Q. The label says 2 tablespoons of Skippy peanut butter has 3 grams of added sugar. Isn’t that bad?

A. Three grams of sugar equates to 12 calories of sugar. This is far less sugar than is in the jelly that comes along with a PB&J sandwich! It's also a fraction of the sugar in sports drinks, gels and jellybeans. I would not blink an eye at three grams of sugar for an active person (or even an inactive person, for that matter.)

A standard nutrition guideline is that 10% of calories can appropriately come from refined sugar. That equates to about 240 to 300 calories (60-75 grams) of added sugar per day for most athletes. You can choose how you want to spend those sugar-grams. Some athletes like frozen yogurt, others like sports drinks, and some like Skippy peanut butter along with some jelly. Take your choice! Sugar fuels your muscles; it is not bad for you nor will it negate the healthfulness of other food you consume.

If you prefer all-natural peanut butter with no added sugar, that's fine. But I wouldn't choose it because it has less sugar. You might just end up adding more jelly, jam or honey?

Nancy Clark

Generally not. When you exercise, you lose some electrolytes via sweat, but you are unlikely to deplete your body’s stores under ordinary circumstances. For example, you can easily replace the 200-600 milligrams of potassium you might lose in an hour of hard training by eating a medium to large banana (450-600 mg potassium). You can also easily replace the 800-1,400 mg sodium lost in two pounds of sweat by enjoying some spaghetti with tomato sauce or some chocolate milk with a bagel and peanut butter. Athletes who do need to worry about replacing electrolytes include those who will be sweating hard for more than three or four hours.

     Keep in mind, most health organizations recommend we reduce our sodium intake, given the average American diet contains more than enough sodium! A high sodium intake leads to high blood pressure and increased risk of stroke...

Sodium in Popular Recovery Foods

            Food                                                             Sodium (mg)

            Pizza, 1/2 of 12 in., DiGiorno cheese             2,490

            Chicken noodle soup, 1 can Campbell's         2,350

            Ramen noodles, Maruchan, 1 packet             1,580

            Spaghetti sauce, 1 cup Ragu                        1,160

            Salt, 1 small packet                                       590

            Pretzels, 1 oz (30 g) Rold Gold thins               560

            Bagel, 1 Thomas' New York style (3.7 oz)        540

            American cheese, 1 slice Kraft                       250

            Cheerios, 1 cup multigrain                              200

            Fruit yogurt, 6 oz (180 ml)                             60-120

            Bread, 1 slice Pepperidge Farm hearty slice    190

            Saltine crackers, 5 (0.5 oz)                            180

            Potato chips, 20 Lay's                                   180

            Gatorade, 8 oz (240 ml)                                 110

            Endurolytes (electrolytes), 1 capsule              100

            Powerade, 8 oz (240 ml)                                  70

            Beer, 12 oz (355 ml) can                                 15

            Coke, 12 oz (355 ml) can                                10

            Orange juice, 8 oz (240 ml)                               5

            Potential loss in a 2 hr workout                 1,000-2,000

For more information about sodium, potassium and electrolytes, see:

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions

Food Guide for New Runners: Getting It Right From the Start