There is a sweet secret to winning at the parallel bars at the Olympics: honey. That's right, the sweet, sticky honey is key to getting the perfect grip on the bars.

Before climbing onto the parallel bars at the U.S. Olympic team trials here in June, gymnast Jonathan Horton stretched his arm muscles, steeled himself—and reached for his honey bear.

Giving the plastic bear a gentle squeeze, Mr. Horton oozed a dab of honey on to his hands and slathered it around the bars, adding chalk to make a pasty slurry.

"I don't know why it works, but I always have a really good grip on the bars," he says. "I have tried not to use it, and I slip right off."

Geoffrey A. Fowler of the Wall Street Journal explains: Link