Honey and Athletic Performance

Athletes are always looking for new ways that they can improve their performance. Many like to look at natural supplements that they can take to boost their health. Natural supplements are great because you don’t have to worry about any extra ingredients being added, plus natural supplements tend to be a little less expensive than some of the pricey pharmaceuticals on the market. One of the recommended natural treatments you can use to boost your performance is actually honey.

Honey isn’t normally associated with being a healthy type of food, largely because it has such a sweet taste, which is often associated with unhealthy foods. Honey does have some sugars in it, namely glucose but this doesn’t make it unhealthy, as long as it is just taken in small doses. This glucose provides the athlete with necessary carbohydrates that provide a much needed energy boost. Unlike with other sugars, this glucose is broken down slower, so instead of getting one giant energy boost it is more spread out to give a continuous boost. Many expensive sports drinks make a similar claim, but the difference is their carbohydrates don’t come from natural sugars, but instead artificial sugars. These are what doctors are always saying to ignore because they break down much quicker and just get stored as unhealthy fats.

Honey can also help with improving sleep and relaxation. This is because the natural sugars in honey raises insulin and gives the body access to tryptophan. Tryptophan is famously known for being the chemical in turkey which helps put people to sleep. This might not seem all that relevant to athletes at first. Many times the night before a big game or meet athletes are going to be restless and have trouble sleeping. A tired person isn’t going to perform well, so taking a bit of honey the night before can ensure they get a good nights rest.