Energy bars are convenient, portable sources of – energy, of course! Whilst it’s almost equally straightforward to carry a few nuts or seeds and some dried fruit, the handful of rolled oats won’t go down very easily unless they are bound together with some kind of syrup.
How do sports bars compare with supermarket offerings?
How many do you have in your kitchen?
Chia seeds, goji berries, wheatgrass, white tea… the list seems to get longer every week as another ‘superfood’ hits the headlines. Some less exotic everyday foods fit the bill, some may have even more antioxidants than the superfoods and many may already be in your fridge, freezer or cupboard.
If you’re running in endurance events, you’re going to use a lot of fuel and so you’ll want to take on as many carbs as you can, won’t you? Most sports drinks and gels are glucose based, which is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream – just where you want it to be available as fuel for your muscles.
If you pay attention to the popular press and to some of the government’s healthy eating messages you may be thinking that fats are universally bad for us. Does fat have any real value to us? It’s OK to eat ‘good fats’ isn’t it?
I’m often asked what makes a good breakfast. As with any meal, it should comprise balanced amounts of carbohydrate, fruit / vegetables, protein and fat. There are many options available to fulfil those criteria however one of the simplest, and most nutritious, is porridge.
Porridge, and oat-based muesli, contains something called oat beta-glucan which is a soluble form of fibre.
Caffeine has been used as a performance aid for a long time. Prior to 2004, it was on the International Olympic Committee list of banned substances. Caffeine was not banned entirely however there was a tolerance limit in place.
Caffeine has been used as a stimulant since Paleolithic times. It is a naturally occurring substance, found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans and cola nuts and it is now the most widely consumed drug in Europe and America.
Not to be confused with ‘train high, compete low’ (which refers to altitude), training with low carbohydrate levels and competing with high levels has been referred to recently as a new strategy. The landmark studies that initiated this strategy are relatively recent and the first of these investigations is known as the ‘one legged cycling’ study….
Cakes are popular as a post-exercise snack however much of the health-related press will suggest that they should be avoided in all circumstances. I did some baking for sale after a local race recently and a club runner asked me, with a wry smile, if I was going to make a low GI cake.
Recovery after exercise such as running, walking or cycling involves a number of different physiological processes. In the short term (3 to 4 hours) rehydration is the number one priority, so we need water and some electrolytes. The second priority, the replacement of glycogen fuel stores, requires carbohydrate. But what about protein?
Recovery is about restoring glycogen (fuel) stores and muscle protein. After a race or a heavy training session, you will have depleted your muscle and liver stores of glycogen, potentially to quite low levels, and carbohydrate foods are essential in replacing those stores. Even without any overt injury, running causes micro-level damage and a net breakdown of muscle protein. Dietary protein is needed to support the increased rate of muscle protein turnover that will counteract this damage. Continue reading