Why sugar is great for hydration
If you participated in sports as a kid, you probably remember eating orange slices at practice, or in between meetups, races, and games. There’s a good reason for this! Orange slices are a great source of sugar, with some added fluids to keep you going throughout your exercise.
Maybe you don’t turn to orange slices now for your sugar and fluids during exercise, but you’re still aware of how important proper hydration is for training and recovery. As an active person, you lose fluids and electrolytes via sweat. And the longer you exercise, the more you will need to replenish with water and sodium to prevent dehydration.
Dehydration can cause you to fatigue faster and experience a reduced level of performance. A 2018 meta-analysis looked at the effects of various hydration plans during exercise bouts and found that fluid consumption with the intent to prevent water losses actually improves performance. A 2021 randomized, cross-over, and counter-balanced study further elucidated these results. Researchers analyzed well-trained cyclists and found that water, free of electrolytes or added sugars, was sufficient for improving shorter time trials (<30 minutes) in hot environments. This may indicate that in some scenarios, water is enough to help you power through your workout.
But what about longer, higher-intensity bouts of exercise? This same study compared athletes in longer time-trials in thermoneutral conditions (~21°C) and found that carbohydrate-containing beverages improved performance. From a bioenergetics standpoint, this makes sense because carbohydrates are often considered the primary fuel source used in longer, more intense exercise.
How carbs power exercise
Carbohydrates are integral to maintaining energy levels during exercise. When you exercise, your body converts stored glycogen from your muscles and liver into glucose for usable energy. While your body’s stores of glycogen may support you during exercise that lasts less than sixty minutes, what you ate in preparation for exercise, what you eat during, and how intensely you’re pushing your body can determine if carbohydrates need to be replenished, especially if you plan to exercise for longer durations.
At the beginning of exercise, muscle glycogen rapidly declines, especially at high-intensity performance outputs. If glycogen stores become depleted, the body will begin to rely on fat for energy, but the conversion of fat into a usable energy source is slow, which could result in reduced performance. But, if carbohydrates are consumed around exercise, you provide your body with ready-to-use energy.
Why sugar-free hydration powders aren’t ideal for performance
While dehydration and hyponatremia are real causes for concern during exercise (both conditions can cause fatigue, reduced muscle function, or severe health problems if left unresolved), sugar-free electrolyte powders may not be sufficient for supporting performance objectives, as noted in the above section.
While it is tempting to eliminate sources of added sugar from the overall diet, it’s actually an asset you can leverage for your sports performance. Sugar, or sucrose, is a disaccharide (i.e., carbohydrate) composed of equal amounts of glucose and fructose. When consumed, sucrose is broken down into its constituent monosaccharides. Glucose enters the bloodstream more rapidly than fructose, but both are utilized by the body, and can make up a large fraction of the body’s energy source during exercise if you consume sucrose-rich foods or beverages around exercise bouts.
Sugar-containing hydration powders improve rehydration
Recovery after exercise typically includes three important steps: 1) protein consumption for muscle recovery, 2) carbohydrate consumption for glycogen replenishment, and 3) fluid consumption for rehydration. While some studies do show the benefit of pure water as the sole tool for rehydration, other research shows that the consumption of carbohydrate-sodium hydration drinks post-exercise is more beneficial to rehydration than non-carbohydrate-containing sodium hydration drinks. This is especially true for exercise that produces a higher sweat-rate.
How many carbohydrates should my hydration drink contain?
Depending on when you are consuming your fluids around exercise, you may be able to replace solid-based, carbohydrate-rich snacks with sugar-containing hydration beverages. If your goal is to prepare the body for exercise performance and maintain hydration status, you might consider a beverage that contains roughly half a gram (g) of carbs per kilogram (kg) body weight in the 30 minutes before you begin exercising, mixed in 7-10 ounces (oz) of water. For example, a person weighing 68 kg can consume up to 34g of carbs in the 30 minutes prior to exercise, which is enough time to digest and turn carbs into usable energy. For every hour of exercise, that person should aim for 30-60g of carbs diluted in 7-10 oz of water (this is the general amount recommended for all exercising individuals). After the conclusion of exercise, the individual should consume 1g of carbs per kg body weight (up to 68 kg) diluted in 7-10 oz of water.
Final thoughts
Although sugar-containing hydration powders have the power to enhance your performance and recovery, it’s up to you to decide if it’s the right option for you. Hydration powders are an effective and simple way to combine the athlete’s needs for both carbohydrates and fluids.
Of course, before consuming any new supplements, you should consult your doctor to ensure it is safe for you.
