Liz Applegate, Ph.D. Director of Sports Nutrition, University of California, Davis Nutrition Editor and Columnist for Runner's World magazine

UC Davis, USA study shows Sports Beans® jelly beans just as effective as sports drinks and gels in improving exercise performance.

Results of an important study were reported at the annual meeting of the Southwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine in San Diego recently. The study showed that Sports Beans® jelly beans were just as effective as popular sports drinks and gels in maintaining blood sugar levels and improving exercise performance competitive endurance athletes who participated in a study by researchers from the University of California Davis Sports Medicine Program.

Cyclists and triathletes in the study completed a series of four 10-kilometer time trials while ingesting three different kinds of carbohydrate supplements or water only. The athletes achieved 32-38 second faster times in the trials with the carbohydrate supplements than they did while consuming only water. In addition, the athletes completed the time trails with the highest average "power outputs" - the amounts of force applied to the bicycle pedals to go faster - with Sports Beans® jelly beans.

No study has previously assessed the benefits of sports gels or Sports Beans® jelly beans. The UC Davis researchers compared the effects of three different forms of carbohydrate supplementation (drink, gel and Sports Beans® jelly beans) versus water only during an 80-minute period of moderately intense exercise, followed by a 10K time trial. The subjects were 16 healthy, nonsmoking competitive male and female cyclists and triathletes between the ages of 23 and 45.

Sports Beans® jelly beans contain electrolytes and vitamins that standard jelly beans do not.

Although a variety of factors contribute to fatigue during prolonged exercise, it is believed that low blood glucose levels can play a role. After one hour of intense exercise, the amount of stored carbohydrate in muscle and liver tissue begins to deplete and blood sugar levels can drop, leading to fatigue. Previous research has shown that consuming carbohydrate supplements during exercise can improve endurance performance by maintaining blood glucose levels and muscle carbohydrate stores.

The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association suggests 30-60 grams of carbohydrate be ingested per hour for moderate-intensity exercise lasting more than one hour.

Based on the study, the UC Davis Sports Medicine Program recommends that athletes consume about one half of a 1-ounce sized bag of Sports Beans® jelly beans for every 20 minutes of exercise, depending on body size.

The Jelly Belly Candy Co., based in Fairfield, CA, funded and supplied the Sports Beans® jelly beans for the study.

Dr. Liz Applegate, internationally renowned expert on nutrition and fitness, is the Director of Sports Nutrition and faculty member for the Nutrition Department at the University of California, Davis. She is well known in the UK for her columns in RUNNER'S WORLD magazine and her enthusiasm and informal style make her one of the most popular and respected sports nutritionists in the sportsworld today. Dr Applegate is the recipient of two prestigous teaching awards and the author of several books including Nutrition Basics for Better Health and Performance and the Encyclopaedia of Sports and Fitness Nutrition. Dr. Applegate is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism and a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Whether training for a first marathon or planning a long weekend ride on the mountain bike, fueling up and staying fueled is essential, says Dr Liz Applegate. It is important to know what to eat and when, in order to optimise sporting performance.

What are carbohydrates and why are they so important for exercise?

Carbohydrates, pure and simple, are sugars. While you may be thinking of white table sugar, carbohydrate sugars come in many forms such as sucrose, starch, maltodextrin and fructose. Carbohydrate is found in many foods the obvious ones being bread, pasta, fruit, energy bars and jelly beans.

The basic sugar unit - glucose - is a component of all these carbohydrate foods. When you exercise, and while at rest, your muscles use glucose for fuel. The harder or faster you workout or run, the more glucose you burn. While you have some glucose stored in your muscles for a reserve, after an hour or so you start to run low on glucose. Eating or drinking a source of glucose such as a banana, Sport Beans Jelly Beans or sports drink, supplies your working muscles with glucose fuel. And as an added benefit - you stay alert and feeling energised because the brain also relies on glucose fuel for proper functioning.

Does eating a sugary carbohydrate source cause a "spike" and "crash" in energy levels?

Scientific studies do not support the long held belief that sugary foods cause a "spike" and "crash" in energy levels. Once eaten, foods high in carbohydrate such as fruit, potatoes, rice and candy, result in a rise in circulating levels of sugar. The body handles this rise through the release of the hormone insulin, which ushers the sugar into the body's cells returning levels to normal. In healthy individuals, this drop in circulating sugar levels does not result in any problems. The rise and fall of sugar levels is a normal process that occurs after eating all carbohydrate containing foods.

Do carbohydrate foods, in particular sugary ones, differ in the rate they are processed by the body?

After eating carbohydrate-containing food, glucose appears in the circulation at different rates depending upon the food. How quickly circulating levels of sugar rise is referred to as Glycemic Index (GI). A high GI food means the carbohydrate gets into the system faster than a low GI food. The GI for a food cannot be predicted based upon whether it is a complex carbohydrate such as wheat bread or a simple carbohydrate such as fruit. For example, bread, sport drink, potato and carrots all have high GI while beans, oatmeal and apples all have a low GI. Jelly beans typically have a high GI.

Does the Glycemic Index (GI) of a food have any impact on athletic performance?

Yes, high GI foods or drink are preferred over low GI during exercise since the muscles use glucose(sugar) as fuel and need this quickly. Eating a food or beverage during exercise such as Sport Beans, carbohydrate gel or sport drink that all have high GI, is recommended for a rapid source of muscle fuel. Additionally, after exercise as the muscles build back their reserves of glucose, eating a high GI food also makes sense. Research studies support the use of high GI foods over low GI during and after exercise as a means to boost performance.

How do Sport Beans compare with other sports products such as sport drinks and gels?

A variety of quickly digested carbohydrates (all with a high Glycemic Index) are used in sports products and all add to the desired level of sweetness. These carbohydrates sources also serve as a fuel source for the exercising muscle. However, Sport Beans offer a nutritional advantage to many sport nutrition products in that they contain added vitamins and minerals. When is the right time to eat for sports and workouts?

Eating before workouts is crucial for fueling exercise, but eating too close to workout time and choosing the wrong foods can spell disaster for both performance and tummy.

Keep in mind the following:

• Eat 2 to 4 hours before a workout. This may mean planning meals at different times to accommodate a workout schedule. For example, eat lunch at 2:00 pm in order to work out at 6:00 pm.
• Eat 400 to 800 calories at a pre-exercise meal. This amount should fuel a good workout without creating a sense of sluggishness or feeling full.
• Choose high-carbohydrate foods that are low in fat and have a moderate amount of protein. A slice of wholegrain bread topped with tomato slices and low-fat cheese, or breakfast cereal and fruit with semi skimmed milk or soymilk, are both excellent choices.
• Drink at least 10 ounces of water 2 hours before any exercise. This helps offset sweat loss during a workout. The 2 hours gives kidneys time to rid the body of any excess fluid.
• Many people enjoy working out during lunchtime. To avoid low carbohydrate fuel at noon, eat a mid-morning snack.

Dr Applegate suggests the following sample menu for days when exercise is scheduled and calories count:

Breakfast: 1 ½ cups oatmeal topped with 2 Tbs raisins and 1 tablespoon chopped pecan nuts / 100g semi skimmed milk or soy milk / One orange

Morning Snack: ½ pita bread spread with 1 tablespoon honey and ½ sliced banana

Noon Workout: 1 bag Sport Beans™

Lunch: One bean-and-chicken pita bread / 2 Tbs salsa / 1 cup fruit salad

Mid Afternoon Snack: ¼ cup soy nuts and dried papaya / 1 cup sports drink

Dinner: 1 ½ cups Mexican casserole (Pita bread, black beans, enchilada sauce, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and chilli peppers) / 2 cups spinach salad with 1Tbs oil and vinegar dressing

Calories: 2,100
Protein: 79g
Carbohydrate: 337g
Fat: 22% calories