Honey used in the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

Question

After watching the all around finals of the mens gymnastics, I keep seeing bottles of honey near each powder station? What is the purpose of it with the powder?

Answer 1

Most gymnasts are secretly bees and they like to have a quick snack before they compete.

My best guess would be that it is a quick and healthy sugar intake, like eating a candy bar except your body will not crash from eating honey, and you wont get filled up from eating it either.

Answer 2

Its not honey - its tree sap -  rosin you will all see it as a powder form as well as chalk -  used to help grip the bars

Answer 3

The gymnasts use honey or "sugar water" on the parallel bars to help them with the grip for the elements where they swing under through the bars (usually known as giant skills).  

The gymnasts normally use chalk (as they do on the other events), but for the gymnasts that do a lot of those underswinging elements on parallel bars, they also use honey.  They chalk up the bars really well before their routine, and then they use a little honey on their hands which allows them to have a better grip hanging on for those moves that swing below the bars.