Why You Should Eat Sugar

You’ve been told to cut back and to even eliminate it – but new science shows that ditching sugar has serious consequences for active women. Here’s why your body actually needs the sweet stuff.

Sugar has become nutrition’s public enemy No. 1. Eating too much is blamed for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, among other things – which is why everyone you know is going nuts trying to quit it. But if you’re an active woman, the story is different, and ridding your diet of sugar isn’t just unnecessary, it can actually sabotage your fitness goals, experts say.

You can and should eat sugar before, during, or right after your workout because your brain and muscles need it for fuel, especially if you’re doing intense or lengthy sessions. Without it, you won’t be able to push as hard or go as long, explains Lauren Antonucci, a sports dietitian and nutrition consultant to the New York Road Runners. “For active women, sugar is not the devil,” she says. “It’s something you can use to your advantage to become faster and stronger.”

THE WORKOUT LOOPHOLE