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Fructose: Going To Waist? Part 1 of 2

Fructose is not the best choice for bodybuilders trying to get very lean because it can too readily be converted to body fat. When humans consume excess fructose, it is more likely to go toward the production of fatty acids and cholesterol than toward the production of glucose to fuel your muscles. You might as well beg your body to make fat.

Fructose is a simple sugar found in many foods, including corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, corn-syrup solids, fruit sugar, honey and table sugar. It is nearly twice as sweet as sucrose, so smaller amounts achieve the same amount of sweetness, and it is generally inexpensive. For these reasons, fructose is included in many refined foods and supplements. It's also found in fruit, but fruit offers benefits such as fiber without providing a large quantity of fructose. So, as a bodybuilder, you can consume fruit (one or two servings) on a daily basis without worrying about the negative effects of fructose. Fruit juices, however, are a different story - they don't have the fiber that slows down the digestion/absorption of whole fruit.

More refined forms of fructose should be avoided by bodybuilders. As fructose enters the body, the liver acts like a big sponge, sucking it up. If you have been eating well and have met your body's energy needs, your liver is full and doesn't need additional glycogen. Therefore, any extra foods consumed - especially those high in fructose - encourage the fat production process. Basically, as your fructose intake increases, so does fat production.