Is it true that fructose has benefits?
Yes, fructose has nutritional benefits.
Fructose can be beneficial for athletic performance and endurance. Studies show that when fructose is combined with glucose or maltodextrin, carbohydrate burning is increased from 60g carbohydrates /hr to up to 90g carbohydrates /hr, glycogen stores are spared, and fat burning increases. 1
In addition, fructose exclusively replenishes the liver with glycogen which aides in both endurance exercise and recovery. There is also some evidence that fructose helps increase hydration.
In 2011 EFSA gave a positive opinion on fructose, in terms of its effect on blood sugar levels after consumption (reduced postprandial glycemic response), compared to glucose or sucrose.
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1Fuchs, C.J., Gonzalez, J.T. and van Loon, L.J.C. (2019), Fructose co-ingestion to increase carbohydrate availability in athletes. J Physiol, 597: 3549-3560