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Thread for advice on nutrition

Hi all.

My name is Joel and I’m a sport scientist for Lucozade Sport. I am also an age group triathlete with experience of competition at World and European championships for the last 3 years. My job primarily entails helping people understand a little more about nutrition in order to achieve their maximal performance and optimize recovery. With such a large amount of information available to the regular consumer, it’s very hard to distinguish between correct practice and poor practice.

If you struggle to know what best to eat to fuel your body, are baffled by how much fluid to drink during training and have no idea what carbohydrate loading is I’m here to help.

Please feel free to post any questions you might have and I’ll get back to you with some clear and practical advice. Cheers

Joel
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Comments

  • gozgoz Posts: 5
    Just the man i'm looking for , have you any advice/information on nutrition for an up-coming double ironman. Thanks alot Goz
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    I am interested in recovery food.drink and the best times and quantity to use?
    I have been using the Cow and banana shake (1/2 pint of semiskimmed and 2 banana's with some whaet gearm mixed into a smoothie) with in 20 mins of exercise.

    Any advice would be fab!


    Cheers
    Blinky
  • Hi – thanks for your questions!

    Firstly, Goz…double Ironman, wow, that’s hardcore! I’d like to know a little bit more about what you currently do in terms of nutrition, particularly during racing and long training. How you find it and also, crucially, what intensity you work at during a Double Ironman? If you use HR as a method monitoring training pace and intensity, then if you could let me know the % of HR max that you work in and I can give more specific advice.

    The reason I ask is that (as you may be aware) there is considerable research to suggest that above 70%(ish) of our VO2max we are utilizing Carbohydrates for fuel (rather than fats), therefore in times where races and training are above this level you need to pay more careful attention to replacing this nutrient. We can only store a very ,limited amount (up to around 100mins of exercise) and can only top up a limited amount as well so strategies must be developed to meet the needs of our event an also to maximise the amount of Carbohydrate we get in and – more importantly – utilise.

    As I am sure that you are aware, you will also be utilizing fats as fuel for much of your training and racing so I would also be keen to know if you currently use any strategy to increase your body’s utilisation of fat as a fuel source?

    Secondly, Blinky!

    Firstly, good work on picking up on the idea of Protein and Carbohydrate after training, you can increase protein synthesis (which is essentially what your body does as part of the recovery process) by three times over what it would be without both these nutrients by ingesting them after training, so your doing yourself a favour.

    The science suggests that you need between 15-20g of protein and around 1g of Carbohydrate per KG of Body Weight AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after training (particularly very heavy or long training) to get this effect. Therefore the 2 banana’s will give you around 40-50g of Carbs and the milk will give you around 10g of Protein. I would be interested to know why you add wheat germ? Wheat germ is a great source of Fibre, which is a good thing, but fibre can slow the absorption of the carbohydrate, and as you want to get this into your system asap after training, it maybe that you look to get the fibre in during meals later in the day, where the fast absorption of carbs is not so important. The other thing that I would mention is that the protein in cow’s milk absorbs quite slowly when compared to whey protein (which you might find in good quality sports supplements). You could supplement the milk with a little whey protein, of even better have the whey protein on it's own with another source of quick release carbohydrate (banana’s on white toast with honey is rather nice!).

    I’ve talked for long enough, but let me know if that helps and what other questions that brings up. Also Goz, let me know about your current strategies and we’ll go from there.

    In the mean time, I have covered some of the areas that you might want to know about in some article on the fantastic TZero website, so have a look…:

    http://tzero-tri.com/2010/06/24/triathl ... something/

    Cheers

    Joel
  • gozgoz Posts: 5
    Thanks for that Joel, In terms of nutrion for an ironman race or long distance training i'd use gels or bars every half an hour plus energy drink and water. The trouble with this is come the run I can not take any more and suffer a slump. I have also tried caffeen loading mid bike which seem to help but over a double distance I think this would be unwise. As for heart rate I stick to 70%-80% of max on the bike and 75%-85% of max on the run. As for utilisation of fat as a fuel source i'm afraid youv'e lost me a bit there. Thanks in advance Goz
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Thanks Joel that info is good.

    With regard to wheat germ, I use it as a scrubber for my digestive system and it also helps prevent diarrhoea issue which I can be pron to sometimes. I take it in some form most days.
  • Hi

    Sorry not to have got back on the forum till now, few day off and now there's far too much to do...i'll never catch up. Ahh well!

    Just to say that i'll get back to your posts in the next day or so, but glad that you found the info helpful.

    Cheers

    Joel
  • Goz and Blinky!

    Wow, last week saw me working 70 hours and fitting 13 training sessions, somehow I’m not dead, but do apologies for the lack of a post. Anyway, some really interesting points in the last couple of posts, you have obviously both worked hard on getting nutrition as good as you can. Here are some thoughts I had about you last posts:

    Blinky

    Sounds fair enough on the use of the wheatgerm and if it works for you, defiantly keep it as part of your diet. I would only advise that maybe add it in at another time, particularly after really hard session where you feel very drained when you get in and your body could benefit from being able to absorb carbohydrate as quickly as possible.

    Goz

    What other nutrition have you tried on the bike? I have heard many wacky ideas from people who swear by their chosen method, including Pretzels, Ritz Crackers and Fruit Cake (which I don’t think sounds too bad at all). Many people find that that constant sweet sugary carbs cause them problems and they just get sick of the taste. Given this, maybe try to take use more savory nutrition on the bike when it is easier to get in and save the gels for the run when, A. they are more convenient and, B. you won’t be so sick of them because you haven’t been knocking them back for the last 6hours! Maybe you’ve tried this already, but let me know what you think.

    Lastly, I’ve fallen into the caffeine loading trap before, but don’t. Research shows that caffeine intake doesn’t have a dose response relationship, meaning more Is not necessarily better. In my case 100mg has the same effect as 350mg.

    Lastly, during exercise that’s less than about 70% of max, you use Fats as the primary fuel source. You can increase your body’s ability to do this by A. Training in a ‘starved’ state (i.e. not having breakfast before a long weekend ride and gradually trying to longer or harder before taking on board carbohydrate (don’t ALWAYS do this though) and, B. Increasing the amount of fats in your diet slightly and reducing the carbs for 14 days before carb loading before a race. You can do this by adding olive oil to salads and eating avocado wraps and snacking on nuts. You still need to keep away from saturated fat, but upping the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat intake for a short while has been shown to help.

    Let me know your thoughts on all of that. Hope it helps!

    I am still keen to hear from more people on the issues and questions that you may have about nutrition, so please post about anything and I’ll try to help.

    Joel
  • largeadelargeade Posts: 166
    Hi Joel,

    I was told recently that a 2% loss of body weight during a 2hr10m run was expected, if not more than that. I added it to my list of things to check out.

    From what I can see it appears fluid loss alone may be hard to measure outside of a lab.

    I found this article http://200.89.72.103/documentos/deporte ... C3%B3n.pdf which states that during ironman "despite high rates of fluid intake (median hourly fluid intake = 716 ml/h), athletes sustained a median weight loss during the race of 2.5 kg." with the conclusion of "at least 2 kg of weight loss during an ultradistance triathlon is due to factors other than pure fluid loss. This weight loss includes loss of fat and glycogen, and the metabolic water stored with glycogen".

    Do you agree, and what kind of fluid loss do you think is acceptable in each of the tri distances?

    Cheers
    Adrian
  • Hi Largeade

    A very complicated subject indeed and also one which is very much open to debate at the moment in the scientific community. As you might be aware, one of the authors of this study (Tim Noakes) is very much of the opinion that the research suggesting that 2% Body Weight loss = 2% Fluid loss and that this WILL equal a drop in performance is out dated and needs to be reviewed. From one point of view he is probably right and at the end of an ultra endurance race, there will be a degree of body weight loss which is not accounted for by fluid loss alone due to significant substrate utilization (use of Carbs and Fats as energy).

    Further, if ambient temperatures are high, due to limited gastric emptying rates, it is inevitable that some degree of dehydration will occur by the end of the race. It is advisable to ensure levels of dehydration do not exceed 2% but there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that elite athletes can tolerate higher levels of dehydration with the benefit being they are carrying less weight in the later stages of the race. The caveat to this is that these elite athletes have regular sports science support, are able to practice in training and have individual re-hydration strategies to ensure health effects are limited

    In terms of what fluid loss is acceptable, I would suggest that it is difficult to make general recommendations and athletes need to establish their own hydration strategy. It seems that problems may occur from the over drinking of water alone and so the inclusion of electrolytes is therefore paramount for the athlete. It also seems that gastric emptying is limited to around 500-800mls an hour (depending on various factors) and so consumption of this amount of fluid should help maintain hydration as much as possible, while consumption over this amount will not be of further benefit and is not recommended.

    I hope that this helps but please come back to me on any of the above points.

    Cheers

    Joel
  • zulu158zulu158 Posts: 3
    Gotta say the advice that Joel is giving sounds really spot on, reading the thread reminded me of an article by chris mccormack

    www.chrismccormack.com/blog/answeringthosenutritionquestionsfrommyfacebooksitewwwfacebookcommaccalive

    which I think really supports much of whats been said already but also highlights that nutrition can be as as an art as a science and requires a bit of commen sense

    The ironic thing about common sense is that it isn't all that common
  • BlinkybazBlinkybaz Posts: 1,144
    Hi Joel

    Just to up date you what you said and how it has worked.
    I have changed the cows milk for soya and am using a recovery powder (rego banana). Have stopped adding in wheat germ.
    Recovery is good. Am I right to use soya milk istaed of cows?


    Blinkybaz
  • Wow, thanks very much, I’m sure that this will be the only time I am compared to the great Macca!

    In terms of the Soy milk debate (glad that the new diet seems to be working out by the way!), in studies looking into recovery, generally, both Soy Protein and Cow’s milk elicit similar increases in protein synthesis and thereby increase recovery (n.b. not at quite such a high rate as Whey protein). Therefore, the issue is probably more centalised around the issue of lactose intolerance, for those who are, Soy milk is the one to go for. However, if a person has no intolerance to cow’s milk then it is a personal choice. Soy milk offers, less saturated fat, but also less absorbable calcium.

    There are very few black and white answers in nutrition, but I hope that helps

    Joel
  • simple question.... how come there are different prices for different energy drinks? I have usually gone for Gatorade but discovered a 45p bottle of isotonic drink at my fiances local shop 30 seconds from her. this got me thinking.... are the big name brands like Gatorade the best due to the mix, ingredients etc or are they simply brands that can see based on the "name" and can a cheap isotonic drink do the job just as well. Or are they cheap for a reason?

    If this is the case what ingredients should I be looking for in a good solid drink to train/race with?
  • Thanks Morg007 (and apologies for the time taken to get back in touch – busy getting drenched in Budapest!)

    Ok, so the term isotonic refers to a drink that both hydrates effectively and also delivers carbohydrate. As carbohydrate concentrations above 8% may have a negative effect on hydration status, Isotonic drinks are designed to contain between 6-8% Carbohydrate along with electrolytes (Should be Sodium, but could also be Potassium, Magnesium and chloride). Therefore, any drink that conforms to these basic rules should help deliver energy, maintain hydration and so help sustain performance in exercise lasting over an hour or so.

    Price and may differ depending on the make-up of the carbohydrate. For example Lucozade Sport is made of Glucose and Maltodextrin which are both rapidly absorbed by the body, where as the ‘own brand’ isotonic sports drink of a large supermarket in the UK that I looked at is made with Glucose-Fructose Syrup. This should also absorb quickly, but some people find the addition of Fructose to increase the likelihood of stomach issues during exercise. Some of the cheaper drinks also seem to have a lot more electrolytes in them. In hot conditions, this could be a real benefit, but with the ambient temperatures in the UK being quite low through the winter and also high salt diets not ideal for many people, I would suggest that more than 300mg (0.3g) of sodium (1.2g salt), may be a bit on the high side.

    The best thing is to try the alternative drink that you have found, if it works for you with no side effects then, in this time of recession, why not save a little money!

    Hope that helps.

    Joel
  • HI Joel,

    Question for you.

    Im struggling with weight i am currently 82Kilos have lost 6 need to take 8 more off (bodyfat plus years of heavy lifting and big protein diets)
    I train between 8-12 hours per week my diet is pretty clean (1 cheat day a week)
    average day
    15 Mile Cycle (Commute)
    Porridge (scoop whey) 200grammes mixed fruit with 2-3tbps youghurt.
    Fruit Mid morning (apple +pear) handful almonds
    Mid day 40 Minute swim
    Chicken breast - with cous cous - quinoa - rice etc handful spinach
    mid afternon fruit (banana + nectarine)
    15 mile cycle home
    2 crackers with peanut butter (takes the edge off)
    sometimes replace the porridge with rice pudding. mmmmm!

    hour later white fish,turkey or chicken with green veg (Brocolli/beans/cabbage etc)
    this is average other days i will replace cycle with run.
    It has been suggested i go see a doctor and get checked for thyroid and diabetes.
    Personally i think this is rubbish, but this may be my "man no need doctor syndrome"

    any advice would be good as the extra weight is screwing my run.

    Also is supplementing with creatine during training beneficial to triathletes?

    Thanks in advance

    Dave
  • Hi All

    I really haven't got a clue about Nutrition so I would appreciate any help tbh!!

    I am weighing in at 13 stone (have lost a stone since the New Year but have reached a plateau!!) and would ideally like to get down to 12 for next season. I train between 10 - 12 hours a week with a rest day in between. My training incorporates a long cycle and hard swim session, a couple of runs and a few gym sessions. Have started doing a couple of classes to mix it up a bit (spinning, circuits), and my training is pretty high intensity mixed in with some weights.

    I have a fairly sparse diet and I think a big problem is lack of protein and maybe lack of carbs but as I say I really have no clue about Nutrition!! The fact that I want to lose a stone in 6 months is a big factor and I am unsure about using supplements and upping any intake to actually increase weight loss!!

    I would appreciate any feedback/ideas/info as I am in the dark about this!!
  • Hi all

    Blaze1235, firstly, congratulations on choosing a name that makes you sound like a superhero who’s been put in jail!! Secondly, Nutrition….

    Wow, really good diet and about bang on what would recommend (even getting in the protein with the carbs after training!). The thing that instantly springs out at me is that you have already lost weight (good work!), so, if this has been constant, then it should be a matter of time before you lose the next 8kg. This never happens as fast as we would like, but nevertheless, slowly is the best way to shed pounds and in triathlon, you also get the benefit of ‘training heavy-racing light’, which can be useful if done correctly. So, I suppose my question is, have you found that you weight loss has ground to a halt? If it has, I would suggest a couple of things.

    It’s always worth emphasising that weight loss will happen with a negative energy balance, if it’s not happening, then less needs to go in, or more needs to go out.

    Usually, the best way is to make sure that people chose to do more rather than eat less as in this way individuals will also get the benefit of improved fitness and health and this is where you might be able to change things up to help the weight loss. A this time of year people will often start to increase mileage again to build base fitness for next year and this should be the focus of you training if at all possible. If you can do this it will obviously burn more kcals and therefore help achieve that negative energy balance. If you don’t have time to do this on a daily basis then there is some interesting research immerging that suggests that high intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great way of getting similar fitness gains in a shorter space of time and also burn more kcals. If this is the option that most fits with your life, then put reps and efforts into all the training that you do, this should help fitness and weight loss.

    Let me know if this helps!

    On the last point about Creatine, there needs to be more research to give you a more solid answer and personally I think that it depends on your level of competition and the amount of high intensity threshold work you do. But for now, if you don’t load on it and stick to 2.5-5.0g/per day you won’t increase water retention which may happen with creatine supplementation and may be a concern for those in endurance sport. Further, while its effect on power might not be instrumental in helping triathletes it might be that it acts as a buffer and stops the negative effects of lactic acid. Lastly, I happen to know that many of the elites are on it and personally, I’ve found it very helpful indeed.

    Come back to me with any questions

    Joel
  • Hi Browny1980
    Thanks for your question. There’s so much that I could say in response to your post, so please excuse me if I direct you to a couple of other areas that you can have a read over to get to grips with the fundamentals of nutrition and training.

    Well done on losing the first bit of weight, to get the rest off, firstly, try swapping your gym sessions for more specific training. Conditioning 1 or 2 times a week can be good but in your case, I’d keep it circuits based rather than gym lifting sessions. As well as helping burn more energy (kcals), this will also help performance as it’s a lot more specific to the movement, type, speed and intensity of triathlon.
    In terms of nutrition, you really need to stay on top of three areas: Hydration, Carbohydrate and Protein.
    While it’s not directly related to weight loss, you need to stay hydrated to maintain performance during exercise, to do this make sure you:

    Hydration:
    • Drink 2 – 2.5ltrs of fluid per day ASWELL as what you drink during training and competition.
    • Consume between 400-600mls of Fluid 2-3hrs before training and competition.
    • Drink fluid containing electrolytes such as Sodium little and often during training to help hydrate you more effectivly.

    For more info, click here:

    http://tzero-tri.com/2010/04/19/triathl ... -avoid-it/

    http://www.lucozade.com/sport/products/hydration/

    Fueling
    • Carbohydrate is the fuel the body uses during intense exercise. When training for more than an hour, make sure you consume 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour to maintain performance (e.g. 1xSport Drink + Energy Gel/Energy Bar or 10-15 Jelly Beans).
    • Refuel after training with a high carbohydrate meal or snack.
    More info:
    http://www.lucozade.com/sport/products/fuel/

    Recovery
    • Carbohydrate and protein are key for optimal recovery. If
    you have another session within 24 hours of finishing the last, ensure you start eating within 60 min of finishing to optimise recovery
    • Consume 15-20g of protein in addition to 60-80g of carbohydrate after exercise lasting longer than 60 min. Breakfast Cereal, low-fat milkshakes with banana, or peanut butter on toast are great ways to start refuelling.
    • For convenience, kick start recovery by using a range of Lucozade products: http://www.lucozadeshop.com/products/recovery/6.html)

    More Info:

    http://tzero-tri.com/2010/06/24/triathl ... something/


    Lastly, I know that this won’t have answered many of your questions, so please post back with the questions that come from all of the above.

    Joel
  • Hi Joel

    Many thanks for this response, much appreciated...I will have a good look in time and no doubt bombard you with more questions!!

    One thing I am worried about is piling on weight if I take protein after my work outs. Is this possible or am I worrying too much?!
  • Morg007Morg007 Posts: 54
    HI joel

    many thanks for the response.. you've helped greatly. Especially now I know a bit more of what I need to check for on the labels. Plus knowing I have no problems with my stomach I can try the cheaper drinks
  • Hi Browny1980

    As a general rule I would say that your body uses protein to help you adapt to the exercise that you do. Therefore, if you undertake aerobic exercise then your body will use protein to adapt your aerobic system a slightly faster and repair muscle damage from long training sessions, rather than using it to build muscle. If you find that you are building muscle, I would seek further advice on whether the training you are doing is correct, before cutting down on the protein.

    Remember that based on your body weight, you will need to be consuming around 120g of protein per day, but because it only absorbs quite slowly, taking 15-20g every few hours is the best way to get this.
    I would suggest that you don’t need to worry too much about protein, I think that maximizing the recovery phase is your priority and this is best done with Protein (along with Carbs, fluid and electrolytes) .

    Try the theory, see how it goes then make adjustments for you, if and when you feel that you need to.

    Joel
  • Hi Joel,

    For the last couple of years I used to have Met-Rx Supreme Whey protein shakes - I was doing a mix of weights and cardio, and was getting very hungry, so I would have one mid morning and one after my lunchtime work out. But as I stopped doing weights and concentrate exclusively on running cycling and swimming (unsurprisingly), the cost / benefit of the protein just wasn't worth it. I now use Maximuscle Viper as a recovery drink, which seems to work at improving recovery time, but I have lost a bit of weight since stopping the protein supplements.

    My question is; as I train more, and head towards the goal of Ironman, should I be taking additional protein? My diet is fairly balanced and healthy. At the moment I have not gone beyond Olympic distance, and have no real idea of a 'nutrition strategy' for an event that long.

    Any help or guidance gratefully received.

    Thanks

    birdyman
  • Hi Joel

    Firslty can I just say a big thankyou for offering your time on this forum as well as working and training! Secondly I have so many questions for you I just don't know where to start! I shall itimise them in no order of preference - just as they come out of my head and if you can answer any of them it would much appreciated.

    1) Re "high intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great way of getting similar fitness gains in a shorter space of time and also burn more kcals" You mention an article on this - can you post a link? I've been having a debate on another forum about Turbo Training about whether a long slow session is better than HIIT if you only have say an hour available at a time? I know I should be putting in the miles at this time of the year but I am very time limited.

    2) The million dollar question of working out your ideal triathlon weight - Friel and others quote a weight per inch of height which puts me outside the range at 12 stone and 5'9". However such measurements do not take into account frame. I would say I have a large frame and large backside but with a 31" waist and muscular legs I can't see where another 10 pounds is going to come from. My % body fat is 13.3%. You say you would ecourage people to burn more carbs rather than eat less to lose weight but recent research says this is the hardest way to do it - it says eat less carbs and exercise at the same rate - the theory being it's easy to skip a meal than to put in an extra 5 mile run!?

    3) Should a diet for a 41 year old be different to a 21 year old. I read I should be eating more alkaline foods such as spinach and fruit rather than acidic foods. This is to prevent muscle wastage as I get older - do you agree with this?

    4) Finally this was my first year of triathlon - did my first one in Septmeber. I ate 3 hours before the race and then in between had a nibble of malt loaf, an energy bar and some energy drink but I ended up with a stitch on the run. I was drinking an energy drink right up to just before the race and during the bike ride but maybe I took on too much? Maybe water would be better during the race. It was only a sprint tri after all.

    Thanks again

    Drekkly
  • Hi Birdyman

    Thanks for your question, the area of protein intake is a stick subject and I think that some of the science that I have seen that isnt even published yet only goes to show us how much we still have to learn exactly how protein works and how much people might need generally as well as during and after sport. I also suspect that as with all other aspects of nutrition, there may never be a one size fits all stratergy. However, I hope the following helps.

    Firstly, while others may well dissaree, I still feel that protein is very imprtant to the endurance athlete. A high protein has certainly helped me recover and adapt to training stimulus without gaining muscle at all. With this in mind I would recommend a daily protein intake of around 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight, but certainly within a range of 1.2-1.7.This will equate to around 110g per ay for a 70kg man and CRUTIALLY, needs to be taken throughout the day in 15-20g portions every 2-3hrs and not just in one go.

    To answer your question, you may need additional protein. Although protein intake should be based on your diet, it is hard to get the 110-120g of protein you might need without suppliments. You need to listen to your body to tell you if you need extra, if you don’t feel that you are recovering well, it might be that you rbody needs more protein to adapt to the training that you are doing. It is also unliely that you will put on muscle mass, as it could be said that in general, your body uses protein to adapt to the exercise that you undertake. So, if you were putting on more muscle that required, I would firstly urge you to reduce, or change the resistance training that you do, rather that reducing or changing your protein intake.

    You also talk of a ‘nutritional Stratergy’ for Ironman, if you mean in regard to protein then I would suggest that you get onto Google Scholar and have a good look at the following journal

    http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstr ... th.31.aspx

    One thing to remember though is that very few studies test this over Ironman distance so it really is down to you to test what works. For Carbohydrate, 60g per hour of a single carbohydrate like glucose is as much as you should take, however, if you have a gel with a combination of carbs (like Glucose and fructose) you can store more, possibly up to 85-90g per hour. This will keep you fueled and able to maintain performance for longer. You should also make sure you take on board fluid with electrolytes in it to help keep you hydrated.

    Please come back to me with any other questions you have and with any comments on the above.
    Drekkly – I’ll get back to you in the next couple of days!!!

    Cheers all

    Joel
  • big4ndybig4ndy Posts: 24
    Hi Joel,

    Just a quick question.

    What do you know about CLA stuff?

    My wife is using to shift a few pounds. It claims to assist with weight loss by encouraging the body to burn fat more readily or something. (thats what she tells me anyway)

    Should I be pinching some of her tablets to help me shift a few pounds too and, if it encourages the body to burn fat, will it help endurance athletes use fat for fuel during long runs/cycling etc.

    Cheers.
  • BootleBootle Posts: 9
    Hi Joel,

    thanks in advance for all this advice!!

    I am taking part in a sponsored charity pool swim with 3 others. Basically we will be swimming the distance of the channel in a 25m pool. All of us have differing abilities and fitness.
    It will be done in relay with each other, so one of the main problems will be keeping warm! (there is a jacuzzi)

    We are now at a bit of a loss re the nutrition side of it, apologies if these questions are on the basic side! I would like some advice re hydration and fueling. We were planning on having sports drinks with electrolytes throughout the day. I know that to assist with the fueling we should also be taking in carbohydrates, but not sure how much or when.
    Is there a certain amount a person should be taking depending on body weight, fitness and length of work out?
    Any info would be massively appreciated.
    Thanks
  • Error whilst Doing a Replacement, Error in srv_convert.
  • Hi big4ndy

    I’ve had a look over some of the research for CLA to try to separate myth from reality. May body building sites seem to advocate the use of CLA for stripping away fats and it was even described as ‘the most significant discovery in supplementation in the last few years’. Review articles published in the last couple of years seem to agree that the use of CLA may help to reduce body fat, however, many of these studies use obese participants in their studies so whether you would see the same results as an endurance athlete is unclear. Also, there does not seem to be a reduction in BMI, just body weight, so the claim that CLA might help to build muscle might also have some foundation. However, lastly, I did find one study that suggested that more research is needed to find out how CLA works in the body. AS we know, not all fats are bad, but there does seem to be some uncertainly about whether CLA behave like a good or bad fat in the body. Until it is established how CLA works I would urge caution with it’s usage, but feel free to give it go for a short period to see how effect it is.

    Here is a link to journal

    http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jobes/2011/297315.html

    Hi Bootle

    I hope that training for the swim is going well. If you could give me a little more idea of the structure of the event that would be great (how long you’re are swimming and resting for etc). I’ll get back to you asap with more details then.
    Essentially though, sports drinks are a good way to go, sipping little and often throughout the challenge. 30-60g of Carbs per hour should be enough to keep you going and if you have more than 1.5 hours between swims then you are fine to have this as food (Flapjacks, cakes and lite carbohydrate based snacks).

    Joel
  • Choosing a right dietary supplement and taking balanced diet is most important to maintain a healthy life. For which everyone needs to follow some rules. This thread is quite helpful in this aspect.
  • Hello,

    As a sufferer of irritable bowel syndrome I often find that symptoms will interfere with my training and a lot of the nutritional advice offered generally I cannot follow due to the limitations the condition imposes upon my diet. I often also find that nerves on race days cause my symptoms to flare up badly, leaving me undernourished and dehydrated before the race has even begun!

    I was wondering if you could provide any advice in this area?

    Thanks
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