Sugary water better for performance than some sports drinks – study

Researchers say cyclists find exercise easier when they drink ordinary sucrose - or table sugar - rather than only glucose

Swapping some specialist sports drinks in favour of water mixed with a spoonful of sugar could boost the performance of long-distance athletes, a study finds.

Researchers at the University of Bath brought in a team of club cyclists and used an adapted MRI scanner to assess the impact of prolonged exercise on the levels of glycogen - stored carbohydrate - in the liver.