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Sports drinks vs electrolyte supplements
If you are an athlete, a coach, or an exercise enthusiast you might have wondered what are the differences between sports drinks vs electrolyte supplements. Moreover, you might be interested in knowing if/when you need either in your life. Sports drinks vs electrolyte supplements – What are they? Sports drinks Sports drinks are, in their simplest form, a combination of water and easily absorbable carbohydrate (e.g. glucose) for hydration and fuel. However, some sports drinks do not contain water (as they come in powdered form), some contain extra ingredients (e.g. electrolytes, creatine, vitamins), some contain multiple type of carbohydrates for better absorption, and some contain no carbohydrate (i.e. sugar-free sports…
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Sports foods vs sports supplements
Do you know what is the difference between sports foods vs sports supplements? Which one will improve your performance? What are sports foods and sports supplements? Sports foods Sports foods are foods or drinks specifically formulated to meet sport-specific needs (1, 2). Despite they resembling regular foods, they are not meant to be consumed as the sole source of an athlete’s nutrition (1). Sports foods may be designed to provide one or more of the following: Despite the fact that some common foods now include some of the elements listed above (most notably, protein), they are not automatically considered sports foods. Sports foods include: These foods are designed to be…
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How to sandwich around exercise
The previous article was about how to sandwich with nutrition in mind. This article will explore how to sandwich around exercise. How to sandwich around exercise A sandwich can be a convenient meal for athletes because it is portable and can be used to deliver important nutrients for sport. “Around exercise” refers to the pre-exercise and post-exercise meals. It is important to highlight that foods eaten for athletic performance often differ from those eaten for general health. In order to maintain good health, athletes should follow healthy eating recommendations outside of the periods around hard training sessions and competition. This is especially important for athletes facing health issues and older…
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How to fuel for a BJJ competition
There are several factors to consider when deciding how to fuel for a BJJ competition, some of which are outside of your control. This is a guide for recreational BJJ players who are interested in improving their performance in competitions. Elite level athletes will benefit from a more detailed nutrition plan specific to their physical characteristics, training program, among other factors. Why is it tricky to fuel for a BJJ competition? First, most competitions require you to weigh in on the day, which means there you will not have time to rehydrate and regain weight (if you have cut weight) before your fights. Second, matches can go for the whole…
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The post-workout meal
By definition, the post-workout meal is whatever an athlete consumes after exercising. The main purpose of this meal is to help with repair and recovery. The post-workout meal The purpose of the post-exercise meal is to replenish: Timing Out of the 3 goals of the post-workout meal, the most pressing is rehydration. Replenishing fluids and electrolytes lost via sweat should be as quickly as possible after training or competition to prevent detrimental health consequences. The replenishment of both glycogen and muscle protein happens in the several hours after exercise. For example, the “anabolic window”, i.e. the period of time in which protein turnover is maximised in the muscles after exercise…
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Sodium in sports
At the population level, health authorities recommend limiting sodium intake to prevent chronic conditions. However, the role of sodium in sports is more complicated, as this electrolyte plays important roles related to performance and recovery. Roles of sodium As seen in the article How much salt is too much?, sodium has roles in the maintenance of plasma volume and transmission of nerve impulses. In addition, it is needed for muscle contraction and glucose transport into cells. As a reminder, glucose is essential for energy production during most types of exercise, as well as recovery post-exercise. Sodium in sports How do we lose sodium The main ways we lose sodium is…
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Sleep and nutrition in athletes
Sleep and nutrition in athletes is an often overlooked aspect of recovery and performance. In this article, we explore the multiple factors that can affect an athlete’s sleep quality and quantity. Sleep in athletes Many athletes suffer from sleep issues, including short duration of sleep (a.k.a. sleep deprivation) and sleep disturbances (e.g. insomnia, waking up at night) (1, 2). The factors that may contribute to sleep issues in athletes include: Muscle soreness (1) and pain Intense training (1) Early or late training sessions or competition (2, 3, 4) Poor sleep hygiene, including screen use close to bedtime (2, 3) Stress, nerves and/or anxiety due to competition or other reasons (2,…
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How does alcohol affect exercise?
Within the realm of sports, alcohol has been viewed as a performance-enhancing drug, a rehydration beverage, a social lubricant and a post-event treat. Although it is generally understood that excess alcohol intake can be detrimental to health, the answer to “how does alcohol affect exercise?” is less clear. Alcohol consumption is a socially acceptable and expected aspect of team and other sports, and major alcoholic beverage brands often sponsor sports teams and events. Therefore, instead of pretending we can remove alcohol from athlete’s diets, it is more useful to identify which aspects of exercise can be affected by its intake. How does alcohol affect exercise? Energy balance Alcohol is a…
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Product review: YoPRO Perform yoghurt
YoPRO Perform yoghurt is a great high protein, low fat, no added sugar post-workout snack for active individuals. With 20 grams of protein per serve, it is possibly the highest protein per serve option in the market. YoPRO Perform As their name imply, YoPRO Perform yoghurt is specifically formulated as a post-workout snack. The Perform range also includes nut protein bars, not included in this review. Like the original YoPRO line of yoghurt, all Perform products are high in protein (20 grams per serve), low in fat and have no added sugars. In addition, YoPRO Perform yoghurts have branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and probiotics. These yoghurts are currently available at…
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Why do we keep breaking World and Olympic records?
If you watched the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games you would have noticed there were many records broken, often by the same athlete. Why do we keep breaking World and Olympic records? Of course there is no one answer to this question and this is not meant to be a prescriptive article, but more of a thought process around the fact that records are broken all the time. The great and humble Georges St Pierre said that MMA fighters of today are better than fighters of his generation and future fighters will be better than current ones. It is a fact of sports because all the disciplines that support athletic performance…
