SIP of the day 💦: When does the glucose:fructose ratio matter?
Sent April 6, 2023. Prices and features may have changed since.
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Sip of the day
with:
Dr. Alex Harrison | CEO
SPORT PHYSIOLOGIST & FUELING NERD
Read About Our Team
Q.
"What is the glucose:fructose ratio? When does it matter?"
A.
Glucose and fructose are both simple sugars. They're both monosaccharides, which means, they're sugars that are just made up of one sugar unit: themselves!
Glucose is simply one glucose molecule. (Watch a 1 minute explainer video HERE)
Fructose, likewise is just a fructose molecule. Something like sucrose (aka table sugar), on the other hand, is made up of two sugar subunits, which makes it a disaccharide, instead of a monosaccharide. (Watch a 1 minute explainer video HERE)
It turns out, your gut absorbs monosaccharides, like glucose and fructose, through independent channels. What this means is: to make your gut cooperate as much as possible in absorbing all the nutrients and water you consume during exercise, it's ideal to use both of the channels available. There's one set of channels for glucose. And one set of channels for fructose.
In an ideal situation, you'll consume roughly somewhere between a 2:1 and a 1:1 ratio of glucose and fructose.
Handy tip: table sugar (sucrose) is exactly, and very conveniently, a 1:1 ratio of glucose to fructose. This convenient ratio makes it a highly optimal addition to your workout fuel. Why don't more companies don't advertise using plain sugar? It would makes them seem a little "cheap," and most companies prioritize their bottom line over delivering you the truth. It's much easier to sell you an expensive product if it contains a few "fancy" ingredients in it.
As much as it might hurt our fancy image, we prefer to tell it to you straight.
Sugar is an excellent way to optimize the glucose:fructose ratio.
The glucose:fructose ratio tends to matter most when you're consuming the most carbs, or during those longer, harder, hotter activities where your body is experiencing the highest levels of stress.