Less Fat Use During Exercise with Sugar Feeding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and World Health Organization recommend that people trying to lose weight should exercise 60 to 90 minutes per day. Most people are aware of the importance of fluid replacement during prolonged exercise and might naturally bring along a sports drink like Gatorade during a walk or bike ride.

That could be a mistake. Researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. Louisiana found that consuming high sugar drinks during exercise prevented fat use by increasing blood insulin and sugar levels and lowering blood free fatty acids (FFA). Glucose (sugar) ingestion during a two-hour bout of moderate-intensity exercise decreased the activity of genes involved in fat metabolism and decreased uncoupling protein 3 (UPC-3). UPC-3 is important for increased caloric consumption during recovery from exercise.

We can infer from these data that consuming sports drinks during exercise may lessen the effects of exercise on weight loss.