Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Destroying Your Progress?

We are all trying to stay healthy and keep processed food to a minimum. We wake up every morning to our fresh bowls of oatmeal or scrambled eggs and broccoli (okay, okay almost every morning) and we put on our shoes and hit the pavement.

We sip water and drink herbal tea. We avoid the ice cream aisle because it is sooooo tempting. But what about the healthy fitness-oriented products? I'm pointing my finger at sports drinks to be precise. Gatorade, Powerade, and many others touted for being electrolyte replenishes have a nasty sidekick: high fructose corn syrup.

Sports drinks are soda in disguise. Drinking anything with high fructose corn syrup in it is bound to have an impact on your health progress. But what sort?

Wrecks Your Hormones
High fructose corn syrup and other added sugars are absorbed differently than glucose.  According to Bray et al, fructose does not need an insulin-dependent transporter, which affects the amount of leptin that is produced when fructose is digested (538). Leptin inhibits hunger, but HFCS interferes with the body's ability to regulate leptin.

Unwanted Weight Gain
Did you know that the average American consume 300+ kcalories in high fructose cornsyrup every day. And while I know that you aren't the average American, you may be on the low end of this number if you are drinking a sports drink during your workout.

How To Avoid It?
Stop drinking sports drinks. Drink water instead.

Now if you are one of those weirdos who hates water, then try sparkling water or adding lemon juice it. Zero calories. Zero unwanted side effects.