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New Study Suggests Honey May Increase Recuperation After Workouts

Natural Sweetener May Be an Ideal Complement to Protein Supplements

 ORLANDO, Fla., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A research study presented today at
the annual National Strength and Conditioning Association meeting suggests
that combining honey with a protein supplement may boost post-workout
recuperation and favor better blood sugar maintenance after exercise. Protein
supplements are widely used to increase one's intake of dietary protein,
which increases among individuals engaged in intense activities such as
weight training, running, step aerobics and many competitive sports. Previous
studies have shown that a combination of carbohydrates with a protein
supplement can boost muscle energy recuperation and may favor better response
to training.

"We were pleased to find that powdered honey promoted favorable changes in
post-exercise markers of metabolism equal to that of the current standard,
maltodextrin," says Dr. Richard Kreider, lead investigator of the study and
Director of the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory at the University of
Memphis. "We also found that the group receiving honey as the carbohydrate
source did not display the typical drop in blood sugar 60 minutes after
taking the other forms of carbohydrates.  These findings support our previous
study on honey."

The current study involved a group of 39 weight trained athletes both male
and female. Subjects underwent an intensive weight lifting workout and then
immediately consumed a protein supplement blended with either sugar,
maltodextrin or honey as the carbohydrate source.  Only the honey group
maintained optimal blood sugar levels throughout the two hours following the
workout. Additionally, subjects taking honey showed favorable changes in a
hormone ratio that indicates a positive muscle recuperative state. "Our data
suggest that honey functions well in all of the aspects associated with
post-workout recuperation and energy repletion. In addition, honey appears to
stand out as perhaps a better source of carbohydrate to ingest with
post-workout protein supplements. These findings support our previous study
presented at the annual Experimental Biology meeting in April," added Dr.
Kreider. "In addition to promoting muscle recuperation and glycogen
[carbohydrates stored in muscle] restoration, honey-protein combinations also
seem well suited to sustain favorable blood sugar concentrations after
training."

This study is the second of a series of studies funded by the National Honey
Board at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory.
Located in Longmont, CO, the National Honey Board is a non-profit
organization that develops research and consumer information programs to
increase the demand for honey.  The study was done in collaboration with
IMAGINutrition, a nutritional research and technology think tank located in
Aptos, CA.

SOURCE  National Honey Board

CO:  National Honey Board, IMAGINutrition

ST:  Florida, Colorado

IN:  FOD HEA

SU:

06/22/2000 12:47 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com