Acesulfame K
It's found in loads of ordinary mainstream sports nutrition products from energy gels to protein drinks, but what is Acesulfame K?
Brace yourself, this isn't pretty and if you're eating you may want to consider before reading futher.
What is acesulfame K?
Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener common in ordinary sports nutrition. Also known as acesulfame potassium and E950 (the E at the beginning gives you a clue this isn't going to be good), acesulfame K was created accidentally in a lab by a German chemist in 1967 so is about as natural as plastic.
It also goes by 'Ace K' to its mates, but as you'll see there's very little that's ace about. For starters research suggests it may affect prenatal development and impair cognitive function.
And it gets better (or worse if you're eating Acesulfame K) because there's a cancer questionmark over its head despite it being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government bodies.
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- Acesulfame K: loved by the ordinary sports supplement industry despite a cancer questionmark and other major health issues
The report 'Testing Needed for Acesulfame Potassium, an artificial sweetener' explains how the FDA's approval of the ingredient was based on studies showing it did not cause cancer.
The same report explains:
"The 1970s tests of acesulfame – two tests carried out in rats and one in mice – are inadequate to establish lack of potential carcinogenicity*" (*the ability or tendency to produce cancer)
Test groups of rats in these trials were not randomised correctly potentially skewing the results and the trials were too short and poorly monitored. And just in case you thought this was all a bit flimsy, here's the killer blow.
Drum roll please...
"Even with the flaws in design and execution... results indicated an association between treatment with acesulfame and carcinogenesis*". (*the initiation of cancer formation)
Is Acesulfame K safe?
Just to be clear, even the low quality tests held up as examples of how Acesulfame K does not cause cancer, suggest it might actually cause cancer.
In summary then - Acesulfame K might cause cancer, needs further research to prove its safety for consumption and has the potential to harm prenatal development and impair cognitive function.
So what is it doing in ordinary sports nutrition?
Rather depressingly, and just as with maltodextrin, it's all about the price.
Even as a private buyer, you can pick up a metric ton of Acesulfame K for £4500, or £0.004/gram. And, being 200 times sweeter than sugar, you don't need much - way less than a gram is all you need per regular energy gel for example.
It's a bargain for the manufacturer, but awful for the consumer.
Quite how huge large sports nutrition companies with their ranks of clever sports scientists and brainy nutritionists can put this potentially dangerous junk into any food, let alone food specifically designed for performance health-conscious individuals is beyond us.
Acesulfame K: never in 33Fuel products
We started 33Fuel because we wanted maximum performance with maximum longterm health and sustainability and we couldn't find that anywhere so we set about making it.
We have only ever, and will only ever, use the absolute best ingredients we can lay our hands on, we will always use only 100% natural ingredients, and we'll never stick the cheap lure of making a fast buck in front of making truly excellent products that deliver serious results.
Call us old-fashioned, but we believe sports nutrition should actually be good for you.
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