Sugar

Sugar is everywhere. According to the USDA, the average American

eats up to 142 grams of sugar daily. That’s about 34 teaspoons of

sugar per day. High-sugar diets contribute to elevated blood sugar

levels, insulin resistance, and leptin resistance (the hormone that

tells us we are full and helps us stop eating). All of these are linked

to higher body fat percentages and weight gain.

The CDC recommends that no more than 10 percent of daily

calories come from added sugar. That is about 50 grams for a 2,000

calorie-a-day diet. In Sardinia, Italy, one of the Blue Zones, the

average daily sugar consumption is less than 3 percent of daily

calories. That is approximately 17 grams for a 2,000-calorie-a-day

diet. Sardinia has less than a 14.9 percent obesity and overweight

rate, versus the United States, which has a 47.3 percent obesity

and overweight rate.

I have seen the impact of sugar on the athletes with whom

I’ve worked. It affects performance, injury prevention, endurance,

sleep, immunity, and body composition. Sugar stimulates a phys-

iological stressor reaction that provokes adrenal fatigue, cortisol

release, and thickens the blood. This means it causes long-term

fatigue, releases a stress hormone that decreases performance,

and lowers the body’s ability to take in oxygen. Sugar disables the

immune system by compromising white blood cells, so you get

sick more easily and don’t recover as quickly. Sugar decreases the

body’s production of leptin. When insulin levels are high from too

much added sugar, leptin can’t do its job of signaling to us that

we are full, which forces you to overeat, crave more sugar, and

will eventually begin to throw off things like sleep, alertness, and

decision-making ability under stress. And lastly, sugar increases

oxidative stress in the body, which means you can’t recover quickly

or effectively.

We’re not used to looking at sugar content in our products,

and many products marketed toward athletes contain a lot of

sugar. I always posted the following on team vending machines to

help bring awareness to athletes:

Sugar Warning!!

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