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Regardless of whether you are an athlete, the World Health Organization recommends that added sugar should compose no more than 10 percent of a person’s daily diet. So, if you consume 2,000 calories a day, you should eat no more than 200 calories from sugar per day, the equivalent of 50 grams of sugar — natural or refined.
Good news: Candy can be good for you!
OK, perhaps that is an oversimplified statement — sort of like saying that all sugar is unhealthy. In fact, different sugars affect the body in different ways. For instance, natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables and dairy come with a bevy of benefits — antioxidants, vitamins, fiber — that help to combat the “stress” sugar causes in the body.
But refined sugars, such as those added to desserts and sodas, have no nutritional value. Sans natural sugar’s vital nutrients, which help the body absorb sugar at a slower rate, refined sugar does little more than cause a blood sugar spike — and subsequent crash.
Now, back to that good news: We can actually train our bodies to more efficiently process sugar. According to Nancy Clark, sports nutritionist and registered dietitian, athletes can “handle sugar better than the bodies of the unfit general public. … Research has actually shown that exercise is one of the most effective ways to … reduce incidence of Type 2 diabetes.”
Moreover, Clark said, athletes such as marathon runners “can perform better with some type of sugar fix.”
So enjoy that candy bar guilt-free and indulge with that extra cookie; just remember to pair with a workout. Compromise, after all, is always key.