According to a joint statement by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine, athletes should consume between 30 and 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour during exercises lasting more than 60 minutes.
In longer races (marathons or triathlons), carbohydrate needs increase. Honolulu sports nutritionist Kathy Schimmelpfennig recommends consuming 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour during exercise lasting 2.5 hours or longer.
Ketchup isn’t the best way to get all those carbs because you’ll have to eat a lot to do it. The biggest disadvantage of ketchup packets is that they do not contain carbohydrates. In order to get 30 grams of carbohydrates, a runner must consume 15 of these packages, each containing 2 grams of carbohydrates, and to get 60 grams, he must consume an additional 30 packages of ketchup.
Additionally, ketchup contains high amounts of sodium. One sachet contains 90 mg. And after eating 15 packets of ketchup, the runner will have consumed much more sodium than he needs. According to a study published in 2022, athletes doing endurance exercise should consume between 300 and 600 mg of sodium per hour. 15 sachets contain much more than 1350 mg of sodium. Additionally, ketchup does not contain calcium, magnesium or potassium, which help maintain normal blood pressure.
Finally, ketchup has high levels of acidity. This can lead to gastrointestinal upset. Acidic foods such as ketchup can irritate the lining of the stomach and duodenum, causing pain or stomach upset.
News materials cannot be equated with a doctor’s prescription. Consult an expert before making a decision.
Source: Ferra
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