Could It Bee? Honey Ingestion Induces Comparable Metabolic Responses to Traditional Carbohydrate-Based Sports Nutrition Product During 3-Hr Steady-State Cycling and Subsequent Exercise Capacity Test

The present study investigated the effects of honey compared with a traditional carbohydrate based sports nutrition product (TRAD-CHO) on metabolic and gastrointestinal responses during exercise, as well as exercise capacity. In a randomized crossover design 12 trained males ingested 90 g × hr−1 of carbohydrate in the form of TRAD-CHO, or honey (HONEY) during 180 min of steady-state cycling undertaken at 90% lactate threshold, followed by a capacity test consisting of a time to fatigue at 120% of lactate threshold. Mean total CHO oxidation (HONEY 2.47 ± 0.37 g × min−1, TRAD-CHO 2.41 ± 0.39 g × min−1) and fat oxidation (HONEY 0.44 ± 0.12 g/min, TRAD-CHO 0.42 ± 0.10 g/min) were not different between trials during steady-state cycling (p = .517). The overall incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms rated as “moderately severe” or worse was low. There was no difference in time to fatigue (p = .517). There was no difference in breath hydrogen postexercise (p = .319) and the number of participants in each condition, with >20 parts per million rise from baseline not significantly different between conditions (6: SPORT, 7 HONEY: p = 1.00). From these data, honey could be a potentially alternative fueling option to commercial TRAD-CHO, with the current data providing no evidence of any systematic differences between the conditions on whole-body carbohydrate oxidation and endurance capacity test.