Sport Curious about sugar intake?

[Kathleen01]

The past year I have made the commitment to build muscle (Im a 5'2 110lb female). I have done pretty good but would like to get a little more serious this year. I eat very well, with occasional cheat meals. My question is, how much sugar is too much? I LOVE the occasional sweet treat, but hate feeling so guilty for having it. For those of you who are devoted body builders, did you give up sugar completely?

Thanks!
Kathleen

 

[TPT]

If I'm really craving sugar I'll have a cheat day set up where I'll have the cheat meal without it impacting my progress. With sugar its tricky because it can spike your insulin levels and thus cause your body to store fat.

 

[Jrahien]

In terms of added sugar, the recommended intake for women is around 24g. The occasional sweet snack shouldn't compromise your diet. It's important to treat yourself anyway, as it will decrease your chances of binging later on after depriving yourself.

 

[workoutdvdworld]

If you want to have a sweet treat, just work out exactly how many calories you've eaten and then do the extra exercise to burn it off. A lot of body building specialists recommend having a cheat day or even a cheat weekend, so if you incorporate your treats on those days it will actually help with your over all results. A cheat day can reset your metabolism and also gives you the psychological benefit of not feeling deprived.