We know that excessive sugar intake is bad
One thing hasn’t changed. The scientific evidence is overwhelmingly supportive of the idea that excessive sugar consumption is bad for health. Its impacts are well documented for dental health and also weight gain, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. There are a lot of studies showing a close connection between an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. You can read more about the risks in our previous article but one thing is for sure – sugar can be a source of health problems. What’s the official sugar limit?
The keyword when it comes to sugar is excessive. What does excessive consumption mean? The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting added sugar intake to less than 10% of total daily energy intake. It adds that additional health benefits are observed when sugar is further reduced to below 5%. Similarly, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 advise that anyone over 2 years old should keep added sugars to under 10% of their total daily caloric intake.
The recommended 10% is not very much if we consider an average 2,000 kcal diet. It’s only 200 kcal, which equals 50 g of sugar. Cyclists need that sugar to fuel high-intensity training sessions, races, and recovery between hard days. You can read more about all the ways sugar fits into a cyclist’s diet here. Those 50 g wouldn’t even be enough for an hour of intervals. So, what are cyclists supposed to […]
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