“Eat honey, my son, for it is good” was advice given by Solomon, King of Israel, around 1000 B.C. Honey was one of man’s earliest foods and bees have been producing honey long before man appeared on Earth.

During the 1960s when there wasn’t the vast variety of food supplements like we have today, honey was often used before a workout for a natural energy boost. Then years later we were told by scientists that honey was no better than plain table sugar. With Arnold "the Governator" Schwarzenegger referring to sugar as “white death” several years ago, fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts began to shy away from honey.

Now, with new studies being conducted, honey seems to be beneficial in many ways. It is a carbohydrate product with living microscopic enzymes, pollens, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It’s main sugars which are fructose and glucose, are absorbed directly into the blood and provide a rapid source of energy without the need of digestion.

As it was during the 1960s, honey is being thought again as an ideal pre-workout energy source, plus new evidence indicates that post-workout use can help the recuperation process. Three clinical trials were conducted at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory, led by Dr. Richard Kreider. The first trial indicated that as a carbohydrate source, honey had a relatively mild effect upon blood sugar when compared to other carbohydrate sources. The study states that the group receiving honey as the carbohydrate source did not display the typical drop in blood sugar 60 minutes after taking it, like some forms of carbohydrates tend to do. This indicates that honey could be an effective pre-workout energy source that does not induce hypoglycemia (which is the condition of having too little sugar in the blood) thus sustaining workout energy longer.

The second trial involved giving a protein shake blended with either sucrose, maltodextrin, powdered honey or a placebo as a carbohydrate source, to a group of weight trained men and women following an intensive workout. The honey fortified protein shake was the only one to sustain optimal blood sugar levels over the two hours following the exercise period. Additionally, subjects taking honey showed favorable changes in a hormone ratio that indicates a positive muscle recuperative state. These findings coincide with current research which concludes that a combination of carbohydrates and protein taken immediately following a workout can boost muscle energy recuperation and provide the fuel needed for the next day's workout.

The third trial focused on competitive cyclists who were given either honey, glucose, or a flavored calorie free placebo. The results of the trial showed that honey significantly increased the cyclists' power and speed over the placebo and equaled the performance of glucose. This study showed that honey is also an effective carbohydrate for endurance athletes as well as for the pumping iron crowd. Dr. Kreider concluded that, “Our first study suggested honey could operate as a 'time released' muscle fuel for exercising muscles. Our second experiment suggested that honey would be a good carbohydrate source to replenish muscles. However, our third study convinced us that honey can improve endurance exercise capacity”. This research demonstrates that honey is a carbohydrate option for athletes based on its low glycemic index, positive metabolic response, and effective energy production.

Honey is also increasingly being employed by alternative therapy care centers in the treatment of skin infections and in beauty spas for revitalizing the skin. Natural honey has an anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial (anti-disease causing) effect, while containing plant photochemicals that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus. Most traditional doctors in the United States would never think of using honey for treating burns and wounds, however recent studies in India have shown honey to be highly effective. In one study where burn patients were treated with honey, 91% were free from infections within 7 days compared to 7% using standard treatment. 87% of burn patients treated with honey were healed withing 15 days compared to 7% treated with conventional methods. Honey has been shown to reduce swelling and increase circulation to the wounded area while stimulating the regrowth of damaged tissue. Also, there tends to be less scarring when compared with traditional treatments.

Although all honey is good, the darker varieties seem to have more antioxidant properties. Also, most honey sold in grocery stores are heat treated and processed. Try the more natural products found at health food stores or even country fairs.

We here at Fitness Source 1.com recommend that you give yourself a natural “Buzz” and add a little “Sting” to your next workout by giving honey a try. Start by taking one tablespoon 15-30 minutes before you exercise for an energy blast. Immediately after your workout take another tablespoon along with a protein drink and some other carbs to help replace glycogen and amino acids in order to kick-start the recovery process.

Although there are many good honeys on the market, one of our favorite brands is Nectaflor Honey, imported from Switzerland.

Nectaflor is a 100% natural honey carefully prepared by Switzerland’s leading honey company. Unlike other honeys, Nectaflor is neither heat-treated nor pasteurized but is filtered only to eliminate particles commonly found in beehives. This unique and delicate methodology, applied only by Nectaflor, guarantees that Nectaflor Honey still retains all of its valuable elements such as vitamins, pollens, enzymes, natural antioxidants, and minerals. Nectaflor Honey is widely recognized for being all natural, healthy, tasty, and full of valuable energy. Available in 5 varieties - Blossom Honey, Acacia Honey, Forest Honey, Country Flower Creamy, and Mountain Blossom Creamy. Nectaflor is distributed in the U.S.A. by BRI-AL, LLC of Morristown, NJ. Visit their website at www.bri-al.com for more information and to find a store near you that carries this product.

Important Note: Do not feed honey to infants under one year of age. Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores that can cause infant botulism. This is a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies under one year of age. Clostridium botulinum spores are present throughout the environment and may be found in dust, soil and improperly canned foods. Adults and children over one year of age are routinely exposed to, but not normally affected by it. As always, consult your physician with any questions on this subject that you may have.

Most of the information in this article was obtained from the National Honey Board website: www.nhb.org and its related sites www.honey.com and www.honeylocator.com

Please visit these great sites for more detailed information on the topics discussed or for just about anything else you ever wanted to know about honey.