We appreciate that getting the right advice is an essential part of either starting out in a new sport or progressing. Why learn by your mistakes when you can learn by others.
We have taken some adivce from around the worl dto try and help you get the best out of both th esport and yourself
NUTRITION
We have tried to take the 'myths' out of nutrition and show you that with the right nutrition programme you CAN actually increase your performance and even beyond what you thought possible
CAFFINE
Consuming caffeine at the right levels during a Marathon has several benefits. It increases the maximum amount of carbohydrate you can absorb per hour (up from 60g to ~75g). Caffeine also delays the onset of fatigue and it enables higher work rates to be maintained with a reduced perception of effort.
In some caffeine sensitive individuals: caffeine can cause hand tremors (shakes), muscle cramps and an increased heart rate. Caffeinated gels should not be used if you have any medical condition. If you are unsure of how caffeine will affect your performance, then try gel with caffeine during your longer training runs.
CARBOHYDRATES
PROTEIN
ENERGY
DRINKING
ELECTROLYTES
Why do many athletes need electrolyte supplementation?
Hyponatremia, a medical condition marked by low blood sodium levels, can lead to nausea, fatigue, cramping, vomiting, weakness, sleepiness, and in rare severe cases, even death.
Five electrolytes in particular play a pivotal role in maintaining normal human muscle function: sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. A shortage of any of these electrolytes will affect athletic performance through a range a subtle to serious side effects.
Sweat typically has about 1000 mg sodium/liter, a typical sports drink has 440 mg sodium/liter. If, during the course of training, you ingest nothing but sports drinks (or worse, water), you will become hyponatremic at some point. Many sports drinks also do not address any form of supplementation of the other key electrolytes, potentially causing yet further cramping and muscle issues.
A popular and simple solution to electrolyte shortage due to sweating is supplementation using electrolyte capsules.
Why do I need more than just sodium? Table salt is easy to find and cheap to add to my drink mix...?
While sodium is the predominant electrolyte lost in sweat, a quartet of other electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride) performs crucial roles in muscle contraction, relaxation, and performance. Loss of these electrolytes over time will impair your muscles to function normally. Table salt only contains sodium chloride. Furthermore, adding too much salt to a drink will make it unpalatable and you will be less likely to actually drink it. A capsule delivers the electrolytes you need without tasting bad.
If I take salt capsules, where will I get my carbohydrates?
A strategy that has worked for countless pros and age groupers is to separate your electrolytes from your energy sources so that you can customize the dose of each group. This means to obtain electrolyte supplementation through capsules alone, and an energy source through solid or gel foods and/or complex carb drinks (e.g. maltodextrin).
A low sodium diet...
Scientific research maintains that the average Western diet is already too high in sodium and would benefit from a reduction in sodium intake. As sodium consumption increases, output in sweat also increases to maintain a healthy level in our body. Your body become acclimatized to this intake, and "needs" more sodium to maintain this level of function. However, athletic performance drives up the loss of sodium through sweat. If your diet already contains a lot of sodium, you'll need to maintain a higher level of sodium in your body to keep homeostasis (balance) and your ability to function under athletic stress. This can be accomplished by higher doses of electrolyte supplementation. If your diet is lower in sodium, you will still lose electrolytes through sweat, but you can maintain your appropriate blood electrolyte level with less supplementation. In many respects, the ideal situation is to live a low-sodium diet and supplement during heavy training and racing as needed. Using SaltStick Caps electrolyte capsules will allow you to do this easily, and to customize your dose based on individual need.