Interesting study on Honey... for athletes.

[homer]

As a former marathon runner I found this information very interesting, as I was always purchasing "energy gels" for long training runs and marathons.  Due to injuries I am now a beekeeper and not a runner, but I wish I had known this research when I was still running.

Honey Shines in Athletic Research, Has Scientific Community Abuzz

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., September 24 -- The National Honey Board is pleased to announce promising results from three clinical trials on honey for athletes. The studies were undertaken to evaluate honey compared to other popular forms of carbohydrates used by athletes. All three double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were conducted at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory, led by Dr. Richard Kreider. Encouraging data were presented at the annual meetings of Experimental Biology, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and research papers have been submitted to appropriate peer-reviewed journals. �We wanted to see if honey would be a good source of carbohydrate for athletes in comparison to other forms of carbohydrate. Honey did as well or better in several areas,� stated Dr. Kreider.

The first trial involved 71 subjects who were given one of seven carbohydrate gels, including honey and placebo. Honey produced only mild increases in blood sugar and insulin, prevailing over dextrose (glucose) and maltodextrin, and was similar to a popular commercial carbohydrate gel. This indicates that honey could be an effective pre-workout energy source that does not induce hypoglycemia.

The second trial studied 39 weight-trained women and men. Following an intensive workout, each subject immediately consumed a protein shake blended with sucrose, maltodextrin, powdered honey or placebo as a carbohydrate. The honey sweetened �muscle shake� was the only one to sustain blood sugar over the two hours following the exercise.

The final trial focused on nine competitive cyclists who were given a honey, glucose or placebo gel prior to and at 10-mile intervals of a simulated 40-mile race. Honey significantly increased power and speed over placebo, equaling the performance of dextrose. This exciting study is the first to show that honey is an effective carbohydrate for endurance athletes and resulted in media attention from around the world. �Our first study suggested honey could operate as a �time released� muscle fuel for exercising muscles. Our second experiment suggested that honey would be a good carbohydrate source to replenish muscles. However, our last study convinced us that honey can improve endurance exercise capacity,� concluded Dr. Kreider.

This research demonstrates that honey is a carbohydrate option for athletes based on its low glycemic index, positive metabolic response, and effective energy production. These results are great news for athletes or anyone looking for a natural, convenient energy boost. The taste of honey has broad appeal, and honey is readily available in a variety of forms and flavors.

The series of studies was sponsored by the National Honey Board (www.nhb.org), a non-profit organization in Longmont, Colorado that develops research and consumer information programs to increase the demand for honey. The research was done in collaboration with IMAGINutrition, a nutritional technology think tank in Laguna Niguel, California.


� National Honey Board
390 Lashley St., Longmont, CO 80501-6045
Phone: 303-776-2337
Fax: 303-776-1177
http://www.nhb.org

[luvin honey]

Very interesting! Now I can justify my honey addiction :) But, "low glycemic index?"!! At 100% sugar, honey does NOT have a low glycemic index. I don't know how you could come up with one higher. Am I missing something here?

Also, as much as I adore honey, I have to be a tad skeptical about such studies done by the National HONEY Board. Not that they have any reason to want the studies to turn out a certain way, or anything.  :-P

luvin honey

[alflyguy]

I just like the taste....

[luvin honey]

Just talked to a customer today who is training for an Ironman triathlon. One of his acquaintances--also in training--suggested an energy drink homemade with peanut butter, honey and a couple shots of espresso. So, hmmmmm.....

[homer]

But, "low glycemic index?"!! At 100% sugar, honey does NOT have a low glycemic index. I don't know how you could come up with one higher. Am I missing something here?

Well, it's definitely not 100% sugar.  And I think their saying that it has a low glycemic index is in relation to regular sugar, as it does have a lower index than sugar, though not tremendously lower.

[Kathyp]

the glycemic index has to do with what a food does to your blood sugar and insulin levels.  if you eat a teaspoon of white sugar, it spikes your blood sugar level.  if you eat a teaspoon of honey, it does not.  the carbohydrate from honey provides a slower release with less fluctuation in blood sugar levels.   

[bassman1977]

Sweet.  I always gulp down some honey before my softball practices/games.

[Hethen57]

Thanks...great information!  As a beek and a triathlete...I will try to incorporate some of the delicious honey I just harvested into my training and competitions and not feel guilty...woohoo  :-D.  Yesterday I sampled quite a bit during my crush and strain session and it was awesome.

[luvin honey]

I don't want to be argumentative, but I just looked up the GI of honey. It ranged, depending on honey type, from 69-75 or so. Pure sucrose (sugar) was 62.

I would choose honey over processed sugar any day, but I'm still not seeing it based on glycemic index.