Honey and Athletic Performance: What Does the Science Say About Energy, Endurance, and Recovery?

Why honey is part of sports nutrition research

Honey has been linked to physical endurance and energy for centuries — what is less well known is that this link is genuinely studied in the scientific literature. Honey offers the body a natural source of quickly usable energy, which is why sport scientists have compared it to commercial products for both mid-exercise energy support and post-exercise recovery. This article covers three recent human studies and one systematic review on the topic, without overstating any single finding.

A 3-hour cycling test: honey matches a commercial sports product

A 2025 study tested 12 trained male cyclists in a randomized crossover design: in two separate sessions, participants cycled at a steady 90% of lactate threshold for 180 minutes, followed by a capacity test to exhaustion at 120% of lactate threshold. In one session they consumed 90 grams per hour of honey; in the other, the same amount of a traditional carbohydrate-based sports nutrition product.

The results were strikingly similar: carbohydrate oxidation rate was 2.47 g/min with honey versus 2.41 g/min with the commercial product, and fat oxidation showed no difference either. Time to exhaustion did not differ significantly between conditions, and gastrointestinal symptoms were low with both. The researchers concluded that the current data provide no evidence of any systematic difference between the two conditions, suggesting honey could be a viable alternative to commercial carbohydrate products.

Recovery in strength athletes: less soreness, more strength

A 2024 double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial studied 16 female strength-trained athletes. Ninety minutes before a muscle-damaging jump protocol (10 sets of 20 maximal vertical jumps wearing a vest at 10% body weight), participants drank either 70 grams of honey dissolved in 250 mL of water, or the same volume of water with an artificial sweetener as placebo.

The honey condition came out ahead: delayed-onset muscle soreness was significantly lower than placebo immediately after exercise and at 12, 24, and 48 hours (p=0.001 at every timepoint). Wall-sit endurance (p=0.003) and one-repetition-maximum leg press strength (p=0.019) were both higher with honey, and perceived exertion was lower (p=0.001). Jump height and flexibility showed no difference. The authors concluded that a honey beverage can be a helpful strategy for improving recovery indicators such as muscle strength, endurance, and muscle soreness after exercise-induced muscle damage — while noting that the study did not measure biomarkers like creatine kinase.