MYTH: Athletes should not eat carbohydrate, specifically sugars, shortly before exercise because it might cause blood sugar to spike and crash, hurting performance.
FACT: While some athletes who eat carbohydrate shortly before beginning exercise may experience a rise in blood sugar followed by a “dip” after the onset of exercise, most do not feel an impact and research shows overall performance is not impaired. In fact, carbohydrate consumed within about the hour prior to exercise behaves the same metabolically as that consumed during exercise, and essentially begins during exercise fueling. This behavior may be especially important for athletes who do not have the opportunity to eat additional carbohydrate during exercise.1
