(Reprinted from the Georga Tech Sports Medicine & Performance Newsletter, Vol. 7 No. 9 May 1999)

Somehow, somewhere, the idea that sugary foods like cany bars and cookies could give a boost to athletic performance was conceived.  The misconceptions surrounding that idea persist, byt Newsletter Editorial Board member Ellen Coleman, M.A., R.D., gives us the following information to dispel myths about sugar.

"Consuming sugar before anaerobic exercise such as sprinting or weight lifting will not improve performance because the body relies on stored ATP and muscle glycogen for these tasks," says Coleman, writing in The Ultimate Sports Nutrition Handbook.  "Sugar won't provide you with a sudden burst of energy and could cause cramps, nausea, diarrhea, or bloating."

Coleman adds that, although some endurance athletes take fructose because they think it is superior to other forms of sugar, it does not improve endurance performance and may aldo cause gastrointestinal distress.  Neither dies eating brown sugar, honey or molasses rather than table sugar.  "These so-called natural sugars will not add significant nutritional value to your diet."