3 Ways That Eating Manuka Honey Pre-Workout Can Boost Performance
“Combining different forms of carbohydrates may increase oxidation rates and allow for worthwhile ingestion of a greater overall total volume of exogenous energy during prolonged endurance exercise.
Given that honey contains multiple sources of carbohydrates (i.e., primarily fructose and glucose), this natural substance seems intuitively able to offer potential as a “food-first” approach to carbohydrate supplementation.”
You might think that eating honey pre-workout makes sense from an energy perspective.
More sugar means more energy, right?
This appears to be partly true, but far from the end of the story.
Let’s check out the evidence for why eating honey before working out can have a more holistic impact on our health.
1) Honey fuels your body for exercise
When we exercise, our active muscles use the glucose in our blood for energy³.
To keep our blood glucose levels steady, our bodies release hormones that produce more glucose to keep our muscles supplied.
If blood sugar isn’t regulated, this can either be a sign or cause of health problems like diabetes⁴.
But there are ways we can give our bodies a helping hand.
Honey contains mostly carbohydrates including fructose and glucose, which are important nutrients for exercising.
Since our bodies need blood glucose to replace what’s being used up by our muscles, snacking on honey before exercise can help to provide this naturally.
2) Honey helps you to keep exercising for longer
“The honey drink was as good as commercial sports drink in improving running time trial performance and have similar effects on blood glucose.”
Honey is lower on the glycemic index than sugar, so it raises blood sugar levels more slowly.
(It also has much more nutritional value than sugar⁵).
Studies have found that it is as good or better at maintaining blood glucose levels than artifical performance snacks and drinks⁶.
What does all this mean, exactly?
It means that honey does a better job than of drip-feeding you the energy you need to exercise than refined sugar, rather than supply it all in one go and leading to a crash later on.
By consuming honey pre-workout, you can help stabilise your glucose levels in a healthier, more natural way.
3) Honey helps to keep you focused while exercising
“The brain is one of the few human organs that relies heavily on blood glucose to maintain optimal functioning. As cognitive processes are likely to be vital [in skilled or prolonged sports]… nutritional strategies that help maintain or increase blood glucose concentrations could be of benefit.
Given its typical carbohydrate composition (i.e., containing primarily low GI fructose), there exists a theoretical basis to suggest honey as a potentially worthwhile intervention in this context.”
Our active muscles aren’t the only things that need blood glucose to function optimally.
Our brains need it too.
And if glucose levels drop, we can start to feel fatigued and struggle to concentrate⁷.
Studies have found that honey can have similar positive impacts on cognitive functioning, blood glucose concentrations and immunological responses as other types of carbohydrate, particularly when consumed regularly over a few weeks⁸.
So rather than opting for artificial sweeteners, snacks, or drinks, try manuka honey before exercising.
Scroll down for recipe ideas.
