AIS shopCareers

Are there any concerns or considerations?

Unnecessary expense

Sports confectionery are not needed at every training session and may be an unnecessary expense.

Unnecessary energy intake

Athletes should consider their physique goals and total nutritional goals when deciding whether to consume sports confectionery around exercise. In the case of athletes who have short- or long-term restrictions on dietary energy intake, overuse of energy-dense sports foods such as sports confectionery may create problems with energy balance and overall nutrient density of the diet.

Sports confectionery should be used for the specific conditions for which they are intended rather than as a general snack. Sports confectionery is an expensive alternative to general jelly confectionery (“lollies”), or to regular food and fluid choices. This may be warranted if there is a benefit associated with a specific size or consistency of the confectionery or the presence of other “active ingredients” (e.g. caffeine, electrolytes).

Dental erosion

Repeated exposure of the teeth to sticky forms of carbohydrate is not ideal for dental health. To help reduce the potential impact of sports confectionery on dental health, athletes should consider the follow options when they are practical or able to be balanced with the sports nutrition plan.

  • Minimise the contact time between the sports confectionery and the teeth, and rinse the mouth with water after finishing the confectionery.
  • Where practical, consume dairy products after the session or chew sugar-free gum immediately after consumption of the sports confectionery.
  • Avoid brushing teeth for at least 30 minutes after consuming sports confectionery to allow tooth enamel to re-harden.

Gut discomfort

Although most athletes tolerate sports confectionery well, it is likely that a small number of athletes will suffer from significant gastrointestinal issues and may need an individualised protocol. Sports confectionery should be consumed with adequate fluid to meet hydration needs and to improve gastrointestinal tolerance. The following strategies can help to minimise problems.

  • Sports confectionery should be consumed with adequate fluid to meet hydration needs and to improve gastrointestinal tolerance.
  • ‘Gut training’ – deliberately consuming a gradually increasing amount and concentration of carbohydrate during workouts - can allow the gut to develop better capacity to absorb carbohydrate and feel comfortable.
  • The use of sports confectionery with multiple transportable carbohydrates may assist in maximising gastrointestinal comfort, particularly when carbohydrate is consumed at high rates of intake (> 60 g/h).
  • Individuals with fructose malabsorption or FODMAP intolerance should be aware of the fructose content of sports confectionery containing multiple transportable carbohydrates.

Interference with opportunities for training adaptation

Some athletes may periodise their carbohydrate intake to help support training adaptations. This may include the prescription of workouts in which there is “low carbohydrate availability” (i.e. the session is undertaken with low muscle glycogen stores and/or after an overnight fast). This strategy may increase some of the important adaptive responses to exercise. Therefore, on some occasions, an athlete may deliberately choose not to consume carbohydrate during the first part of a session.11,12

Back to top