Added Sugars - The Secret Sauce of Sport Nutrition

For athletes and active individuals, fueling during training and competition is critical. Yet, some well-meaning “clean-eating” messages have led to confusion and fear around common ingredients found in sports foods and snacks - especially corn syrup and added sugars. Let’s break it down with science and facts - with a slight air of venting from a performance dietitian who gets tired of defending sugar!

Why Sugar is in Sports Products

Carbohydrates (foods that break down into sugar) are the body’s primary energy source during moderate to high-intensity exercise. Sports drinks, gels, chews, and gummies are specifically designed to provide fast-acting fuel. Ingredients like glucose, fructose, maltodextrin, honey, maple syrup, and yes, corn syrup, are used not because they’re fillers, but because they are functional. They provide high-glycemic index carbs, meaning digestion, absorption and conversion to energy are quick!

Now, I am not saying that you should be jumping on consuming large quantities of added sugars day-to-day. For the average individual, the WHO recommends limiting added or free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake each day. For a 2000 calorie diet, that would be about 50g (12 tsp) of sugar.

However, sport nutrition is a different beast! When fueling in and around training and competition, simple sugars are extremely useful tools, giving athletes the energy they require to achieve optimal performance.

Research consistently supports the use of multiple transportable carbohydrates—a combination of glucose and fructose—for endurance and high-intensity sports. The body absorbs glucose through the SGLT1 transporter, while fructose uses the GLUT5 transporter. When used together in roughly a 2:1 ratio, they increase carbohydrate absorption, reduce gastrointestinal distress, and improve performance outcomes compared to glucose alone (Jeukendrup, 2010).

Corn syrup is high in glucose, and other added sugars provide these fast-absorbing carbs. They're easy to digest, portable, and proven to enhance endurance, especially when sessions last over 60 minutes. It is a less expensive form of carbohydrate often used in more ultra-processed snacks (rice krispie treats and gummies for example) but provides similar performance benefit to its more expensive honey or maple syrup counterparts.

Clean Eating vs. Performance Nutrition

Some athletes hesitate to use products with ingredients they wouldn’t eat "normally." But sports nutrition isn’t about normal eating—it’s about targeted fueling. In the same way we understand consuming an abundance of protein to be useful post-workout, sugar occupies its own functional role before, during and post-workout. It’s about the right fuel, at the right time.

Demonizing ingredients like corn syrup overlooks context. These are performance tools, not everyday snacks. Added sugars serve a role in exercise by minimizing fatigue, preserving muscle glycogen, and supporting recovery.

Surprising Sugar-Containing Snacks That Work

Not every athlete needs pricey commercial sports gels. And many developing or recreational athletes don't have or want to spend the money on the pricey sports foods.

Many accessible, affordable snacks contain similar ingredients and comparable carbohydrates:

• Rice Krispies Treats: Mostly glucose, low fat, quick-digesting.

• Fruit gummies and candy (like Fuzzy Peaches, Sour Patch Kids or Mott's Fruitsations): Fast carbs, palatable during long sessions.

• Honey or maple syrup packets: Naturally derived but still high in simple sugars.

• White bread with jam or banana: Classic, effective combo.
  

These foods are widely available, budget-friendly, and often easier to tolerate than some specialized products on the market. For many team sports or young athletes with tight budgets, these options offer a practical alternative without compromising performance.

The Balanced Approach

Understanding the purpose of food is key. Sports nutrition isn't about eating “clean”—it's about energy, efficacy, and timing of nutrients. Added sugars play a vital role in training and competition, but they’re not necessary in every meal. The broader diet should still emphasize whole grains, fruits, veggies, quality proteins, and healthy fats. But there’s room for both salad and candy.

Let’s stop the fear-mongering around sugar! Besides the fact that athletes need fuel that works, demonizing foods or ingredients (especially ones that are often relied on more heavily in food desserts and low income households) is a priveledged stance. Making options at home can be a great choice as well but we must recognize that many people do not have the time or energy to do so.

In all, let's remember that sugar, in many forms, is a much-needed tool in sport nutrition. Sometimes that sugar comes in the form of bananas or sport chews and sometimes it's in the form of fruit gummies or a rice krispie square. What's important is making it work for the athlete in terms of accessibility, digestibility, ease, and yes, taste!

If you need help navigating sport nutrition, connect with me and let's get working towards your health and performance goals.

If your team is looking for nutrition support, check out Built to Perform for services tailored for team nutrition. From educational workshops to training camp and competition support, we've got your nutrition needs covered!

References

1. Jeukendrup, A. E. (2010). Carbohydrate and exercise performance: the role of multiple transportable carbohydrates. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 13(4), 452–457.https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0b013e328339de9f

2. Jeukendrup, A. E., & McLaughlin, J. (2011). Carbohydrate ingestion during exercise: effects on performance, training adaptations and trainability of the gut. Nestle Nutrition Institute Workshop Series, 69, 1–12.https://doi.org/10.1159/000329161

3. Burke, L. M., Hawley, J. A., Wong, S. H. S., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(sup1), S17–S27.https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.585473

4. Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(3), 501–528.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.12.006

5. Pfeiffer, B., Stellingwerff, T., Zaltas, E., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2010). Carbohydrate oxidation from a drink during running compared with cycling exercise. Metabolism, 59(11), 1566–1572.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2010.01.031