Reward Exercise With… Sugar?

August 13, 2010 ↓ Comments (0)

Free Cookies

Last Sunday, Gwenn and I participated in the Providence BridgePedal. This annual event features streets only open to bicyclists who for one day are allowed to ride across the numerous and much loved bridges of Portland. Since bikes are only allowed on certain bridges year-round, this is a fun and special event. 18,000 people attended!

As someone who doesn’t eat sugar, I’m often fascinated by the many different ways in which sweets and junk food have become mainstream eating in our culture. To this end, BridgePedal was particularly interesting.

Bagels & Clif Bars

The ride is sponsored by Providence Medical Center and proceeds go the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute, which is a leader in prompt, lifesaving cardiac treatment.

What’s fascinating to me is that, after exercising anywhere from one to four hours (7 to 27 miles), riders were rewarded with copious amounts of free junk food. Along the route people are served unlimited amounts of bananas, bagels, peaches, Clif Bars, cookies, water and juice.

Finish Line for Ice Cream

At the finish line they gave away pop corn, candy (I mean Clif Bars), ice cream bars, fudge bars, chocolate milk and sugar water. Perhaps a diabetes association will start an event and give away fatty meats and cholesterol-filled snacks!

Eating Free Ice Cream

After a workout (which the ride certainly was) people should eat quality proteins. But what company can provide pounds and pounds of real food? When companies offer pre-packaged junk food, those suppliers can most likely sell or use whatever doesn’t get consumed at the event. Each item is individually packaged so nobody feels like someone else touched their snack.

Some People Ate Peaches

The peach boxes were interesting to watch. Of course people want a good piece of fruit, so that means giving each one a squeeze. One very tall guy lifted the top few cases to grab what he perceived to be an untouched specimen from the bottom.

Gwenn holding some free Clif Bars

Junk food companies live for events like the BridgePedal. The first hit is always free! Besides, who wouldn’t try a free product that’s designed to make you feel good at the finish line?

Handing Out Chocolate Milk

People often celebrate victory (or success) with sweets. The BridgePedal is a family event and it happens on the street. Sugar seems to be the perfect reward when it comes to family affairs.

To some of you this might sound harsh. You’ll say, “It’s just an ice cream, let the kids have fun.” But would you eat an ice cream after training for several hours at the gym? Do you leave Yoga class and head off to McDonalds? Do you feed your children candy during or after a sports game?

Sometimes being unsweet feels like I’m waving an “end of the world” sign outside of an amusement park. But here’s what I’m talking about.

A Whole Lotta Bananas

Let’s say you drank a container of Pacific Natural Foods Simply Maté Yerba Maté juice in St. John’s. That’s 18 grams of sugar in your system.

Maybe you ate a Clif Bar, but just one, on the Marquam Bridge. Add 12 grams of sugar.

At the finish line you drank a container of Honest Tea. That’s another 24 grams of sugar.

A banana has about 12 to 18 grams of sugar so let’s say you had one of those while on Route 405. For argument sake we’ll pretend you held off from eating ice cream, cookies or bagels.

Feeding Ice Cream

You would have had 54 grams of sugar before your banana. Before noon!

Chances are people went out to eat afterwards and consumed even more added sugars in their drinks and meals. Then you have dinner and an evening snack. Before the end of the day you could easily consume a whole lotta sugar.

If you don’t think 54 grams is that much for an adult, consider it inside of a child.

But let’s be realistic. Who would show up if there weren’t free hand-outs? Would anybody be able to have fun if ice cream wasn’t involved?