In order to complete 1-2 hour weight and cardio training sessions, malt dextrin or dextrose is consumed by many bodybuilders. These sources of carbohydrate are chosen because of their slow-burning nature, this can aid in blood glucose level management following workouts. A lot of bodybuilders are discovering that honey is a great substitute also containing additional benefits.



Honey, like dextrose, is great for increasing insulin levels in post-workout protein shakes. It not only provides a different taste (which is great in the bland world of bodybuilding nutrition), but the body also burns it slower. But honey is something that should not replace dextrose as your primary carbohydrate source after working out. After all, almost half of the calories in it derive from fructose, the carb flavor that often transforms to fat. It is a great option to keep available if you ever run out of dextrose, or if you are trying to sweeten a cheat meal, or if you're going through a bulking phase and you are craving extra calories.

You can purchase honey at any grocery store, and it can be great to have if you are on the road missing a good protein shake, and just picking up some lunch meat or other quick protein source having just worked out. Take in 1-2 tablespoons of honey with the meat to maximize the time period after working out. Fast food should never really be considered when bodybuilding, but a good meal to eat if you have to is KFC chicken dripping with honey.

Honey is also a chief provider to supplemental anti-oxidant effects on the body, so bodybuilders find it extremely helpful to assist their routine in the very important recovery time period having been through a tough workout. You want to be extra sure that you are not allergic to honey (as many are) and any bad reactions or side effects to eating honey in this manner should result in you consulting a doctor. Adding honey or using it as a substitute can have various benefits that will make your bodybuilding experience more joyful and successful.

Something to keep in mind though when choosing which honey you buy at the store is The health benefits of honey - like all foods - depend on the quality of the honey. But in this case, the situation is even more extreme, because the pollen that collects on the bees' legs as they move from plant to plant is only as healthful and as diverse as those plants. In addition, the processing of honey often removes many of the phytonutrients found in raw honey as it exists in the hive.

Raw honey, for example, contains small amounts of the same resins found in propolis. Propolis, sometimes called "bee glue," is actually a complex mixture of resins and other substances that honeybees use to seal the hive and make it safe from bacteria and other micro-organisms. Honeybees make propolis by combining plant resins with their own secretions. However, substances like road tar have also been found in propolis.

Bee keepers sometimes use special screens around the inside of the hive boxes to trap propolis, since bees will spread this substance around the honeycomb and seal cracks with the anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal resins. The resins found in propolis only represent a small part of the phytonutrients found in propolis and honey, however. Other phytonutrients found both in honey and propolis have been shown to posssess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties. These substances include caffeic acid methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate.

Researchers have discovered that these substances prevent colon cancer in animals by shutting down activity of two enzymes, phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and lipoxygenase. When raw honey is extensively processed and heated, the benefits of these phytonutrients are largely eliminated.