How will sugary foods affect my athletic performance?

How will sugary foods affect my athletic performance?

Jerry Pryde, MD, MPH, CIME (Clinical Chief, Department of Rehabilitation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) gives expert video advice on: Should I drink water or sports drinks while exercising?; Is it possible to hydrate too much?; What do my muscles use for energy when exercising? and more...

It's not a good idea to eat sugary foods before an athletic event because the large amount of sugar will be absorbed in your bloodstream and this will cause a large release of insulin, the hormone that causes you to absorb sugar out of your bloodstream. When the insulin is released into your bloodstream your blood sugar levels--your blood glucose levels--go down and they will actually dip down below the normal level. So an athlete may experience a short time frame during the activity where they actually have less energy even though they've been taking in more sugar.