THE QUICK OVERVIEW
The Villain
Refined Sugars
The Victim
Your Fitness
The Crimes
Energy Spikes
Energy Crashes
Unintended Fat Gain
When you look up the word “refined” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary the definition reads: “free from impurities”.
This definition of “refined” makes the definition of “refined sugars” quite ironic. Because, “refined sugars” and the use of refined sugars, quite literally, is anything other than “pure”.
“Refined sugars” are sugars that have been processed and stripped of their natural nutrients and fiber. Examples of refined sugars include white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, glucose, sucrose, and dextrose. Refined sugars are frequently added to foods to enhance the foods flavor, texture, and shelf life. Examples of foods that refined sugars are often added to include soda, flavored yogurt, and cereal.
1. ENERGY SPIKES & CRASHES
Refined sugars offer empty calories–meaning they provide energy but little to no nutritional value. They are simple carbs with no fiber so they digest very quickly. When I say “digest”, I mean they break down very quickly from carbohydrates into glucose (sugar).
This causes glucose to flood into your bloodstream almost immediately, which, in turn, causes a spike in your blood sugar. This initial spike in your blood sugar may initially cause you to feel energized. But, don’t be fooled, it can be short-lived.
In response to the spike in your blood sugar, your body responds by releasing insulin. Insulin then moves the glucose out of your bloodstream. If too much insulin is produced, this can then be followed by a crash–meaning your glucose drops too low, after spiking too high.
When this happens, you may be left feeling light headed, tired, hungry, or irritable, among other things. Not great for top performance, am I right?
But, if you aren’t yet convinced…
2. UNINTENDED FAT GAIN
Remember above when I said the insulin comes and moves the glucose out of your bloodstream? Well, the insulin moves the glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells. If your muscles are already full of stored glucose (glycerin), the excess is then converted into body fat (particularly around the belly). Adding insult to injury, if too much insulin is released, high insulin prevents fat breakdown. In other words, your body stores fat more easily and burns less.
If you frequently consume refined sugars, and such consumption leads to sugar spikes, this can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is similar to other types of resistances – more or less, your cells stop responding to insulin. When this happens, your body overcompensates and releases even more insulin. This overproduction of insulin further exacerbates the fat storage dilemma.
Even if you’re exercising regularly, consistently poor eating habits (such as frequent consumption of refined sugars) can stall progress—or even reverse it. At the end of the day, as beneficial as exercise is, you can’t outrun a bad diet.
