Personalized nutrition monitoring shows blood sugar’s impact on sports performance, UCAN Company finds

29 Apr 2021 --- Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are exposing the weaknesses of fast-acting sugary sports nutrition products, which can send an athlete’s blood sugar soaring up before crashing below the ideal level. 

This is according to US health sciences brand UCAN Company, which highlights that using real-time data to understand the impact blood sugar on performance will alter the way athletes and everyday consumers fuel for sport.

The high demand for personalization nutritional tools is highlighted in Innova Market Insights’ Top Trend of “Tailored to Fit.” CGMs are being used by elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts to better understand the effects of blood sugar on performance. 

CGMs are being used by elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts to better understand the effects of blood sugar on performance.

A recent study published in Nature that investigates blood sugar shows that diet and exercise must be considered together to improve performance and health. Chronic high blood sugar was found to negate the positive impact of exercise.

“We’ve always thought of energy as needing sugar rapidly, but that can actually disrupt your metabolism and your ability to burn fat,” says Dr. Cathy Yeckel, human metabolism researcher at Yale University.

“What you actually want is little bits of energy over time to keep blood sugar stable.”

Rethinking how to fuel for exercise
An athlete training for a marathon or triathlon typically consumes between 100 to 200 g of sugar during a multi-hour training session when following product usage recommendations from popular sports nutrition companies.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 24 g of added sugar per day for adult women and 36 g of added sugar per day for adult men.

“The bottom line is that traditional sports fuels are not the most effective way to enhance performance and promote health,” adds Dr. Jeff Volek, leading nutrition researcher and Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at Ohio State University.

“A more optimal carbohydrate would provide a slower release and use of carbohydrate as fuel while simultaneously permitting increased breakdown and utilization of fat.”

UCAN Company highlights the advantages in keeping blood sugar stable and avoiding excess glucose in the body:

• Steady energy throughout the day.
• Sustained exercise endurance.
• Sharp focus and cognition.
• Improved fat-burning ability and better body composition.
• Better hunger control & reduced cravings.
• Lowered risk for metabolic diseases.

“It doesn’t matter the age, athlete or sport – regulating your blood sugar is critical for any athletic or health conscious individual,” says Bob Seebohar, registered dietitian and former sports dietitian for the US Olympic Team.

According to recent research conducted at King’s College London, blood sugar dips occurring between two to four hours after eating could be causing increases in hunger and resulting in overeating and excessive weight gain in certain people, further emphasizing the importance of personalized nutrition.

Energy source for maintaining stable blood sugar
Among the UCAN Company’s product range is UCAN Edge, marketed as an energy source scientifically proven to maintain stable blood sugar levels.

UCAN Edge is marketed as an energy source scientifically proven to maintain stable blood sugar levels. (Credit: UCAN Company)The company’s SuperStarch, the unique underlying ingredient in UCAN’s products, was originally created to provide energy for a child with a rare condition that prohibits the body from producing its own blood sugar, resulting in frequent and dangerous episodes of hypoglycemia.

Out of this need came a one-of-a-kind, slow-releasing complex carbohydrate that delivers steady, long-lasting energy without causing spikes and crashes in blood sugar.

“Despite the creation of a multi-billion dollar sports nutrition market, there's been little innovation with respect to formulation until SuperStarch,” says Dr. Volek. “SuperStarch represents a major advancement and is legitimately the most exciting development in sports nutrition this century.”

Elite athlete endorsers of the brand include marathoner Sara Hall, Olympic triathlete Katie Zaferes, CrossFit star Scott Panchik, Olympian Meb Keflezighi, American pro triathlete Tim O’Donnell and Olympic water polo player Maggie Steffens.

What’s new in sports nutrition
Among trend highlights, sports nutrition brands are taking a mainstream approach in terms of branching out into formats such as on-the-go snacks and energy shots. Brands are also rolling out launches of indulgent and familiar tastes with cross-category inspiration, such as Hostess Cupcake flavors, cherry cola flavor and Fruity Pebbles flavors.

Dietary supplements supporting cognition, memory and focus are also increasingly popular among traditional athletes and everyday consumers alike. 

According to Innova Market Insights data, specific nootropic claims are witnessing an average annual growth of 62 percent (Global, CAGR 2016 to 2020). Other major claims revolve around clarity, performance, stamina and anti-stress.

In other developments, Robertet is shedding light on the role of cellular health on sports nutrition. The French company says that COVID-19 has been pushing greater athlete awareness of factors like antioxidant stress in muscle cells.

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer