Sugar can be a barrier to high performance
A Fit for Cricket exclusive by CCB Strength and Conditioning Consultant Angela Jackson
MOST people accept that excessive sugar intake is bad for our health, but how many of our young
cricketers recognise the impact it can have on their on-field performance?
Sugar is rapidly following cholesterol as the latest in ‘health scare’ products.
It’s fair to say that not all sugar is bad for you, but certainly refined sugar and fructose should be
minimised from our diet, particularly if we want our body to perform to optimum levels.
Research tells us the (negative) impacts of sugar on the body are multiple, with some of the most
damaging characteristics clearly affecting how we perform with bat and ball.
Too much sugar can lead to:
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Poor concentration span
Poor energy levels
Mood swings
Obesity
Raised cholesterol - insulin signals our liver to make cholesterol
Increase in inflammation
Damages teeth
So a sugar-laden diet is almost certain to be counter-productive for opening batters who are
required to concentrate for long spells, or for pace bowlers who require stamina to bowl quickly
throughout their spell. And of course fielders will not be as dynamic if they are slow and sluggish to
react when the ball is hit towards them.
Captain Cook :
Opening batters need to
concentrate for long periods
A little bit of history and science
Our ancestors did not have access to sugar. Some
may have found honey but it was not part of our
natural diet. The pancreas is the organ from which the substance insulin is released to control blood
sugar levels. In previous generations, it probably did not have to release much insulin to control our
blood sugar levels but as we are aware with the rise in type two diabetes, the pancreas is working
overtime.
One hundred years ago we consumed an average of 15 grams of sugar per day, whereas now 25% of
people consume more than 130 grams per day, requiring far more insulin production. Insulin is
released by the body in response to excess sugar intake which causes our body to store excess sugar
as fat. Insulin also prevents already existing fat from being broken down so leads to increase weight
gain.
Foods which cause an intense insulin secretion are some well known staple foods in our diet
including potatoes, corn, white rice, carrots, and any refined sugar such as those in sweets and cakes
and give us little in the way of sustained energy or nutritional value.
Carbs: the good, the bad and the ugly
Sugars belong to the food group carbohydrates. Just like there are good fats and bad fats in our diet,
there are different types of carbs too. Carbohydrates are either:
Complex: high-fibre foods which improve your digestion. They help stabilise blood sugar, keep your
energy at an even level.
Simple: sugar and other simple carbohydrates can alter your mood, lead to cravings and cause wide
swings in your blood-sugar levels and energy.
All carbs whether simple or complex absorbed by the body are eventually converted to glucose.
Glucose is the body's main fuel. Glucose is either used immediately or stored in the body either as
glycogen or as fat. Carbs should be thought of as to how much of a rise in glucose they cause when
they are eaten known as the glycaemic index (GI). Glucose has a value of 100 and other foods are
referenced against glucose either higher or lower.
Glycemic Index: A simple guide
There are many charts available now listing the glycaemic index (GI) of foods and it is wise for
athletes to make sure that they stick to low to medium index foods before matches and sports.
There can be a role for higher index foods during sport to rapidly replenish sugar fuel levels during a
high intensity game. This is where jelly beans gained their fame as a half time snack.
Generally the less
processing a food
is subjected to the
lower the
gylcaemic index so wholegrain
anything is better
than refined white
flour products.
The good news is
that chocolate
with more than
60% cocoa has a
lower GI!
Diets higher in protein have become fashionable recently but there is no research that these are
appropriate for children and should certainly be avoided in people who are exercising heavily. In
sport, the body does require high levels of slow release carbohydrates to fuel the body for sport.
It is vital that we all become more aware of food labelling and observe the amount of sugar and the
type of carb we are fuelling our body with. Everybody would shy away from the harmful effects of
placing diesel in a petrol car engine and yet we fail to recognise the equivalent in the human diet.
Successful control of insulin will allow you to unlock performance and health and improve your
sporting success.