F it. I am quitting sugar.
Discussion
what type of sugar? Or you understand there are lots of types and some don't get broken down in the body the same as others, i.e Sucrose and Fructose.
The problem is that refined sugars in food go against the way we have ingested sugars thru evolution and basically too much.
But it would be very bad thing to stop all sugars totally.
Another ting that sometimes takes place in the body, is it expects energy. Say for example you drink diet coke over full fat coke. no calories, but the 'body' wants the calories and it has been found that you generally end up consuming energy to make up this deficit. Again no something fully understood but it has been shown to happen.
The problem is that refined sugars in food go against the way we have ingested sugars thru evolution and basically too much.
But it would be very bad thing to stop all sugars totally.
Another ting that sometimes takes place in the body, is it expects energy. Say for example you drink diet coke over full fat coke. no calories, but the 'body' wants the calories and it has been found that you generally end up consuming energy to make up this deficit. Again no something fully understood but it has been shown to happen.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Tuesday 19th January 22:24
I'd be interested to hear more specifically why you think this is the best move for you and especially why you think sugar is affecting your running, from a scientific point of view.
Some of the main physiological arguments against sugar are:
1. Excess fructose (refined sugar is part fructose) can damage the liver and increase uric acid levels.
2. Refined sugar does not provide any vitamins/minerals, but vitamins/minerals are required in order for our body to process sugar, meaning that it is a drain our bodies' nutrients
3. Excess glucose can cause a rise in blood sugar levels sufficient to trigger insulin production. Excess insulin production can ultimately lead to insulin resistance and diabetes
4. Excess sugar, particularly fructose, can be converted into fatty acids (fat), leading to obesity and heart disease
However, I have no aversion to sugar whatsoever because, based on my understanding:
1. Research has shown that in the quantities consumed by regular adults, fructose is not harmful to the liver nor does it cause dangerous uric acid levels. The original research into this subject was based on unrealistically large quantities of fructose ingested by rats.
2. There doesn't appear to be any research to show exactly how much sugar you'd need to consume before its drain on your bodies nutrients put your health at risk. My diet is very good and I imagine I get more good stuff than most anyway.
3. I ride my bike and run most days so am constantly depleting my glycogen and blood sugar. I therefore feel as though my body probably needs to produce significantly less insulin than most anyway.
4. I comfortably burn off what I eat
Perhaps you know something I don't but as a runner your body uses significantly more carbs and glycogen than your average person's anyway, so cutting out sugar completely would seem extreme to me.
Some of the main physiological arguments against sugar are:
1. Excess fructose (refined sugar is part fructose) can damage the liver and increase uric acid levels.
2. Refined sugar does not provide any vitamins/minerals, but vitamins/minerals are required in order for our body to process sugar, meaning that it is a drain our bodies' nutrients
3. Excess glucose can cause a rise in blood sugar levels sufficient to trigger insulin production. Excess insulin production can ultimately lead to insulin resistance and diabetes
4. Excess sugar, particularly fructose, can be converted into fatty acids (fat), leading to obesity and heart disease
However, I have no aversion to sugar whatsoever because, based on my understanding:
1. Research has shown that in the quantities consumed by regular adults, fructose is not harmful to the liver nor does it cause dangerous uric acid levels. The original research into this subject was based on unrealistically large quantities of fructose ingested by rats.
2. There doesn't appear to be any research to show exactly how much sugar you'd need to consume before its drain on your bodies nutrients put your health at risk. My diet is very good and I imagine I get more good stuff than most anyway.
3. I ride my bike and run most days so am constantly depleting my glycogen and blood sugar. I therefore feel as though my body probably needs to produce significantly less insulin than most anyway.
4. I comfortably burn off what I eat
Perhaps you know something I don't but as a runner your body uses significantly more carbs and glycogen than your average person's anyway, so cutting out sugar completely would seem extreme to me.
I just feel that I am eating and drinking far too much sugar. Biscuits most days and a fizzy drink a couple a times a week. I don't drink alchol or anything but recently seen someone loose their vision to being diabetic. Not sure I want anything like that to happen to me especially if it means just cutting out sugar.
I have no medical evidence to prove either point but I did hear Mo Farah say that avoids sugar and he is only just faster than me.
I have no medical evidence to prove either point but I did hear Mo Farah say that avoids sugar and he is only just faster than me.
AndStilliRise said:
I just feel that I am eating and drinking far too much sugar. Biscuits most days and a fizzy drink a couple a times a week. I don't drink alchol or anything but recently seen someone loose their vision to being diabetic. Not sure I want anything like that to happen to me especially if it means just cutting out sugar.
I have no medical evidence to prove either point but I did hear Mo Farah say that avoids sugar and he is only just faster than me.
That's fair enough. I think cutting out or at least down on things like fizzy drinks and biscuits is definitely a good thing.I have no medical evidence to prove either point but I did hear Mo Farah say that avoids sugar and he is only just faster than me.
I wasn't saying you necessarily needed to have evidence to back your decision - sometimes we just do what feels best! It's just that if you had read something then it would have been interesting to hear what your findings/logic were.
Good old Mo, certainly doesn't seem to have done him any harm if so!
I don't eat any sugar and haven't for a few years now. You'll lose a bit of weight and no doubt lower your blood insulin levels and your risk of developing diabetes. You will not miss out on any nutrients at all. You'll have to check labels too; it's in everything.
You can expect some pretty serious withdrawal for a couple of weeks - it's very addictive stuff. Once past that stage you will probably find that you just don't fancy the mid-morning biscuits. And the mid-afternoon cake. And the colas. And the sugar coated chocolate breakfast cereals, etc.
Good luck.
You can expect some pretty serious withdrawal for a couple of weeks - it's very addictive stuff. Once past that stage you will probably find that you just don't fancy the mid-morning biscuits. And the mid-afternoon cake. And the colas. And the sugar coated chocolate breakfast cereals, etc.
Good luck.
AndStilliRise said:
I just feel that I am eating and drinking far too much sugar. Biscuits most days and a fizzy drink a couple a times a week. I don't drink alchol or anything but recently seen someone loose their vision to being diabetic. Not sure I want anything like that to happen to me especially if it means just cutting out sugar.
I have no medical evidence to prove either point but I did hear Mo Farah say that avoids sugar and he is only just faster than me.
Last year I was really in to my swimming. Not just for exercise but was really "training" and pushing myself, completely as an amateur.I have no medical evidence to prove either point but I did hear Mo Farah say that avoids sugar and he is only just faster than me.
I gave up sugar and refined carbs for a bit and felt so much better for it. I also got some noticeable improvements in my swimming, more than I think I would have got from training alone. I think a lot of was that I just felt better by not eating sugar and so was able to push myself a bit harder in training.
Couldn't keep it up though as I like cake too much :-)
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