Exercising 150 mins/week to prevent heart attacks? Study says it may not be enough if you have sugary health drinks

Sugar is more dangerous than fat. It is an inflammatory agent, says Dr Nishith Chandra, Principal Director, Interventional Cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi.

The data show that those who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages more than twice a week had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of physical activity levels. (File Photo)

You may be religiously completing 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week to reduce your heart attack risk but you may be undoing all the good if you choose to have a sugary or energy drink after each session. A new study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found that the benefits of physical activity do not outweigh the risks of cardiovascular disease associated with drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. In other words, don’t reach out for the bottle of Gatorade after your workout routine.

Sugar-sweetened beverages or revitalising drinks contain added sugar. But the advertisements for these high energy drinks often show how fit and active people are consuming them for energy, implying they do not have harmful effects. The Harvard research challenges this perception. Sports drinks usually come with sugar and electrolytes, intended for quick hydration and absorption. Some athletes use them only when they have done a high-intensity exercise that lasts an hour or more. For others, it is just another sugary drink with a calorie overload.

What the study shows?

Scientists used two cohorts totalling around 100,000 adults, followed for about 30 years.

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The data show that those who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages more than twice a week had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of physical activity levels. The frequency of consumption considered in the study — twice a week — is relatively low but still is significantly associated with cardiovascular disease risk. With daily consumption, the risk of cardiovascular disease is even higher.

How sugar impacts the heart?

You cannot outrun a bad diet. Both exercise and diet are pillars of heart care and have to work in tandem. Sugar is more dangerous than fat. It is an inflammatory agent, which means it damages the endothelium or the inner lining of walls of the arteries and blood vessels, making them permeable to cholesterol.

So even if you have low levels of cholesterol circulating in the blood, these can enter the porous arteries and form plaques, triggering a heart attack. I have had many of my patients wonder why they suffered a heart attack despite their low cholesterol levels. That’s why sugary drinks can still put you at risk of heart disease despite exercise. The extra calories could also be stored as triglycerides, high levels of which are a major risk factor for heart disease. They impact you regardless of whether you have diabetes or not. For those with diabetes, it could be even worse.

Which sugar beverages should you keep away from?

Any soft and carbonated drinks (with or without caffeine), lemonade, energy drinks, fruit cocktails, packaged fruit juices and OTC health drinks, especially those promoted by gyms. The most ideal way to hydrate yourself after a workout is to have plain or electrolyte-infused water. Take lemon, coconut water or buttermilk, which may have complex sugars and take time to be broken down. What use would exercise be if you destroy gains by making a wrong choice?

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