By Angela Bentley

Date: June 2013

Many people on stringent training regimes are afraid of excess energy, which may cause them to gain weight. However, good recovery practices are essential for replacing fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat, replenishing muscle glycogen stores, repairing any damage that occurred during the training/ event and ensuring immunity. Better recovery and repair will also lead to more effective building of lean body mass, which will increase your basal metabolism to burn more energy! It’s all about timing and the type of food chosen. Below are some guidelines.

Do’s:

Carbohydrate

Aim to consume 0.8-1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kg of body weight within 30-60 minutes after exercise. For someone weighing 60kg this would mean eating or drinking 48-72g of carbohydrate.

Protein

You also require some protein within 30-60minutes after exercise for muscle repair. The guideline is 0.2-0.5g per kg body weight, with a maximum requirement of 25g.

Fluids

Good hydration is essential for recovery. Remember, even if you are not thirsty, if you sweated during the exercise, you lost fluids! It is a good idea to weigh yourself before and after exercise as the difference between the two weights will be due to water loss (through sweat/urine). Drink a minimum of 2 cups (500ml) of fluid for every 500g lost. For optimal absorption and to replace electrolytes it may be a good idea to provide for at least part of your requirement with a sports drink containing carbohydrate, sodium and other electrolytes.

Rest

Though many feel guilty about skipping a day’s training, rest is essential for proper recovery. Apart from the psychological benefits of rest, it also gives muscles the opportunity to repair, rebuild and strengthen, while at the same time providing time for your body to replenish glycogen stores and rehydrate effectively.

Don’ts:

Drinks

Avoid drinks such as tea, coffee, most soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. They are no good for recovery because they have a diuretic effect on the body and thus only worsen dehydration. Despite common belief alcohol is also a poor source of carbohydrate and suppresses reasoning causing bad food choices.

Timing

It is important not to wait until you feel hungry to eat your most workout meal or snack.  Your brain may not yet perceive your hunger yet, but the first 30-60 minutes after exercise is your  “window of opportunity” for optimal recovery.

FutureLife High Protein makes a fantastic post-workout meal or snack. Containing 30g of protein per 100g, it has been formulated with SmartProtein3D®which is a scientific blend whey, soya and casein proteins. Latest international research has shown that such a blend provides a more balanced amino acid profile. Due to the different digestion and absorption rates of the proteins repair also takes place over a longer period of time. It is also a good source of carbohydrates, omega 3, vitamins and minerals.

Sports supplements: What you need to know!

Sports supplements are products often used to enhance athletic performance or to meet the additional requirements that may be demanded by an athlete. They may include macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, or botanicals (plants) — or any concentration, extract, or combination of these; and are generally available to anybody over the counter. They can be further divided into 3 groups:

• Sports foods: convenient alternatives to food which provide nutrients found in food and serve to help meet sports nutrition goals. Such products include sports drinks, bars, gels and liquid meal supplements.
• Dietary supplements: vitamin and mineral supplements which are used to treat deficiencies or inadequacies in the diet. These should only be used after consultation with a doctor or sports dietician.
• Ergogenic aids: nutrients or food components in larger amounts than would generally be found in food. These claim to directly affect performance by enhancing mechanisms within the body. Many of these are not proven to be effective, but some such as creatine, caffeine, buffers, proteins and essential amino acids are well proven to provide desirable effects.

Whether chatting to professional sportsmen or members of my gym classes, I am always surprised by the way many people perceive dietary supplements to be the most important part of their nutrition regimen.

As the name suggests, supplements are meant to SUPPLEMENT but not substitute a healthy diet. The diagram below demonstrates the value of various strategies in sports nutrition. You will see that maximizing performance requires a foundation of balanced and suitable eating. Sports foods certainly have their place in meeting requirements before, during and after exercise, while ergogenic aids, if required at all are there to provide a small boost or advantage.

While there are ingredients which are proven to be beneficial in sports nutrition, it is important to note that there is a lack of regulation governing the supplement industry. One should be aware that there are many misconceptions and risks that surround the industry, particularly ergogenic aids.

Here are some common beliefs about supplements, which are actually not at all true:

• Products must be safe, legal or effective:
  • If bought through a “well-known” or “reputable” seller.
  • If proven benefits are mentioned and it is stated that the product is ‘tested’ and ‘safe’.
  • If no banned and/or harmful substances are listed on the label.
  • If the label says it is ‘natural’ (or herbal).
• Active sports people cannot get everything they need from a healthy, balanced diet
• Nutrients from supplements are superior to those obtained from eating wholesome foods.
• Competitors or top sports people are using a product, therefore I should be using it too.

What are the risks?

Due to the lack of regulation, supplements are frequently not labelled correctly. We therefore cannot be assured of the ingredients contained within the packaging. As a result allergic reactions, illness, toxicity, or even overdosing on harmful substances can occur.

Often supplements purposefully or inadvertently contain substances banned in sport without stating so on the packaging. This could lead to positive tests for banned substances and result in a sports career being cut short.

Due to a lack of testing, side effects are often not known or stated. Certain substances which have been found in supplements have the ability to change your metabolism or even hormonal levels, putting you at risk of various adverse health effects such as heart disease, depression, cancer and many others.

Minimising the risk:

Okay, so now you know the risks associated with supplements, but you are still looking for the “boost” that I referred to earlier. Use these tips to lower your risk.

• Limit or minimise the use of supplements. Just because an unregulated supplement claims to be able to help you, doesn’t mean it will. Make use of reputable resources to find out if it is the right product for you. Visit jissn.com/content/7/1/7/table/T3 for a summary of what ingredients have been proven effective and what you should avoid.
• Even if a product is effective it is always advisable to consult with a dietician or sports physician before choosing a supplement. They will be able to give you better insight into the required dosage, product safety, form of the ingredient, interactions with other medications/nutrients, contraindications etc.
• An effective supplement may still not be necessary for you. Always consider if you can get the same benefit from food, if so food is always the better option.
• Phone or mail the company selling the product and ask questions.
• Look out for Informed-Choice and Informed-Sport marks on labels:

These are certification programmes for sports supplements, ingredients and manufacturing facilities, which assures athletes that products carrying these marks have been regularly tested for substances considered prohibited by WADA (World Anti-doping Agency).They also ensure that products have been manufactured to high quality standards.

Did you know: FUTURELIFE® High Protein SmartFood is endorsed by Informed Choice, giving you everything that you need for effective exercise recovery without the risk. Take note that many of the FUTURELIFE® products can be used as effective meals or snacks throughout the day, helping to take the guess work out of healthy eating. For more information on the range, visit www.futurelife.co.za

 

References:

http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/sports_supplements.html

http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0003/lmb.html

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/basics/supplements_and_young_athlete

http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/#

Poor nutritional practices during endurance exercise could leave you dehydrated and fatigued. It is very important to pay special attention to what you eat and drink on race day as well as when training. Getting to know what your body can or can’t tolerate during training will help to prevent unexpected upsets on race day. Rehydration and refuelling make up the cornerstones of during-endurance nutrition, learn how to manage these here.

Rehydrate

The loss of just 1% of body weight through sweat can lead to a reduction in strength, while 7-10% can could you to collapse. Though unlikely with moderate fluid intake in our climate – over-hydration also carries risks. For events lasting less than 60-90 minutes it may be alright to rely on thirst as an indicator that it is time to drink fluids. However, for endurance events it is a good idea to have a plan for your fluid intake and to stick to it. A general guideline to prevent dehydration and over-hydration is to drink 3ml of fluid per kg of body weight every 20 minutes. Practically this can be achieved with half to a whole cup of fluids every 15 minutes (roughly every 2 kilometres for the average runner) .

Rehydration during endurance events requires more than just water as electrolytes are also lost in sweat. It is very important to replace sodium as it prevents urinary fluid losses and is necessary for the transport of glucose to provide energy. Potassium assists with efficient rehydration and should thus also be made a priority.

Refuel

Our bodies are only able to store limited amounts of carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. When levels get too low we begin to feel fatigued and light headed. We therefore need to refuel with high glycemic index carbs when participating in endurance events. Requirements are 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour, this may increase to 90g for events exceeding three hours. Your requirements will increase from the lower to the higher range depending on the time and intensity at which you participate. For a high intensity event try to have 15g of carbs at each 15 minute rehydrating interval.

Sports drinks can be very useful for fulfilling at least part of your fluid and carbohydrate requirements. The optimal sports drink would have a carbohydrate concentration of 7% or 7g per 100g. 725ml of a 7% concentration sports drink will provide you with 50g of carbohydrate which is sufficient to provide for one hour’s requirements under most circumstances. Any sports supplement with a carbohydrate concentration of above 10% may cause gastrointestinal discomfort or disturbances and should be washed down with water to lower the concentration.

FUTURELIFE® High Energy SmartBars provide you with +/- 25g of carbohydrate per bar, contains electrolytes and provides you with high GI, fast release energy making it an ideal snack for during exercise.