Do Athletes Ever Eat Sugar? Debunking the Myth

November 16, 2025 •

3 min read

While popular dieting trends often demonize sugar, many athletes strategically incorporate it into their nutrition plans. A sports dietitian for the NWSL's KC Current team notes that the body breaks down all digestible carbohydrates into sugar, a fundamental source of energy for athletes. This article reveals why and when athletes use sugar to fuel their bodies and enhance performance.

Quick Summary

Many athletes strategically consume sugar as a fast-acting energy source for exercise and to replenish muscle glycogen stores for quick recovery. The timing, type, and amount are key to maximizing performance and preventing energy crashes. This consumption is part of a balanced diet focused on overall health, dispelling the myth that all sugar is 'bad' for athletic individuals.

Key Points

Strategic Fueling: Athletes use sugar strategically before, during, and after intense exercise for a fast energy boost.
Performance Maintenance: During prolonged exercise, sugar intake is critical for maintaining blood glucose levels, preventing fatigue, and sustaining performance.
Accelerated Recovery: The period immediately following a workout is crucial for glycogen replenishment, and consuming simple carbs during this time jumpstarts recovery.
Balanced Approach: While simple sugars have their place, the foundation of an athlete's diet should still consist of nutrient-dense whole foods.
Moderation is Key: Restrictive eating patterns can be unhealthy; allowing for moderate, timed sugar consumption supports both performance and a healthy relationship with food.

The widespread notion that sugar is universally 'bad' overlooks its crucial role in sports nutrition. For athletes, especially those engaged in high-intensity or endurance activities, fast-acting carbohydrates like sugar are a vital fuel source. The key lies not in avoidance but in strategic timing and balance, using sugar to optimize performance and accelerate recovery.

The Scientific Role of Sugar in Athletics

At a fundamental level, the body converts all digestible carbohydrates—whether from a sweet potato or a gummy candy—into glucose, a simple sugar that serves as immediate fuel. For high-performance athletes, this rapid conversion is a powerful tool. When exercising intensely or for prolonged periods, the body's primary energy stores, known as glycogen, are quickly depleted. Without a ready supply of glucose, fatigue sets in, and performance plummets.

This is where strategic sugar intake comes into play. By consuming simple carbohydrates before, during, and after exercise, athletes can ensure a constant supply of energy for their working muscles.

Before Exercise: A small amount of sugar 15-60 minutes before a long or intense workout can top up blood sugar levels and spare muscle glycogen stores. This might be as simple as a piece of fruit or a sports drink, providing a rapid energy boost.
During Exercise: For activities lasting over an hour, continuously supplying the body with carbohydrates is essential to maintain performance and delay fatigue. Many athletes use energy gels, sports drinks, or even candy to ingest between 30 and 90 grams of carbs per hour, depending on the intensity. Research has shown that using multiple transportable carbohydrates (e.g., glucose and fructose) can increase absorption rates and improve performance, especially during ultra-endurance events.
After Exercise: The 30-minute to two-hour period immediately following a strenuous workout is often called the "glycogen window," when muscles are highly sensitive to insulin and can rapidly replenish depleted glycogen stores. Consuming fast-digesting carbohydrates, sometimes paired with protein, can kickstart this recovery process, preparing the athlete for their next session.

Complex vs. Simple Carbohydrates: A Comparison for Athletes

It is important for athletes to understand the difference between carbohydrate types and their specific uses. Simple sugars are ideal for rapid fueling, while complex carbohydrates provide more sustained energy and are better for overall dietary needs.


Feature	Simple Carbohydrates (Sugars)	Complex Carbohydrates (Starches/Fiber)
Digestion Speed	Very fast; broken down and absorbed quickly.	Slower; chains of sugar molecules take more time to break down.
Primary Use	Fast energy source before, during, and immediately after intense exercise.	Sustained energy, daily fuel, and providing essential micronutrients.
Typical Sources	Fruits, sports drinks, gels, honey, candy, chocolate milk.	Whole grains, vegetables, legumes, potatoes, oats.
Effect on Blood Sugar	Causes a rapid spike in blood glucose levels.	Provides a slower, more gradual rise in blood glucose.
Best Time to Consume	Strategic timing around workouts.	Most meals and snacks throughout the day, especially on rest days.

The Role of Moderation and Overall Diet

While sugar has a strategic place in an athlete's diet, it is not a free pass to consume sugary foods indiscriminately. The majority of an athlete's energy should come from nutrient-dense, whole food sources. A balanced dietary approach ensures that the body receives all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and other protective substances needed for optimal health and performance. Strategic sugar intake is a small, tactical component of a larger, well-rounded nutritional strategy.

Furthermore, emotional and psychological factors related to food play a significant role. Completely restricting sugar can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, and allowing for occasional treats in moderation can promote positive eating habits. For some athletes, particularly those with very high-calorie needs, incorporating some sugary snacks can also be an effective way to meet their energy demands without feeling overly full.

For more detailed guidance on endurance sports nutrition, resources like MySportScience.com offer valuable insights on topics like the roles of glucose and fructose in recovery.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the answer to "do athletes ever eat sugar?" is a resounding yes, but with important qualifications. For high-intensity and endurance athletes, strategically consuming sugar is an effective method for providing rapid energy, sustaining performance during long efforts, and accelerating recovery post-workout. This strategic use is part of a larger, balanced diet that prioritizes nutrient-dense foods. By understanding the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates and when to utilize each, athletes can harness the power of sugar as a performance-enhancing tool rather than viewing it as a dietary enemy.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, sugar is not always bad for athletes. In the context of strenuous exercise, it serves as a fast and efficient energy source for working muscles. The demonization of sugar is often based on general population studies and doesn't apply to the specific fueling needs of athletic performance.

The most opportune times for athletes to consume sugar are before, during, and immediately after exercise. This strategic timing provides quick energy for workouts, sustains performance during long sessions, and helps to rapidly replenish energy stores for recovery.

During exercise, many athletes use sports drinks, energy gels, or gummies that contain multiple transportable carbohydrates like glucose, maltodextrin, and fructose. This combination helps maximize absorption and delivery of energy to muscles.

Yes, simple carbohydrates like sugar are effective for muscle recovery. Consuming them within the first two hours post-exercise, often with protein, helps rapidly replenish muscle glycogen stores, which is essential for preparing for the next training session.

Yes, athletes can eat candy strategically. Many use it during long endurance workouts as a cheap and effective source of fast-acting sugar to fuel their performance. Like any sugary food, moderation and timing are important, especially when considering electrolyte needs.

Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains and vegetables, provide sustained, long-term energy. Simple sugars are used for immediate energy boosts. Athletes typically rely on complex carbs for daily energy and simple carbs for specific fueling around exercise.

Yes, excessive sugar intake can displace more nutrient-dense foods from the diet, and sports nutrition should always prioritize whole foods. The strategic use of sugar is a tactical addition to an otherwise balanced dietary pattern, not a replacement for healthy eating.