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Why sugar causes a crash

The science behind the sugar crash 

The science behind the energy crash you get from having something with high sugar has a lot to do with two hormones, insulin and glucagon.

Simply put, glucagon increases blood sugar levels and insulin lowers them.

When you have something with a high sugar content (and therefore a high glucose content), your blood sugar initially skyrockets and your body consequently produces a large amount of insulin to deal with all this excess sugar.  

However, this large amount of insulin causes your blood sugar to fall rapidly, which makes you feel sluggish and tired and is the reason why you “crash”. 

In this regard, high-sugar, high-caffeine energy drinks will aim to help someone avoid the crash by providing a top-up of readily available carbohydrates (i.e. sugar); however, there are only so many carbohydrates your body can store before it runs out again, leading to another crash requiring another top-up, which results in this “crash and burn” cycle. Naturally this has a negative effect on your overall performance at work, on the road or in the gym. 

How to avoid the crash

Eat little and often throughout the day, plus keep sugar to a minimum. A little and often approach to caffeine works well too. We have created sugar-free products exactly for this purpose.

Sugar worsens stress

Rapidly changing blood sugar levels makes the body work harder, needing to produce more insulin and cortisol rapidly. This can result in feelings of increased stress and anxiety, mood swings and a lack of sleep.

Our SAVVY BRAIN BOOST provide a sugar free alternative filled with anti-inflammatory ingredients to fight stress and improve lasting energy.

Immune system damage 

Our immune systems can be severely impacted by an excess of sugar. Bacteria and yeast feed on sugar, so excess glucose in the body causes these organisms to build up allow the body to be infected more easily.

 

Sources 

  1. Porrini, M. & Boʼ, C. D. Ergogenic Aids and Supplements. Sports Endocrinol. 47,128–152 (2016).
  2. Fan, W. et al. PPARδ Promotes Running Endurance by Preserving Glucose. Cell Metab. 25, 1186-1193.e4 (2017). 
  3. Galgani, J. & Ravussin, E. Energy metabolism, fuel selection and body weight regulation. Int. J. Obes. 2005 32 , S109–S119 (2008). 
  4. Souza, D. B., Del Coso, J., Casonatto, J. & Polito, M. D. Acute effects of caffeine-containing energy drinks on physical performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur. J. Nutr. 56 , 13–27 (2017). 
  5. McLellan TM, Caldwell JA, Lieberman HR. A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. (2016) 71, 294–312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.001 
  6. Starbucks 2019 Beverage Nutritional & Allergen Information - UK only; Available at: https://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/D81B4D7D789D49A98B8CE9E45249AE6 3.pdf (Accessed: 22nd August, 2019) 
  7. Shen JC, Brooks MB, Cincotta J, Manjourides JD. Establishing a relationship between the effect of caffeine and duration of endurance athletic time trial events: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. (2019) 22, 232–238. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2018.07.022 
  8. Peeling P, et al. Evidence-Based Supplements for the Enhancement of Athletic Performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism . (2018) 28, 178-187. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2017-0343