Gummy bears are a popular snack, but are they really full of sugar? The answer is yes. An average serving of gummy bears, which is about 17 or 18 pieces, contains between 21 and 22 grams of sugar. That amount of sugar is equivalent to between 5.25 and 5.5 teaspoons of sugar. As a general rule, there are usually 14 to 17 grams of sugar in a pack of gummy bears. But why are gummy bears so full of sugar? Carbohydrates, or sugars, are essential for building strength, increasing physical performance and gaining muscle mass.
Simple carbohydrates, such as those obtained from gummy bears, help athletes to replenish their glycogen stores after being exhausted due to intense physical activity. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is stored in the muscles as glycogen. When blood glucose levels rise, the body will immediately use it as fuel or store it as glycogen for later use. Glycogen is like the battery pack in our muscle, it's backup energy. It is mainly stored in the muscles and the liver.
Glycogen is a multi-branched polysaccharide, which is another way of saying that it is a large group of glucose molecules. When cells need energy, they can separate a piece of glucose from the glycogen chain. A serving of gummy bears provides nothing in terms of vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium and vitamin C. While there are a good number of branded gummies that claim to be sugar-free, many of them contain maltitol, which can cause discomfort and extreme side effects. It's not clear how many gummy bears are in each snack pack, so it's difficult to provide an exact sugar content for a single gummy bear. However, if there are 13 gummies in a 30 gram serving, this is equivalent to 1.1 grams of sugar per gummy bear (Haribo gummy bears are almost half the size of 365 gummy bears).
Sugar-free gummy bears are available that can contain as little as 0 grams to 3 grams of total sugar per serving. The occasional serving of gummy bears won't ruin your health or ruin your diet. Instead, it will make them an uncommon waste instead of being a regular part of your healthy eating plan. Many bodybuilders eat simple carbohydrates such as gummy bears for after training right after their workouts. However, when you eat gummy bears you're still consuming calories with between 110 and 140 per serving. In conclusion, while gummy bears may be tasty and fun to eat they are full of sugar and have no nutritional value.
If you really crave gummies try Gatorade or Clif during or after exercise instead.
