Gels or Sports Drink?

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Kate

Gels or Sports Drink?

When I race, should I choose gels or sports drinks? Or a combination of both?

During a race of 90 minutes or more glycogen levels need to be topped up on a regular basis or they’ll become depleted, you’ll run out of steam and you’ll ‘bonk’ or ‘hit the wall’. Drinking water is not enough! You’ll need to rapidly replenish depleted muscle glycogen and restore body salts lost through sweat. That’s why we have to take on board gels and sports drinks. Unfortunately, most of them are disgusting, unpalatable and sickly…that’s because they’re more or less pure glucose, designed to be digested as quickly as possible. Using homemade sports drinks in training is fine, but this is usually an impractical solution for racing. The only option is to try out different brands to find one you can stomach.

With the ongoing success of FuelSmart for Race Day, I’m frequently asked whether it’s best to top up these glycogen levels with gels or with sports drinks during triathlon, half-marathon and marathon endurance training and races, and whether there is any difference between them.

Discover your ideal personal strategy.

Firstly and most importantly, what works for you is unlikely to work for your fellow competitor! You need to practice different strategies in training to discover what will suit you and your physiology best. Whether you choose gels, sports drink or a combo depends more on your personal preference than on any performance advantage.

Download the FuelSmart Series

Optimise your performance with Go Faster Food FuelSmart.

Nutritionally-formulated meal plans and delicious recipes to help you go further, faster.

FuelSmart for Race Day

Gels – don’t forget to wash them down with water

Gels, designed to be rapidly digested to replenish muscle glycogen as quickly as possible, provide between 20-30 grams of carbohydrate. Your body requires 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, depending on workout intensity, so you’d need 2-3 gels per hour. Each gel must be washed down with plenty of water, for good hydration and for the effective absorption of the gel.

What about Sports Drinks?

Sports drinks are essentially gels with water, providing you ‘two for one’: hydration and carbohydrates. 500 ml typically contains between 30-45 grams carbohydrate, so you would need around 600 ml per hour, again depending on your workout.

Try a Gel/Sports Drink Combo to minimise Gastrointestinal discomfort

If, like me, you find sports drinks and gels too sickly-sticky, and water boring, try my combo method which maintains good hydration, body salt and glycogen levels.; a gel every 30-40 minutes, washed down with a 50% diluted sports drink. You never know, it might work for you!

Don’t forget electrolytes and protein

For best performance and recovery, choose a gel or sports drink which also contains protein and electrolytes; this helps prevent muscle damage and replaces lost body salts.

Solids can be kinder to the stomach

Overconsumption of gels and sports drinks can leave your gut feeling extremely uncomfortable. Energy bars, dried fruit, marmite, cheese or honey sandwiches, bananas and rice balls can be kinder to the stomach and many cyclists find it more pleasant and effective to eat these on the bike. Solids on the bike works for triathletes and ironman competitors, followed by sports drink and/or gels on the run to minimise gastrointestinal discomfort.

If you suffer GI problems, keep it simple!

Your stomach comes under all sorts of stress during endurance events. Many competitors suffer gastrointestinal problems. The more gunk you put inside you the likelihood is that the more uncomfortable your stomach will feel!

Practice different options in training to discover what is comfortable for you as an individual.

Top 10 ‘back to basics’ Go Faster tips to eat well in 2013

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Kate

Have a Healthy, Happy & Energised 2013!

Top 10 ‘back to basics’ Go Faster tips to eat well in 2013

I’d like to propose getting BACK TO BASICS IN 2013. Why do we work out? It’s simple! It’s about getting into the fresh air, getting fit, working out with friends and having a good natter, working out on your own to regroup your thoughts, pushing yourself to go that extra mile or beat your PB. It’s not complicated.

That’s what a athlete’s diet should be as well!

Use these top 10 ‘back to basics’ Go Faster tips to eat well in 2013! They’ll help with weight loss if that’s your goal, although it will require a little patience, but it’s essentially an easy and uncomplicated ‘way of eating’ , both achievable and enjoyable, which will promote both long-term health and better athletic performance.

1. Would you put diesel into a Ferrari? NO!!

Ensure each mouthful is nutritious

If you are active, your body may need extra calories, but this doesn’t mean that you should just grab the nearest sugar-coated custard doughnut! Don’t waste time with ‘empty’ calories – focus on nutrient-dense foods and try your best to keep to unprocessed; that’s fresh, natural ingredients. You’ll find lots of examples and recipes to use them in Go Faster Food. Of course, with our busy lifestyles processed foods are virtually impossible to avoid, so when you do eat them, check the label for hidden saturated fats and salt.

Know what you are eating, read the label and ask yourself ”Do I really want to put this into my body?”.

2. BALANCE AND MODERATION!

Sounds boring, but this is the key to long-term health. Whether training or not, the ideal diet should include a wide variety of foods. Your body needs balance, so don’t cut out one particular food group, such as carbohydrate, protein or fat. Stick to the standard BDA guidelines of around 60% carbohydrate – that’s bread, pasta, cereal, rice AND fruit and vegetables, with a good mix of protein (around 15%) and the rest from fats. As an athlete, you also need to increase your intake of vitamins and minerals.

Don’t forget the maths! The more you move, the more you can eat!

It’s as simple as that. Don’t eat more calories than you can burn. Fad diets such as Atkins, Paleo, Blood Type, Fasting, Dukan promise great things, but are best avoided unless recommended by a medical expert. They are complicated, difficult to sustain and can affect health in the long term.

Regular exercise and sensible, balanced eating will be far more effective in the long term that a diet.

3. Beauty comes from within, thank goodness!

Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t got the ultimate 6-pack, or if you’re not the perfect size 10 with abs to die for…

Being active, fit and healthy is more important than having the perfect figure!

4. It’s not just about the race

Fuelling for endurance sport is not just about carbo-loading before a race; it is equally important to be smart about eating throughout your training schedule. If you don’t train well you won’t race well. Fuel yourself with the right foods during training, you’ll prevent injury and improve both your performance and your recovery times.

For general training, use the recipes, meal plans and advice in Go Faster Food.

For pre-race fuelling advice, meal plans and recipes, get yourself a copy of FuelSmart for Race Day

5. You don’t have to be a millionaire to eat well!

Eating well doesn’t have to break the bank! Good quality, nutrient-dense foods such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrains are easily available at the local supermarket, so don’t worry that you’re not visiting the farmer’s market, speciality health food store or deli every week.

Keep it simple! Avoiding processed wherever possible is the key to good long-term health. Avoid the ‘so-called’ healthy sports drinks and energy bars and make your own instead. You’ll not only be healthier but you’ll save ££££$$$$$. You’ll find easy recipes for these in FuelSmart for Race Day (£3.99)

6. Keep well-hydrated

Keeping well-hydrated throughout the day will make you feel energised and focussed. If you wait until you feel thirsty you’ll be slightly dehydrated already, so keep bottles of water with you, at your desk, in the car, on your bedside table. Take a big bottle of water to work with you and make sure you finish it by the end of the day. Read more about hydration.

Don’t waste money on expensive sports drinks when you can make your own – see hydration. Use your savings on a £3.99 copy of FuelSmart for Race Day instead!

7. Don’t train on empty

Try to plan your training sessions so that you can eat 1-2 hours before setting off, especially if you are planning an intense or longer workout. You’ll train stronger and feel better. Eat something which is low in fat, easy to digest and high in carbohydrate that will gradually release energy to your muscles; click here for pre-workout recipes….

8. Good recovery is the key to success!

Eat and drink to refuel within the 15 minute magic window to speed recovery

Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen levels become depleted after a workout and the quicker they are topped up again, the quicker your recovery will be and the better you will feel for your next session. You also need water and electrolytes to replace fluid loss, and protein to repair your muscle cells. Grab something as soon as you finish your workout like a honey sandwich, a bowl of rice pudding, a slice of toast with scrambled egg, peanut butter or hummus, an energy bar or flapjack, a piece of fruit (melon is good) or a refreshing home-made smoothie made with skimmed milk or yoghurt.

Eat and drink to refuel within the 15 minute magic window to speed recovery. Click here for recovery recipes…

9. Eat well on rest days

Rest days are highly important for recovery as this is the time when your muscles are at their most receptive – it can take up to 20 hours for muscle glycogen stores to be fully replenished and it is often when the hunger starts to kick in with a vengeance.

Make the most of rest days, replenish your depleted energy and feed your muscles by eating well.

10. Don’t be too boring and obsessive about what you eat!

Follow the 80:20 rule

Athletes can often become body conscious and this can sometimes lead to eating disorder. Please don’t get too hung up on your exact food intake; a relaxed attitude to eating will help you stay focussed, feel good, exercise better and enjoy your training without starting to feel that it is a chore. Eating well for around 80% of the time means that you can afford to stray for the remaining 20% without feeling guilty.

Enjoy your food! It’s what makes all this training worthwhile!

Runner’s World Panel

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Kate

LAST WEEK I WAS INVITED TO TWO INCREDIBLY STIMULATING EVENTS. FIRSTLY, THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF UKACTIVE (see separate post), AND SECONDLY, AS A NUTRITION EXPERT ON THE RUNNERS WORLD EXPERT PANEL AT THE RUNNING SHOW. I was lucky enough to sit on the Runner’s World expert panel for four seminars over the course of the show, along with Kerry McCarthy, Senior Writer from Runner’s World, Mark Saunders from Physio4Life and the lovely Personal Trainer, Sarah O’Neill.

One of the FAQs at each seminar was:

Should I eat before my early morning ‘pre-work’ training run and if so, what?

This is always a difficult question and the answer really depends on three factors: the individual, the intensity and the length of the run. Runners should in theory run better with a little fuel inside them, but some can put their trainers on first thing and run on empty for an hour or so with no problem at all; others cannot function properly without some proper breakfast inside them. The fact is, you’ve fasted your body overnight, blood sugar levels are at their lowest, and your body will appreciate some kind of energy boost before getting pushed out of its comfort zone. Those who find they can’t run on empty (which includes me, by the way) find dawn running a real challenge without the luxury of waiting an hour or so for their breakfast to digest before they run. I am afraid that it’s a matter of trial and error to work out what works for you as an individual. If running for over 90 minutes, you’ll need to either eat before you leave, or take some fuel with you in the form of sports drink (see my home made versions in FuelSmart for Race Day), gel or alternatives but here are my suggestions for shorter morning runs:

Get up earlier and eat a light breakfast! Something with carbohydrate and a little protein which isn’t going to nail you to the floor…. a small bowl of porridge, muesli or healthy cereal, a slice of wholemeal toast and honey and a banana, for instance. Most runners will need at least an hour to digest breakfast, some more, some a little less, but getting up extra early can be a revelation for some who find that the spare ‘digestion’ time is an ideal moment to get other stuff done – pay the bills, get on top of the emails, write Christmas cards, prepare supper in the slow cooker!

Train the body to eat a small snack nearer the run…. this is quite an individual one; works for some but not for others, so worth a try at least. Try eating some raisins and a spoonful of honey, a banana and some raisins, half an English muffin, half a slice of toast and honey or perhaps one weetabix with a little milk as soon as you get up. Each time you run, reduce the time between eating and getting into your trainers and out the door. If you’re lucky, you can squeeze this period to around 15 minutes – just enough time to put your kit on, brush your hair and read the headlines!

Avoid solid food and take on board water, a sports drink, a glass of milk or a smoothie to boost your blood sugar levels; just enough to get you through your run. Eat breakfast on your return.

Forget the theory and run on empty. If you do this it is important to make sure you hydrate before you leave and refuel as soon as you return. Runners often make the mistake of returning from dawn runs feeling good, rushing into the shower and straight off to work without taking anything on board to replenish depleted glycogen stores, repair muscle trauma and replace salts lost through sweat. Hunger pangs then set in later in the day and this is when any concept of healthy diet goes out the window and you reach for the nearest food available which might be a pasty from the bakery, processed rubbish from the vending machine or supersize bar of chocolate!

Don’t forget that whether you eat before a dawn run or not, it is really important to hydrate properly before you set off. This brings me onto an interesting new technology I came across at the Running Show; a personalised sweat-testing method from Precision Hydration. From one single test of your sweat (£75.00), these guys claim to be able to give you a detailed personalised hydration strategy, advising you on the appropriate level of electrolyte replenishment to aim for from liquids drank before, during and after exercise. Before endorsing this, I need to take a deeper look into the science behind it and will ask the opinion of my medical contacts, so watch this space….

Elektrik 3/ The Olly Barkley Rugby Academy/ Training Camp

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Kate

I just picked up my two boys, plus French exchange boy, Max, from Elektrik 3, Olly Barkley’s new rubgy academy. They had a truly awesome day!

Olly Barkley, England star and centre and fly-half for Bath, with the help of some of the biggest names in rugby, has launched an amazing rugby academy for children at Colston’s School in Bristol. Four really good training sessions with proper rugby stars – in my boys case, Matt Banahan and Luke Narraway – interim sessions such as nutrition “What do rugby players eat”, how to prepare for and recover after games and what it’s like to be a professional rugby player.

So often at these sort of camps the food is disgraceful, but here the boys were treated to a specially designed high performance nutrition programme, put together with the help of Matt Lovell, England Rugby nutritionist- spag bol for lunch (spag bol always goes down well!) and plenty of healthy freebies from Yeo Valley and Oso Juicy Breakfast Smoothies. My kids are pretty good on the nutrition front but it does help when the advice comes from someone other than mum!!

The day finished with a Q and A session with Matt Bannahan (parents were invited too which was pretty cool) and the boys went home happy, motivated and full of enthusiasm for the up and coming season….and with a superb goodie bag including Puma Olly Barkley backpack (that’ll do for next year’s school bag), t-shirt, hoodie, water bottle and a Yeo Valle coolbag.

Looking deeper into Olly Barclay’s motivation behind Elektrik 3 I was astounded to discover that the 29-year-old plans to donate all profits from his debut academy to Bristol-based charity NACOA (the National Association for Children of Alcoholics). This is what he has to say:

“When I have been to rugby academies, they have usually had one professional player, who often might not even be an international, over the three days… To me, that isn’t good enough for kids. When you go to an academy, you need to be coached by the stars you see on TV…. With all due respect to camps before, I have not enjoyed coaching at them. I have found them pretty boring and parents have probably spent money they would rather have taken back. I really wanted to start an events company so the transition from rugby into real life is less bumpy – and I didn’t want to run before I could walk, so I thought I would stick to what I know.”

Barkley, who decided to set up Elektrik Events with his agent after suffering the first of two recent serious injuries, already has plans to expand his academy into Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and even London. For further information, visit www.elektrik3.com.

Kasabian Bassist, Chris Edwards in Bristol for Go Faster Food supper!

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Kate

On 3rd September Kasabian Bassist, Chris Edwards and his brother Jay start their gruelling MONSTER Lejog cycle challenge from Lands End to John O’Groats in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Lucky me, they’re stopping over at my place in Bristol for a Go Faster Food Supper! So on 6th September, after a little photo shoot with the local press at the Clifton Suspension Bridge, I’ll be preparing a Go Faster endurance meal special for Chris, Jay and their dad, who is accompanying them in a support vehicle. Will it be Moroccan Lamb Shanks with Toasted Almond Couscous or Smoky Black Bean and Chorizo Chilli with Herby Salsa and Basmati Rice? Decisions, decisions…

They’ve had lots of training advice from my lovely friend and chief supporter of my flapjack recipes, Charlotte Thompson, although how they find time to do any training in their busy tour/work schedules completely defeats me.

Now they need to get their nutrition right!

Riding any distance burns a vast amount of calories and makes you ravenously hungry. The boys need to make wise food choices to help them complete their challenge with consistently high energy levels. High mileage on the bike day after day means the boys need to keep their glycogen levels (ie the carbohydrate stored in the muscles which provides the body with energy) topped up all the time . They’ll also need plenty of water and electrolytes to replace fluid loss, and protein to repair muscle cells.

Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen

levels become depleted after a workout and the quicker they are

topped up again, the quicker your recovery will be and the better

you will feel for your next session.

For sustained energy levels, Chris and Jay should base their main meals on low-to-medium Glycaemic Index (G.I.) foods, and try to have heaps of carbohydrate (about 60%) and a fair amount of protein (about 20%) each day. They should also steer away from too much fatty food, as this could make them feel sluggish. Low to medium G.I. foods break down slowly during digestion, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream and thereby providing the body with a more consistent level of energy. A good low G.I. breakfast of something like porridge or muesli and fresh fruit, followed by poached eggs on wholemeal toast will set them up for the day. ’Little and often’ will be the key to a good day’s ride - they will need to ‘feed’ every hour or so with a mix of salty and sweet foods like wholemeal sandwiches, healthy snacks, flapjacks, malt loaf, nuts and raisins and they’ll need to take on plenty of fluid (both water and sports drink, a cup every 30 mins -see my hydration post) Snacks during the day should also include some higher G.I. carbs, carbs which will be absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream to give instant energy, such as honey and jam sandwiches, sports drinks, jelly beans etc.

smoky black bean chilli

The main focus of each evening will be eating! Plenty of carbohydrate to replenish depleted glycogen levels, plus some protein to aid muscle repair, so that they can start the next day with renewed strength and energy.

Anyone wanting to make a donation to the cause, click on Teenage Cancer Trust.

Orbana Healthy Energy Drink

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Kate

A lovely lady called Annabel Lee at a new start-up sports nutrition venture called Orbana very kindly sent me some samples of their new energy drink to try out. Many of my followers will know that I am not one to get enthused by commercial sports nutrition products, all of which seem to claim that their product will be your answer to improved performance/recovery because of its unique blend of carbohydrate, minerals, protein etc etc. I find that most of these drinks and gels wither play havoc with my stomach or make me gag. They also tend to leave a sweet and sickly artificial taste in your mouth. I am much happier with the home made variety – you know exactly what is in it and it usually tastes better. Lots of recipes in my book, Go Faster Food for these…

Sometimes there is no alternative to a commercial drink – Why is that?

It’s what’s on offer during races and it is always advisable to train using what you are going to be drinking during the race. I remember learning that lesson at my first ever marathon – New York – drinking for the first time some kind of green concoction provided at the drnks stations (Gatorade, I think)…..well, needless to say that my stomach said “no way mate!” and over 5 minutes were wasted sitting on portaloos along the course!! Not nice. No, not at all nice.
There is a limit to the amount of carbohydrate your body can store, so you will need to keep your carbohydrate stores topped up during any endurance over about 90 minutes, no matter how well you have carbo-loaded beforehand. Your body will also work better with a steady intake of important vitamins, minerals, electrolytes etc to prevent a decrease in performance, fatigue and cramping. Commercial products claim to contain what we need in right proportion.
It is sometimes just simply more convenient to use something pre-prepared – for training at work or when you are travelling, for instance.

So what did I think of Orbana, healthy energy?

In a nutshell – IT’s LOVELY and IT WORKS!!!

Handy little bottle

First of all, it is very different to any other sports drink I have come across. It comes in a little bottle containing just powder to which you then add water. This keeps the ingredients fresh – the vitamins and amino acids lose their potency over time. This bottle is easy to run with if you have small hands and of course, very light if you are travelling with it. You can also buy Orbana as a powder and then add it to your own sports bottle – it is more economical to buy it in this way and I will probably take this option to use for my marathon training.

Sports drink, energy drink, hydration drink, recovery drink and fruit drink all-in-one

A true “superdrink” then! Take a look at what is in it – http://www.orbana.com/inside.html – Orbana is packed with energy, B vitamins, antioxidants, branched-chain amino acids, minerals and electrolytes….and per 100ml contains 9.3g complex carbohydrate and 5.4g simple sugars, which is more than leading brands of more sickly-tasting sports drinks.

It is difficult to tell without trialling the drink for weeks, but the couple of long runs I have done with this drink have been really good ones! No fatigue, feeling light on my feet, finishing as strong as when I started.

It tastes nice!!!!

I have to admit that it tastes really quite pleasant – a nice citrus flavour, clean and fresh with a bit of a tang and certainly not too sweet. What I like about Orbana is that you can get your fix of nutrients and then top your hydration requirement with plain water.

Sustained energy release – helps delay fatigue for up to 2 hours.

Really high in complex carbohydrates, Orbana gives you a steady release of energy without the spike or crash that you can get with other very high Glycaemic Index drinks and gels. Yet it still contains some simple sugars to top up depleting glycogen stores quickly during a long endurance session/race.

No bloated feeling and no loo stops…

Luckily Orbana has not give me the usual violent reaction that other drinks can give me….

And….it’s good for you!

Orbana has no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colours or caffeine and is drug, stimulant and contaminant free.

I will definitely be using Orbana again.