Hey bro, did you know honey is anabolic? The growth of muscle and its recovery are interconnected, and they both benefit from post-workout nutrition that includes honey. Honey was used as natural doping at the Olympic Games in ancient Greece: athletes drank honey water to regain strength. Turns out ancient Olympians knew what they were doing. You can boost anabolic function in your body by adding honey to a protein shake after your workout as the carb component as it provides 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon. Honey, along with a protein will help you make the most of the window after your workout that is favorable for muscle building and repair.
Maybe you are an endurance athlete. Ingesting a spoonful of honey before or during exercises prevents muscles from tapping into glycogen stores for energy (Beekeeper's Naturals. 2018, June 11). In a study by the Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory at the University of Memphis, honey was found to be one of the best carbohydrate sources before exercise(Admin. 2016, August 23). Compared to cane sugar, honey has a lower glycemic index because of its higher fructose content. Compared with other carbohydrates, fructose is a monosaccharide that slowly absorbs in the small intestine, resulting in a lower glycemic response (M;, S. F. S. S. K. A. A. (n.d.).
Collective evidence also reveals that the oral administration of honey increases serum testosterone levels in males (Sak-Bosnar, M., & Sakac, N. 2012, November). In addition, findings show honey contains various bioactive compounds (e.g., phenolic acids) that may improve testosterone production. Honey also contains the mineral boron, linked to high testosterone. However, still, there is a lack in the number of human studies in this research context (Banihani, S. A. 2019, July 4).
The key takeaway here is that honey is still sugar! And it should be treated as such. However, it’s going to do a better job regulating your blood sugar and maintaining glycogen stores than cane sugar. It may even give you a test bump. All things that will enhance performance, muscle growth, and recovery. Choosing to buy your honey from local beekeepers ensures that you are ingesting raw honey, that has not been adulterated or heated beyond its benefits.
Admin. (2016, August 23). Consider honey for a pre- or post-workout boost. AMP Fitness. https://ampfitness.com/consider-honey-for-a-pre-or-post-workout-boost/#:~:text=Carbohydrates%20and%20protein%20are%20both,starts%20when%20your%20workout%20ends.
Banihani, S. A. (2019, July 4). Mechanisms of honey on testosterone levels. Heliyon. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6612531/.
Directory of Open Access Journals. DOAJ. (n.d.). https://doaj.org/.
Looking to Biohack Your Workout? Just Add Honey. Beekeeper's Naturals. (2018, June 11). https://beekeepersnaturals.com/blogs/blog/biohack-your-workout-with-honey.
M;, S. F. S. S. K. A. A. (n.d.). Effect of Natural Honey on Glycemic Control and Anthropometric Measures of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial. International journal of preventive medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30774837/.
Sak-Bosnar, M., & Sakac, N. (2012, November). Direct potentiometric determination of diastase activity in honey. research gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230622567_Direct_potentiometric_determination_of_diastase_activity_in_honey.
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