1) Carbohydrate
Fuel with right amount of carbohydrate before you train. You need at least 50g of carbohydrate a few hours before exercise so that your body has time to convert it to readily available glycogen for energy while you train. If training for a period longer than 75 minutes, you should be refuelling with 50g of carbohydrate every hour to avoid glycogen depletion. Try using sports bars and gels. If training for less than 75 minutes, it has now been proven that just rinsing around the mouth with carbohydrate can improve performance also!
2) Protein
Whilst training it is important to ensure you are consuming enough protein so that your muscles can repair and grow. To ensure you are not losing muscle you need a minimum of 1.2g/kg/bw of protein everyday. When training, an appropriate amount to consume could go as high as 1.8-2g/kg/bw! This will ensure that whilst you are losing fat in a kilocalorie deficit you will not also lose muscle. Our Training Support programme ensures you are consuming enough protein to support your training goals.
3) Caffeine
Caffeine is the most effective pre-workout fuel you can consume! It enables our bodies to perceive exercise as being easier than when we do not have caffeine in our systems. So next time you go for a run, have a coffee 1-2 hours before you set off and see if you can beat your personal best!
4) Probiotics
By ensuring the microbiome in our gut is in a healthy condition, we are ensuring our immune system is functioning optimally. Keep colds at bay by supplementing with a probiotic and vitamin C daily so you don’t miss any training days.
5) Hydration
A great way to find out exactly how much fluid you need to replace after a workout is to weigh yourself showered, dry and nude before and after exercising. For every kilogram lost after your workout requires you to drink 1 litre of water to replace lost fluid.
6) Sports Drinks/Electrolytes
When used correctly, sports drinks can be your saviour for getting that additional carbohydrate in for longer work out session and for your hydration recovery. For post exercise rehydration opt for an isotonic sports drinks as these are designed to quench your thirst and supply energy.
7) Beetroot Juice
The nitrates in beetroot are not only useful for individuals with high blood pressure- it can also be useful for athletes in improving exercise performance. The nitrates work by causing vasodilation which means greater oxygen uptake during exercise! Have a shot of concentrated beetroot juice 1-12 hours before exercise. Oxygen uptake is most effective after 4 hours of consumption.
8) Tart cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice has been proven to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (aka dreaded DOMS!) and speed up recovery after exercise due to it’s anti-inflammatory properties. Giving you an extra boost of antioxidants they are also great for your overall health and immune system also!
9) Supplementing with iron, calcium and vitamin D
By ensuring you eat a well-balanced and varied diet, you should be able to supply your body with all the vitamins you require. Vitamin D is always a handy vitamin to supplement with as in the UK when don’t get a vast amount of sunlight in the winter. Vitamin D is absorbed by the skin from sunlight. When exercising a lot, individuals, (in particular females,) can be more susceptible to being depleted in iron levels and calcium. If you are in doubt or feel tired often, it may be worth going to your local GP and finding out if you could benefit from these additional supplements.
10) Fasting
Research has shown that for endurance athletes, training fasted can be beneficial to exercise performance. Try doing a couple runs first thing on a morning before breakfast and after having a carbohydrate light evening meal the night before. By training fasted for endurance training you can again improve your performance.
Let’s beat those personal bests!