalized according to the training intensity. After high-intensity interval training, an appropriate amount of easily absorbable sugar can be supplemented, while after moderate to low-intensity aerobic exercise, protein and dietary fiber should be the main sources. Long term control of added sugar intake can help improve exercise performance and body fat management, and reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Special groups, such as diabetes patients or those with hypoglycemia, need to develop sugar intake programs under the guidance of doctors.