Honey Boosts Performance

28 October 2005

Going for a walk or heading for a gym session? Take a honey snack before and after your workout and exercise will be easier and you’ll recover quicker. That’s the conclusion to be drawn from sports nutrition studies.

Taking honey before and during exercise improves performance, speeds post-workout muscle recovery and doesn’t spike blood sugar levels during or after exercise according to a series of studies by the University of Memphis Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory.

Honey performed just as well in fuelling strenuous exercise as glucose, the “standard” carb supplement used by many high performance athletes, and did not display the typical drop in blood sugar 60 minutes after exercise, according the study director, Professor Richard Kreider.

Endurance cyclists recorded faster times and enjoyed higher energy levels. The cyclists received 15 grams of honey in gel form with 250 ml of water prior to and every 16 km during time trials.

With weight trained athletes, only honey maintained optimal blood sugar levels throughout the two hours following the work out, and honey stood out in supporting restoration of muscle energy and strength post-workout.

"Numerous studies have singled out carbohydrates as a critical nutrient in endurance exercise,” noted Professor Kreiger. “Most of the studies to date have shown supplementation with glucose to provide the extra staying power. We were pleased to find that honey, a ‘cocktail’ of various natural sugars, performed just as well."

Studies were supported by the National Honey Board*

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