No such thing as a "sugar rush"

[KickHimInTheCrotch]

My DS (10) just told me that a number of his friends claim to be having a "sugar rush" after eating sweets/chocolate etc and run about being "hyper". I've never believed in the concept of a sugar rush and so have never suggested to my DC that it would have this effect on them. I know other parents that strongly believe in it and attribute certain behaviour in younger children is due to sugar and limit their DCs sugar intake for this reason. Presumably the DC are then behaving in the expected way by being "hyper".

I've just had a quick Google and can see that there are plenty of articles that support my POV although not necessarily conclusive on scientific grounds.

Obviously I limit my DCs sugar intake for health reasons including obesity and dental health but behaviour just isn't a factor for me.

AIBU to tell my DC that there's no such thing as a sugar rush. Do you have experience of sugar conclusively affecting behaviour in children?

Totally agree, I think it's bullshit. Loads of my otherwise sensible friend's believe it too. Yes, I'm sure your three year old was really silly at an exciting party just because of the sweets and as a result you still have to warn your now 9 yo about how sensitive they are to sugar.

I've never felt a sugar rush or seen the effect of it in my child. I'm sure some children might be sensitive to it but don't know for sure. I think I've read some kids reacted badly to something that used to be in squash? Some additive.

I agree some other additives seem to have an adverse affect on children's behaviour.

yeah it's complete BS. Not a bad idea to limit sugar though

More likely to be the associated chemical colourings not the sugar.

I think it is a thing but some kids are more sensitive to it than others. But agree it’s not necessarily sugar but additives and other stuff as well.

I’m 31 and I do experience sugar rush (I can be naughty and I like my sweet treats). My heart beats faster and I do feel a bit on edge. It obviously could be the additives and dyes contributing but I would say sugar rush (and crash) is a thing

Its more likely the adrenaline of the event ie party or even just being given sweets if they are normally forebidden

I certainly notice the impact of different foods upon behaviour and concentration in my daughter.

E.g. if she has a breakfast of scrambled egg cooked in butter, vs a breakfast of a bowl of sweet cereal I can notice the difference. She settles down well to play and concentrate if she's had fats / protein at breakfast and the whole day seems to run better (probably due to balanced blood sugars), whereas if she's had sugar / carbs alone she is more likely to just want to do cartwheels non stop for an hour and chatter nonstop. She's not "hyper" per se but her behaviour is definitely more active and less focused without fat / protein.

If she has a late afternoon party as well and there are sweets / icing on cakes etc she will often find it difficult to settle to sleep that night. I feed her a proper balanced meal before a party and she knows that she can choose three sweets from the bag after the party and a piece of cake and thats her "pudding".

If I give her sweet things I always try to also give her something like a piece of cheese on the plate with it, or some ham slices to balance out the blood sugar dump.

So would a home made cake or something without lots of additives give you the same feeling?

People have different capacity to process glucose and it really does make some feel edgy and a bit queasy if they can't walk/run it off.

This is not exactly the kid's party example but it's real.

Sugar causes the body to release dopamine, and artificial colourings are linked to behaviour changes in children. And parties are exciting.

Absolutely. I’m not sweet-toothed so have very seldom experienced one, but I remember to this day having a cream tea somewhere near Avebury to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and feeling the effects (I assume) of the jam on the way home. Rather unpleasant.

I worked in a school where the Head (originally a PE teacher, so was very interested in fitness and nutrition) absolutely banned everything they thought was too high in sugar - not just further limiting the foods provided in the canteen, not just banning all drinks other than water or the artificially sweetened 'flavoured water' soft drinks sold in the canteen, but anything deemed sugary in packed lunches, snacks and in the possession of staff, so they were banned from having biscuits and cereal bars as well.

The resultant slump in students meant the timetable was changed so there was only one lesson after lunch as so many were unable to function and PE lessons had to be held in the morning to reduce the numbers of large, tall boys fainting, getting the shakes and being unable to function (they weren't the kids who would be ordinarily chugging litre cartons of mango juice drinks, either, it was everybody).

The rules were rapidly abandoned for the next academic year and the timetable restored.

So if they could be affected by an absence of sugars, it makes sense that some could be affected by a higher level of blood glucose.

I previously would of agreed with you but my DD has a definite change in behaviour after eating very sugary food.

Well, I haven't voted because you're exactly right, but I wouldn't spoil a 10yo's fun by explaining it to them. Just let him be wrong. He'll realise the truth at some point anyway, and it's a rather harmless (and common) belief to hold. TBH, I would rather they think they are getting "high" from sugar (when it is really probably that they are just hyping each other up) than trying to procure energy drinks or whatever.

IME (I have three boys) children can hype each other up into a manic frenzy perfectly well with no chemical assistance at all! I don't even think it's particularly a boy thing - I remember doing it with my friends at a similar age, we would get mad, uncontrollable fits of the giggles on a very regular basis, in a way I just don't experience as an adult. (Which is quite sad. Perhaps we should try harder )

There are a few colourings which can induce hyperactivity but they only affect a very small number of children that way, and anyway they have been subject to a warning on the packaging in the UK/Europe for about 20 years now. So I think it's unlikely to be this.

If you remember the first time you ever tried any kind of substance (alcohol, nicotine etc) which has an effect on the central nervous system - you'll recall the physical feelings that come with it. Sort of like your body is on a rollercoaster or in a lift etc even though you're stood on solid ground.

Ten year olds haven't usually had that experience. So they mistake feeling excited for feeling "high". Which is pretty harmless and can be funny to watch as long as it's appropriate (e.g. not in the middle of a lesson at school!)

I’d have to eat a few slices before getting a sugar rush I’d say. So yes, I guess even without additives I’d definitely feel the effect

Haven’t they done research to show that sugar has no impact on behaviour? I wonder how much of it is parents expecting a “high” and treating their kids accordingly.

There was a documentary on it a while back, gave a group of young kids snacks, none with sugar but told their parents some had had sugar and some hadn't, got their parents to watch them play afterwards and then asked the parents if they thought their child had had sugar or not. Most said yes.

There were studies done where children attended parties, half would attend parties with typical party food, the other half would have fruit, carrot sticks etc and strictly no cake, chocolate, jelly etc.

Parents were told their child have been ay Party A with cake and virtually all claimed their children had been naughty that afternoon due to what they had eaten. The other set were told their children had attended party B and most confirmed their child was calm and well behaved, where as in reality the children had attended the opposite parties.

I know I have explained that incredibly poorly, our three year old is being a menace, purely as she enjoys it!

I thought there had been some peer reviewed research that confirmed that children's behaviour wasn't linked to their sugar intake, but there was a correlation between parent's belief that their child would react to the sugar and parents reporting behaviour changes after sugar, plus also a correlation between parents reporting of changed behaviour and certain events where sugar was more likely e.g. parties.

Basically, a self fulfilling prophecy based on parental expectations, and children likely to be excited and show different behaviour at parties etc where also sugar intake was likely to be higher (correlation not causation).

That said, it was a good while ago I looked into it (my children are now adults) and more modern research may have other findings.

But, in my personal experience, no, I've never felt a "sugar rush", nor have I seen such an effect in my own children.

I don't feel a sugar rush but I definitely get a sugar slump soon afterwards.

So funny that multiple large scale peer reviewed studies published in respected scientific publications have debunked sugar rushes but people think their opinion that they do exist are still correct.

I agree, OP. If your pancreas is functioning properly then a "sugar rush" is going to be minimal.

The BBC did a programme about it some years ago, fascinating stuff. They gave kids at a party a vast amount of sugar and then calm activities: the kids were calm. The following day at a different party they were given veg sticks, and then exciting physical activities: the kids were all buzzed. It was much more about what they did rather than what they ate.
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