Nutrition, Recovery and Training Adaptations for Endurance Athletes

Background

There are numerous (legal) ways in which we can enhance performance in endurance sports. Although training is by far the most effective (and legal) way of enhancing performance, other aspects such as equipment, clothing, altitude/hypoxic tents, breathing devices, and nutrition can all add further benefit. Performance nutrition is an interesting area of research as the fuels you put in your body can have a huge effect on how you feel and how your body performs. It would be a shame to spend a considerable amount of time training hard but by simply eating the wrong foods at the wrong times could negatively impact on the benefits you could gain from an arduous training regime. Nutrition therefore, seems to be an area where an endurance athlete could gain some ‘quick wins’ without spending large sums of money. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the science of how certain dietary practices can enhance adaptations to training and practical recommendations are summarised in Table 1.

Not all training sessions are the same therefore, what you eat after each session should not be the same. However, very few athletes actually adapt their diet depending on the type and amount of training carried out, a concept called periodised nutrition. More specifically, what you eat, the quantities you eat it in, when you eat, and how often you eat it can have a substantial effect on the adaptation you get from the training you have done.

Recovery and Adaptations to the Muscle

Most endurance athletes that I have worked with tend to place a large emphasis on carbohydrate intake before, during and after training. Ingesting 1.5 g/kg of carbohydrate within 30 minutes after training has been shown to lead to a greater rate of muscle glycogen re-synthesis in comparison to ingesting it several hours afterwards (Ivy, 1998). This is mainly due to the muscles being more sensitive to insulin post-exercise. Therefore, if you are training more than once a day and training on subsequent days, it is important that you consume the recovery drink within this 30-minute window (although the quicker the better in my view) when the muscles are at their optimal for absorption. The amount of glycogen depleted during training depends on the intensity and duration of the session, but typically the harder and longer the session is, the more glycogen is utilised. Therefore after strenuous training sessions, if optimal glycogen repletion is the main goal, consuming 1.5 g/kg during the first 30 minutes and then consuming 1 g/kg again every 2 hours for 4 to 6 hours has been shown to be effective in maximising glycogen resynthesis after training (Jentjens and Jeukendrup,  2003). Combing carbohydrate and protein in a ratio of 3:1 after training has been found to further enhance glycogen resynthesis and reduce muscle damage (Ivy,  2002).      

Protein doesn’t just play a role in enhancing glycogen resynthesis after training but it also plays an important role when it comes to muscle recovery. A single bout of training will stimulate protein synthesis and depending on the intensity and volume will cause a certain amount of protein breakdown. Although this process is necessary in improving muscular strength and reconditioning the muscle, poor nutrition after training can impair this adaptation response. For instance, if insufficient protein and/or inadequate protein is consumed after exercise, protein synthesis is impaired, protein breakdown is increased and subsequently muscle protein gains are reduced. If this process continues after multiple bouts of training, over time the muscle reconditioning process is impaired and you may not get the necessary gains from the training sessions done. However, by consuming the correct nutrients at certain times and following some basic guidelines after training can enhance adaptations.

So consuming protein after training is just as important as carbohydrate. Both the type and amount of protein consumed after exercise are important. Evidence suggests that when you consume 20 g of protein after exercise, rates of muscle protein synthesis are maximised (Moore et al., 2009). The type of protein is also important as evidence suggests that consuming whey and casein protein are superior to soy protein after training as they offer a greater anabolic advantage (Paul, 2009). Milk contains both whey and casein protein and seems to be a good source of convenient protein to consume after exercise and can also help to promote rehydration.

The timing of protein ingestion is also an important factor in promoting muscle reconditioning and taking on board protein immediately after training seems to offer a greater benefit than consuming it several hours after (Beelen, 2011) . If one of the goals is to minimise muscle loss during training, there is evidence to suggest that carbohydrate and protein co-ingestion in a ratio of 3:1 before and during prolonged exercise can increase protein synthesis and preserve muscle mass (Beelen, 2011).

Antioxidants and Training Adaptations

Strenuous endurance exercise has been found to cause oxidative stress by increasing free radical and reactive oxygen species production, and both damage our cells. Vitamins A, C, E, selenium, and beta-carotene are just some dietary antioxidants that can help to protect the body against free radicals by neutralising them. Antioxidants in the form of polyphenols and anthocyains are also found in foods such as tea, vegetables and fruits. It has been proposed that dietary antioxidants could also reduce inflammation and muscle soreness after hard training which could be beneficial to a cyclist as he or she could recover quicker. This enhanced recovery could allow the rider to increase their training volume and intensity thereby enhancing performance. If antioxidants can help to protect the body from free radicals, reactive oxygen species, reduce inflammation and muscle soreness, could higher doses of antioxidants after intense training offer beneficial effects for overall recovery? Unfortunately, the answer is not straightforward as there is a great deal of conflicting scientific evidence on whether antioxidants can enhance or actually impair training adaptations. Some studies haven’t been well controlled, the dosages studies vary greatly, and the way some of the studies have been conducted are just some factors that explain why this area of research is contradictory.

Some of the early research on antioxidants and recovery was conducted on single vitamin antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. Several studies investigated whether taking Vitamin C in doses of 400-1000 mg per day (666-1700% above the daily recommended amount!) over 1-2 weeks enhanced recovery and reduced muscle soreness after training. A few of these studies found that vitamin C supplementation reduced muscle damage and muscle soreness after strenuous training (Bryer and Goldfarb, 2006; Kaminsky and Boal 1992) but others found no positive effect on recovery (Connolly et al., 2006). The studies done on vitamin E show a similar picture and these studies have also used very high doses (3500-5500% above the recommended daily amount!) over periods of 1-4 weeks. One study found that vitamin E in doses of 1200 IU (5500% over the RDA) over 12 weeks reduced markers of muscle damage (Sacheck et al. 2003) however another study that used the same dosage over 4 weeks found no effect on muscle damage, performance or muscle soreness (Beaton et al. 2002).  Some studies have investigated whether there is any positive benefit of taking a combination of vitamin C and vitamin E and the majority of these studies found little benefit on performance, no effect on recovery and muscle damage (Goldfarb et al. 1990; Mastakoudis et al. 2006).

More recent studies have focussed on antioxidants such as phytochemicals and anthocyains found in fruit concentrates, and montmorency cherries in particular have received a great deal of attention from scientists. One really well controlled study found that taking a montmorency cherry juice concentrate before and after a marathon found that it helped aid recovery following the run by reducing inflammation and enhancing recovery of muscle function (Howatson et al. 2009). Similar findings of montmorency cherry concentrate have since been found on strength training. Montmorency cherry juice consumption was found to improve recovery of muscle strength after intensive exercise (Botwell et al., 2011). Some of these findings have since been replicated using other fruit concentrates such as pomegranate juice (Trombold et al., 2011).

So it seems that taking antioxidants from fruit concentrates is more effective than taking them in the form of a single vitamin such as C and E in enhancing recovery after an intense training session. However, more recently, scientists have discovered that although antioxidants may help in neutralising free radicals, reducing inflammation and muscle soreness, could they be counterproductive in other ways. It has been suggested that the production of reactive oxygen species and free radicals is necessary and an important part of the adaptation process. More specifically, they play a key role in signalling and activating the endurance training adaptations. For example, Gomez-Cabrera and colleagues (2008) carried out a study using vitamin C supplementation in doses of 1000 mg (1667% above the RDA) over an 8-week period of endurance training. They found that after the supplements were given at the end of the training period, vitamin C actually hampered endurance capacity. Similarly, there is other evidence that has also found that antioxidant supplements during exercise may be counterproductive by impairing the adaptation response (Ristow et al., 2009).

The debate continues amongst the scientific community on whether antioxidants can enhance recovery after training or actually be counterproductive and impair training adaptations. There isn’t sufficient evidence to completely dismiss and rule out the use of antioxidants and similarly it would be hasty to take them after every training session. Nonetheless, there are certain circumstances where strategic use of antioxidant supplementation can be beneficial. For example, during important key stage races where quick recovery after each stage is more important the training adaptation. Similarly, during high-altitude training/racing where free radical production is higher than normal, antioxidant can certainly benefit the cyclist.

In summary, there are some simple dietary strategies that when followed can help maximize adaptation to the training stimulus and these are summarised in Table 1.

Table 1. Dietary Strategies to Enhance Training Adaptation

·      The recovery drink after training should contain 20 g of whey protein ·      Consume carbohydrate in doses of 1.5 g/kg immediately after training ·      If glycogen re-synthesis is the main goal (i.e. during stage races) then after the recovery nutrition continue consuming 1 g/kg of carbohydrate every couple of hours 4 hours after the session ·      To maximise protein synthesis and minimise muscle breakdown consume 10 g of protein before training and during long training sessions (>3 hours) consume an addition 10 g of protein every few hours. ·      Strategic use of antioxidants during key stage races and whilst at altitude can reduce muscle damage and enhance recovery however, antioxidants should not be used on a regular basis as they could impair adaptations to training.

   

References

Moore, D.R et al. (2009). Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 89(1): 161-168.

Ivy, J.L. (1998). Glycogen resythesis after exercise: Effect of carbohydrate intake. Int J Sports Med. 19:S142-S145.

Jentjens, R. and Jeukemdrup, A. (2003). Determinants of post-exercise glycogen sythesis during short-term recovery. Sports Med. 33: 117-114.

Ivy, J.L et al. (2002). Early post-exercise muscle glycogen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-protein supplement. J Appl Physiol. 93: 1337-1344  

Beelen, M et al. (2011). Nutritional strategies to promote postexercise recovery. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 20: 515-532.

Paul, G.L. (2009). The rationale for consuming protein blends in sports nutrition. J Am Coll Nutr. 28:464S-472S.

Bryer, S.C. and Goldfarb, A.H. (2006). Effect of high dose vitamin C supplementation on muscle soreness, damage, function, and oxidative stress to eccentric exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 16:270-280

Kaminsky, M and Boar, R. (1992). An effect of ascorbic acid on delayed onset muscle soreness. Pain. 50:317-321

Connolly, D.A. et al. (2006). The effects of vitamin C supplementation on symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 46:462-7.

Beaton, L.J. et al. (2002). Contaction-induced muscle damage is unaffected by vitamin E supplementation. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 34:798-805

Sacheck, J.M. et al. (2003). Effect of Vitamin E and eecentric exercise on selected biomarkers of oxidative stress in young and elderly men. Free Radic Biol Med. 34:1575-88.

Howatson et al. (2010). Influence of tart cherry juice on indices of recovery following marathon running. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 20(6):843-52

Botwell et al. (2011). Montmorency cherry juice reduces muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 43(8):1544-51.

Trombold et al. (2011). The effect of pomegranate juice supplementation on strength and soreness after eccentric exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 25(7):1782-8.

Ristow et al. (2009). Antioxidants prevent health-promoting effects of physical exercise in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 106:8665-8670

Gomez-Cabrera et al. (2008). Oral administration of Vitamin C decreases muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and hampers training-induced adaptations in endurance performance. Am J of Clinic Nutr. 87:142-149.s

Carbohydrate and Cycling: Could Training with 'Low Glycogen' Offer Any Benefits?

Introduction

Most of us that are into sports nutrition are aware of the importance of carbohydrate on performance. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 kcal worth of fuel and at higher intensities, carbohydrate is the preferred substrate during exercise. Moreover, carbohydrate is also an important fuel that is used by the brain, the liver and the central nervous system. We have known for years now that carbohydrate availability is a critical factor for events lasting longer than 90 minutes as total body carbohydrate stores are limited, and are often substantially less than the fuel requirements of the various training and competition sessions undertaken by cyclists. The purpose of this article is to examine whether adaptations to endurance training can be enhanced by manipulating carbohydrate intake. More specifically, could training with low carbohydrate stores rather high, a practice discouraged by many nutritionists, enhance the body's ability to respond to the training stimulus? This article will answer this question and provide some practical recommendations of carbohydrate intake for training and competition.    

Why Carbohydrate is Important?

In the body, carbohydrate is stored as glycogen. Around 80-100 g is stored in the liver and 300-400 g is stored in the muscles however, factors such as training status and dietary intake of carbohydrates will affect the exact amount stored. These stores should provide most individuals with approximately 90 minutes worth of fuel if exercising at a moderate intensity. The American College of Sports Medicine published a position statement¹ on nutrition guidelines for athletes in 2009 and carbohydrate recommendations suggested range between 6-10 g/kg of body weight. However, more recent studies have examined whether lower amounts of carbohydrate during certain training sessions could be beneficial in enhancing endurance training adaptations which we will discuss later. We have known for over 40 years now that carbohydrate loading, an ergogenic practice where you increase the amount of carbohydrate eaten in the days preceding an event, the body will increase its glycogen stores which will prolong endurance performance. Various different carbohydrate loading protocols exist. The early ones in the 1960's suggested that in the week leading up to an event, carbohydrate intake should be reduced and training continues as normal, which depletes the glycogen stores, followed by a very high carbohydrate intake 3 days before the event, which would supercompensate glycogen stores. As we started to learn more about these mechanisms, this practice was refined and we now know that there is no longer a need to deplete glycogen stores before supercompensating them. Simply by increasing carbohydrate to 10-12 g/kg of body weight during the taper phase a few days before an endurance event lasting longer than a few hours has the same ergogenic effect of prolonging endurance exercise performance. Carbohydrate loading is usually reserved for races however, many cyclists also train on a fairly high carbohydrate diet of around 6-8 g/kg of body weight. More recently however, nutrition research has looked at whether cyclists would get more benefit from their training by following a low carbohydrate diet. Scientifically, this concept makes a lot of sense. When there is reduced carbohydrate availability, the muscle will oxidize more fats. If you deliberately ‘encourage’ the muscle to oxidize fat it becomes more energy efficient therefore, the rationale for training with low carbohydrate could offer beneficial adaptations in the long term.

Training 'Low'

One of the first studies to investigate training with low carbohydrate was done in 2005 by Hansen and colleagues². This was a very clever study where one leg was trained in a low glycogen state and the other leg was trained in a high glycogen state. This was achieved by eating 8 g/kg of carbohydrate per day whilst the 'low’ leg trained twice a day and the 'high' leg trained every other day, very clever stuff!    Hansen and co-workers found that 10 weeks of endurance training resulted in a 90% increase in time to exhaustion in the ‘low’ leg during a knee extensor exercise. It was also found that the activity of citrate synthase and 3-hyroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, two key enzymes involved in fat metabolism, was increased. These findings suggest that training in a glycogen depleted state could increase the muscle's ability to use more fat as a fuel during exercise.  Three years after this study, Yeo and colleagues³ carried out a similar study but the participants where 14 trained endurance cyclists. The cyclists were required to carry out six cycling sessions per week where three sessions were 100 min at 70% intensity and the other 3 were high intensity intervals (8 x 5 min with 1 min recovery). 7 Cyclists in the 'low' group had to train every other day but twice a day (moderate intensity session followed the high intensity session) which meant that the 100 min was done with low glycogen, and cyclists in the 'high' group trained once a day but every day alternating between moderate intensity and high intensity which meant they were training with more glycogen. Interestingly, despite the cyclists in the low group experienced difficulty in doing the interval training, fat oxidation and activities of citrate synthase and 3-hyroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase had increased in the low group. These results are similar to the study done 3 years ago by Hansen and co-workers but this time in endurance trained cyclists suggesting that training with low glycogen can enhance fat oxidation and adaptations to training in comparison to high glycogen stores. Two years later, an almost identical study done by Hulston and colleagues (2010)⁴, found similar results in cyclists where fat oxidation in the 'low' group increased during submaximal cycling. In 2009 a research group from Liverpool led by Morton and colleagues⁵ found that when runners trained with 'low' carbohydrate stores over a six week period, mitochondrial enzymes responsible for fat metabolism were improved compared to the high carbohydrate group.

Whilst these findings are exciting and promising there have been other studies conducted by De Bock and co-workers (2009)⁶, Cox and colleagues (2010)⁷ and Akerstrom and colleagues (2009)⁸ using the training 'low' protocol that found no benefit on either fuel use or performance. One thing to consider is that although fat oxidation and enzyme activity for fuel use were enhanced in some of these studies performance remained the same in both the high and the low carbohydrate groups. However, these studies were conducted during a relatively short period (4-10 weeks), and the benefits offered by training low in the longer term, may be more beneficial in increasing fat utilisation and preserving glycogen which can prolong and possibly enhance cycling performance. 

What are the Mechanisms?

Although more research is being conducted to further investigate the exact mechanisms, it is believed that when we train in a glycogen depleted state, our bodies have an improved ability to use fat as a fuel to provide energy for training. It has been suggested that a transcription factor called PPARfb is activated when training in a glycogen depleted state which in turn increases the enzymes in the body such as citrate synthase and 3-hyroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase which are responsible for increasing the use of fats to fuel exercise. These enzymes are less active if training is done when plenty of glycogen and carbohydrate is available.

  

Some Problems with Training 'Low'

Although there is some exciting evidence that training with low glycogen stores can enhance endurance training adaptations and increase enzyme activity that regulates fat use during exercise, there are a few disadvantages. Firstly, training with lower glycogen stores will result in a reduced training intensities and volumes as the muscle requires more carbohydrate as exercise intensity and volume increases. Secondly, training with low carbohydrate intake for prolonged periods increases the likelihood of getting ill through upper respiratory tract infections (common cold). And finally, low carbohydrate intakes before and during longer rides will result in 'bonking' or 'hitting the wall' which result in fatigue and loss of power.

Practical Implications

It is not recommended that all training sessions are done 'low' but instead a more strategic approach may offer greater benefits. For example, easy and moderate rides lasting anywhere between 1-2.5 hours can be done first thing in the morning in a fasted state and no food should be consumed during the ride. This will obviously limit how hard you can ride which is why it should be kept to an easy/moderate pace. It is also important that you don't eat a high carbohydrate diet the day before to ensure that glycogen levels remain low the following day. Longer sessions and interval training sessions can be done later in the day after breakfast and lunch where more carbohydrate has been consumed. It is not recommended that cyclists race 'low' as the high intensities and durations during competition are reliant on carbohydrate therefore increasing carbohydrate to 8-10 g/kg of body weight a few days before a race lasting longer than 90 minutes remains a sensible ergogenic race nutrition strategy.  

Conclusion

In the real world, many endurance athletes already practice training 'low' without being conscious of it as described in the practical implications section. As there is still a discrepancy regarding the science on training 'low' there is still ongoing research being done in this area as it is still not that well understood. However, this is an exciting area of research and there are clearly studies that have shown there could be some benefits in strategic 'low' training to enhance the endurance adaptations to training. 

References

1.    American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Mar;41(3):709-31

2.    Hansen et al. Skeletal muscle adaptation: training twice every second day vs. training once daily. J Appl Physiol. 2005 Jan;98(1):93-9

3.    Yeo et al. Fat adaptation followed by carbohydrate restoration increases AMPK activity in skeletal muscle from trained humans. J Appl Physiol. 2008 Nov;105(5):1519-26.

4.    Hulston et al. Training with low muscle glycogen enhances fat metabolism in well-trained cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Nov;42(11):2046-55.

5.    Morton et al. Reduced carbohydrate availability does not modulate training-induced heat shock protein adaptations but does upregulate oxidative enzyme activity in human skeletal muscle.J Appl Physiol. 2009 May;106(5):1513-21

6.    De Bock et al. Effect of training in the fasted state on metabolic responses during exercise with carbohydrate intake. J Appl Physiol. 2008 Apr;104(4):1045-55.

7.    Cox et al. Daily training with high carbohydrate availability increases exogenous carbohydrate oxidation during endurance cycling. J Appl Physiol. 2010 Jul;109(1):126-34.

8.    Akerstrom et al. Glucose ingestion during endurance training does not alter adaptation. J Appl Physiol. 2009 Jun;106(6):1771-9

Carbohydrate Intake is Correlated to Finishing Times in Endurance Events

We all know that carbohydrate intake improves endurance performance. There is an overwhelming body of research that has demonstrated that carbohydrate ingestion before (i.e. carbo loading) and during enhances exercise performance.

Information on actual nutritional intake and gastrointestinal problems in endurance athletes competing in ultra-endurance events is lacking. Particularly events such as marathons, ironman races and professional bike races. To address this Pfeiffer and colleagues (2012) carried out a study to investigate nutritional intake and gastrointestinal problems during competitive endurance events.

Pfeiffer et al. (2012) recruited 221 male and female endurance athletes competing in ironman events, marathons, 100-150 km cycle races, and professional riders during stage races. Athletes completed a questionnaire that quantified nutritional intake and GI problems.

As you can see from the table below, carbohydrate intake varied greatly between among the individual athletes (as seen by the large SD values) and the different events.

In the two triathlon events (IM Hawaii and IM Germany) carbohydrate intake was highest on the bike leg (as expected) and reported intakes were similar to the recommended 90 g/hr of exercise as seen in the table below.

The most interesting finding was that higher carbohydrate intakes were significantly correlated with faster finishing times as seen below.

And finally, although high carbohydrate intakes were not associated with higher average scores for upper or lower GI distress, they did seem to be a risk factor for symptoms such as flatulence and nausea. It is important to note at this point that there is evidence that you can train the gut to tolerate high intakes of carbohydrate during a race (i.e. 90 g/hr). The type of carbohydrate is also important i.e. multiple transportable carbohydrates. In other words, carbohydrate that contains glucose AND fructose in a ratio of 2:1. If you are competing in endurance events, check that your carbohydrate gels/drinks/bars contain glucose and fructose.

So in conclusion, carbohydrate intake varies greatly amongst athletes and events and it is very individual. Although, higher carbohydrate intakes were associated with faster finishing times, they were also associated with greater symptoms of nausea and flatulence. Therefore the advice is that, everybody is different. An individualised carbohydrate strategy is needed and bear in mind that the gut can be trained to tolerate high intakes. Always try feeding strategies in training before you trial them in a race.

Mayur Ranchordas

Tips for Fat Loss

I have been meaning to write this blog on fat loss for a long time now, and I have managed to find some time this weekend, so I hope you enjoy the read. I will make this blog less ‘academic’ and more practical as it is aimed at the recreational/serious athlete or someone who simply wants to lose weight. Most of the tips you’ll read on here have come from personal experience and evidence-based science.

Scientific Principles Behind Losing Fat

The scientific principles of fat loss are simple. Calories in must be less than calories out. Despite this simple fact, there are so many diverse diets out there aimed at fat loss. To shed 1 pound of fat, you need to burn 3500 kcal. So here is some simple maths:

A 70 kg 30 year-old male will have a Basal Metabolic Rate of appox. 1500 kcal. This is the energy needed to keep the body ticking over. Lets say this person exercises for 30 minutes every day at moderate intensity which burn 300 kcal. Other activities such as walking around, climbing stairs etc. burns 200 kcal. So:

BMR – 1500 kcal

Exercise – 300 kcal

Daily Living – 200 kcal

Total Daily Energy Expenditure = 1500 + 300 + 200 = 2000 kcal

If this person ate the daily recommended kcal intake of 2000 kcal per day he would maintain his weight. i.e. 2000 kcal (eaten) – 2000 kcal (burnt) = 0

So following the above every day would mean his weight would remain the same. If he wanted to lose 1 pound of fat over a one week period, he would have to carry on burning 2000 kcal as normal  but reduce his kcal intake to 1500 kcal:

500 kcal x 7 (days per week) = 3500 kcal – 1 pound of fat.

On paper this seems fairly straightforward, eat 1500 kcal per day, exercise 30 minutes every day and 1 pound per week of fat loss can be achieved. But in reality the maths isn’t always this straightforward. The message is simple though, burn more energy per day than consume it.

Fat loss tips

• Include a fist size protein portion in each main meal

Protein increases satiety, and scientific evidence has demonstrated that protein will make you feel fuller for longer, it increases energy expenditure by eating it compared to carbohydrate because it takes more energy to break it down.

Ref: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21565478

• Snack on protein and fruit/veg rather than carbohydrate

Every time we eat carbohydrate based foods our blood glucose levels rise. High blood glucose levels will then fall as insulin controls blood glucose levels which means you’ll be hungry again. Therefore keep the carbohydrate content low and increase the protein. Carbohydrate from fruits and vegetables is better than carbohydrates from wheat based products.  The following snacks are great for fat loss:

2 Rye Ryvita crakers + 2 tbsp low fat Philadelphia cheese

Fruit + low fat yogurt

Handful mixed nuts

3-4 slices low fat turkey

Carrort/Cucumber sticks + low fat hummus

• Eat 2-3 low fat dairy portions per day

Scientific studies have found that increasing consumption of low fat dairy products can help you lose weight. Eating 2-3 low fat dairy portions can help excrete more fat in faeces.

Ref: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21775530

• High intensity interval training is better than steady moderate training

The simple fact is the higher the intensity you exercise the more kcal you burn. I see so many people plodding away at the gym at a low or moderate intensity on the bike or treadmill and although that still gives you some cardiovascular benefits its not ideal for fat loss. You could burn the same amount of kcal in less than half the time with high intensity interval training, The great thing about high intensity interval training is that it increases your metabolic rate therefore you will carry on burning calories after the session has finished. So circuits, spinning, interval runs are all good sessions for fat loss.

Ref: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18845966

• Do some weight train as well as cardio training

Our metabolisms slow down as we get older. One of the main reasons for this is muscle; the less muscle we have the slower our metabolic rates. We can reverse this process to an extent. Two weight training sessions that work majority of the muscle can help increase or maintain muscle mass. We may not burn as many kcal during a weight training session compared to a cardi session however, our metabolic rates rise much after for longer after the session has stopped. This is also the case for high intensity interval training (see previous point).

Sample Fat Loss Menu

Breakfast

2 poached eggs

1 slice rye bread

1 glass of orange juice

handful mixed berries

Snack

2 Rye Ryvita crakers + 2 tbsp low fat Philadelphia cheese

Lunch

Small wholemeal baguette + Cajun chicken + lettuce

1 pack Snack-a-jacks

1 apple

1 pint water

Snack

Handful mixed nuts + 1 low fat yogurt + 1 pear

Dinner

Grilled Salmon + lemon + Parsley

Handul steamed new ptatoes

Steamed Broccoli = Carrots

  

Supper

2 tbsp low fat cottage cheese + 2 water biscuits

I've only covered some of the general principles here. Other things that are also just as important are behaviour change, planning ahead and commitment. Most people's motivation will fluctuate but if your committed then it will increase the chances of success. To lose weight you need to plan ahead by buying the right foods and packing your lunch rather than relying on buying it from a shop.     

By Mayur Ranchordas

Sports Drinks

In the coming weeks I will be writing more on sports drinks. Sports drinks have been around for a long time and research has consistently found sports drinks to be effective in extending and enhancing endurance performance. However, over the past few years several studies have furthered our knowledge on sports drinks and not all sports drinks are the same.


For example, up until recently, it was known that our muscles can oxidise 30-60 g of carbohydrate per hour. However, we now have data that shows that if you add different types of carbohydrate (i.e. glucose and fructose) to a drink the body can oxidise up to 90 g per hour and in some studies even higher values have been reported (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15946410). I'll write more about this in a future post.

Although this evidence has been around for some time now, certain sports nutrition companies are yet to update their products. For example, Lucozade still don't add any fructose to their isotonic sports drinks! For now have a look at how to use some of the commercially available drinks in the UK:

Sports Drink	Description	Ingredients	Nutrition Information per 100 mL		How to Use it appropriately
Lucozade Sport Body Fuel	Isotonic carbohydrate drink	Water, Carbohydrate Blend (Glucose Syrup, Maltodextrin), Citric Acid, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate), Stabiliser (Acacia Gum), Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Flavouring, Vitamins (Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, B6, B12), Colour (Beta-Carotene)	kcal	28	This drink can be used during exercise lasting longer than 60 min as it provides carbohydrate. It can also be consumed 30-60 min before exercise or immediately after exercise to help restore glycogen and replace fluids 500 mL every 40-60 min is advised
			Carbohydrate (g)	6.4
			Protein (g)	Trace
			Fat (g)	nil
			Sodium (mg)	50
			Niacin  (mg)	0.61
			Vit B6 (mg)	0.007
			Vit B12 (µg)	0.03
			Pantothenic Acid (mg)	0.2
			Potassium (mg)	9
Lucozade Sport Lite	Hypotonic Electrolyte Drink	Water, Glucose Syrup, Citric Acid, Acidity Regulators (Sodium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate), Flavouring, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Stabliliser (Acacia Gum), Vitamins (Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, B6, B12)	kcal	10	This drink should be used when exercising for short durations (< 60 min) in the heat and humidity. It is designed to replace salts lost through sweating. 500 mL every 40-60 min is advised
			Carbohydrate (g)	2
			Protein (g)	Trace
			Fat (g)	Nil
			Sodium (mg)	38
			Niacin  (mg)	0.61
			Vit B6 (mg)	0.07
			Vit B12 (µg)	0.03
			Pantothenic Acid (mg)	0.31
			Calcium (mg)	42
Lucozade Sport Fuel & Focus	Isotonic carbohydrate drink with caffeine	Water, Carbohydrate Blend (Glucose Syrup, Maltodextrin), Citric Acid, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Stabilisers (Acacia Gum, Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Caffeine (0.016%), Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Flavourings, Vitamins (Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, B6, B12)	kcal	28	This drink contains caffeine and is designed to consume 30-45 min before or during exercise. It can be consumed at half-time for team sports or during exercise where improvements in endurance and concentration are required. 500 mL every 40-60 min is advised
			Carbohydrate	6.4
			Protein	Trace
			Fat	nil
			Sodium	50
			Niacin	0.61
			Vit B6	0.007
			Vit B12	0.03
			Pantothenic Acid	0.2
			Potassium (mg)	9
			Caffeine (mg)	16
Powerbar Energize C2Max	Isotonic carbohydrate drink with multiple transportable carbohydrates	Maltodextrin, dextrose, fructose, acidulants (citric acid, tartaric acid), flavourings, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, potassium chloride, colouring anthocyanins, L-glutamine, vitamins (C, E, niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, B1), magnesium carbonate, L-leucine, anti-caking agent: silicon dioxide, L-valine, L-isoleucine. Traces: Eggs, soya, nuts, milk, gluten, celery	kcal	27	This drink is designed to consume during prolonged exercise lasting > 90 minutes. Research has found that more carbohydrate can be absorbed when glucose and fructose are combined. This drink is ideal for sports that are long in duration (i.e. endurance swimming, running, cycling)
			Carbohydrate	6.6
			Protein	0.04
			Fat	trace
			Sodium	0.32
Lucozade Sport Recovery	Carbohydrate-Protein recovery Drink	Sugar (65%), Whey Protein Isolate (from Milk) (30%), Citric Acid, Flavourings, Anti-caking Agent (Tri-calcium Phosphate), Soya Lecithin, Colour (Beta-carotene)	kcal	59	This drink should be consumed within 20 min of finishing training. This drink is ideal after training, particularly if you have short time gaps between sessions or if you have no access to food after training. A 500 mL serving should be consumed.
			Carbohydrate	10.2
			Protein	4.1
			Fat	nil
			Sodium	trace
Lucozade Sport Hydro Active Plus	Hypotonic Carbohydrate Drink with High Sodium Content	Sugar, Citric Acid, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Flavouring, Anti-caking Agent (Tri-calcium Phosphate), Colour (Beta-carotene)	kcal	18	This drink should be consumed during and/or after exercise in hot/humid environments. Typically, 500 mL every 30 min should be consumed in hot environments. This drink contains a higher sodium concentration to replace increased salt losses through sweat.
			Carbohydrate (g)	4
			Protein (g)	Trace
			Fat (g)	Nil
			Fibre (g)	Nil
			Sodium (mg)	91