The Not-so-good
No huge surprises here, either. Sucrose, or table sugar, is a refined form of sugar mainly found in desserts and snack foods with limited nutritional value. Cheaper and sweeter than sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is produced by chemically altering cornstarch. HFCS is about 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Some HFCS fructose levels reach 90 percent, for even sweeter flavor.
HFCS is added to a variety of foods, including baked goods, breads, cereals, ketchup, soft drinks and many other items that may surprise you (read nutrition labels carefully). One-third of all the sugar consumed in the U.S. comes from the HFCS in soft drinks and other sweets with no redeeming nutritional value.
Recently, some nutrition experts have raised health concerns about HFCS, linking increased intake of HFCS to the growing rate of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. Other experts counter that the empty calories in HFCS foods contribute to obesity and weight gain, and these health concerns are not inherent to the sweetener itself. More research is needed on the direct effects of added sugars and HFCS on obesity and related diseases. But all experts agree that added sugars provide empty calories, without fiber or other nutrients.
Checking food labels carefully is critical. For example, good-for-you fruit juice contains 100 percent juice; not-so-good juice is generally a fruit blend that contains HFCS. And keep in mind that even real fruit juice is higher in simple sugar than its whole fruit counterpart and provides zero fiber. In other words, you're better off eating the apple than you are drinking apple juice.
If you drink juice, opt for color to benefit from more antioxidants and phytochemicals. So, reach for purple grape juice before white grape juice.
How Much is Too Much?
There's no denying sugar makes foods more palatable, and if you're eating a well-balanced diet, you don't have to eliminate it from your food choices. The question, then, is how much added sugar is too much?
If sugar calories replace appropriate servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, the quality of your diet suffers, which could lead to diminished athletic performance. The World Health Organization recommends limiting free sugars (added sugars and those naturally in fruit juice) to no more than 10 percent of daily calories.
Try to minimize sugar in your diet, not eliminate it. The occasional dessert or candy after a meal is fine, as part of a well-balanced diet. If your active lifestyle requires 2,400 calories a day, your added sugar intake (not including naturally occurring sugars in foods such as fruit and dairy) ideally should not exceed 240 calories. If it does, cut back on your sugar intake the next day to keep things in balance.
What to Look For
The Nutrition Facts label does not distinguish between added sugar and natural sugars, but you can tell whether added sugars are a major part by reading the ingredient list. Remember, the closer the ingredient is to the beginning of the list, the more there is of it in the product.
Watch Out for These Added Sugars:
- Beet Juice
- Brown Rice Syrup
- Cane Syrup
- Corn Sweetener
- Crystalline Fructose
- Dextrose
- Evaporated Cane Juice
- Fructose
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Invert Sugar
- Malt Syrup
- Maltodextrin
- Sucrose
Sugar as Energy Food
Many popular sports drinks and gels contain glucose, glucose polymers, maltodextrin, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup as a carbohydrate source. These provide for fast absorption to quickly raise blood glucose levels when fuel stores begin to run low.
No one carbohydrate source has been shown to be superior to another in absorption and improving performance. In fact, a mix of carbohydrates may be your best bet. Avoid drinks in which fructose is the sole carbohydrate source as they may cause gastrointestinal distress because of how your body metabolizes this sugar.
Following is a look at some popular energy products that include a blend of carbohydrates.
Sports Drinks With Multiple Carb Sources
| Product | Carb source | Carb grams |
| Sports Drinks (8-oz serving): | ||
| Accelerade | Sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin | 17 |
| All Sport | Fructose, sucrose | 19 |
| Cytomax | Fructose, maltodextrin, polylactate, glucose | 19 |
| Endura | Glucose polymers, fructose | 15 |
| Gatorade | Glucose polymers, fructose | 14 |
| GU2O | Maltodextrin, fructose | 13 |
| Powerade | Fructose, sucrose | 14 |
| Ultima | Maltodextrin | 6 |
| Gels (1 packet): | ||
| Cliff Shot | Brown rice syrup | 37 |
| GU | Maltodextrin, fructose | 30 |
| Power Gel | Maltodextrin, fructose | 33 |