Is a sugar rush a thing? This new study indicates that eating sugar does not make you more alert

Anyone who has ever experienced the happiness of a big coke and a bucket of sweet popcorn at the cinema probably also encountered the foggy and sleepy post-sugar slump (it would be worth it, I would keep it). However, here is something that might surprise you: even though scientists have documented the sugar crash, the peak sugar that is supposed to precede it may not occur at all. So, is a sugar rush a thing? According to the authors of a new study, published in the journal Neuroscience and biobehavioral exams, probably not.

Researchers from three universities – the University of Warwick, the Humboldt University of Berlin and Lancaster University – have examined the impact of sugar consumption on mood in badyzing 31 existing studies, including data from nearly 1,300 participants. After consuming sugar, they searched for a range of mood-related outcomes, including alertness, anger, depression, vigor, anxiety, contentment, confusion, and fatigue.

Scientists also badessed whether the type or amount of sugar consumed, as well as the physical or mental activities performed, influenced the participants' mood.

And the results? Regardless of the amount of sugar consumed by the subjects in the study, the type of consumption they consumed or the fact that they subsequently performed "demanding" activities, eating or drinking sugar did not positive effect on "no aspect of mood". The idea of ​​a sugar rush, basically, is just that – an idea. As an adult, no amount of Tangfastics from Monday afternoon to your office, as delicious as they are, will give you that elusive drive of energy.

Dr. Sandra Sünram-Lea of ​​the University of Warwick, one of the authors of the study, said in a press release: "Our results indicate that sugary drinks or snacks do not provide a 'fuel refill "Quick to make us feel more alert."

In addition, the study revealed that the post-sugar accident is very real: more specifically, you risk losing vigilance less than an hour after consuming sugar and an increase in the fatigue in half an hour.

Dr. Konstantinos Mantantzis, senior author of the Humboldt University in Berlin, said: "The idea that sugar can improve mood has had a great impact on popular culture, so much so that people around the world are consuming sweet drinks to become more alert or fight fatigue. "

"Our results very clearly indicate that such claims are not justified – if anything happens, sugar will probably make you feel worse," said Dr. Mantantzis.

Professor Elizabeth Maylor, of the University of Warwick, said in a press release: "We hope our findings will go a long way toward dispelling the myth of the" sugar rush "and informing public health policies to reduce sugar consumption. "

Here is the problem: if you have viewed the flow of a single Instagrammer well-being, or used media over the last five years, you are probably already aware of the adverse effects of sugar on health, and you are not sure. You certainly do not need (nor deserve) to be scolded or worried about eating it. Savoring a stuffed donut or ice cream that melts quickly is a joy that should not be overtaken by shame – do not expect it to provide a hint of energy.