A runner’s diet should consist of mainly carbohydrate. At least 60% of the diet should be carbohydrate and a conscious effort should be made to include anti-oxidants like vitamin C in the diet. This is because long-distance running and high-levels of training can produce ‘oxidative’ damage or stress on the body, which in turn can lead to a compromised immune system. This can be achieved by having a nutritious diet full of organic fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. For health reasons, medium and low glycaemic index carbohydrates which effect blood sugar levels gradually should be consumed on a daily basis, and high glycaemic (sugary) carbohydrates consumed only before, during and after a run.

Sports Drinks

If you are competing in a race or a marathon, never try something new on the day. It is important to have a structured approach to nutrition and try any new drinks, supplements or interventions during training. Before embarking upon a long run, or a competitive long-distance race, consume about 500ml of water two hours before the start. This should optimise gastric emptying so that more water can be utilised during a run or race. If possible sip on a sports drink leading up to, and during a long distance run. It is important to sip the drink, as the body can only make use of around 150ml every 15 minutes. A sports drink should contain electrolytes and glucose or maltodextrin.

Glucose and electrolytes should be included in a sports drink to help replace what the body uses and loses in sweat during a run. In addition to this, glucose and sodium can optimise absorption of water by the small intestine via a process known as active transport. It is possible to make your own sports drink by adding a pinch of salt and either glucose or maltodextrin powder to water. Add 25-50g of carbohydrate powder to every 500ml of water. It is possible to add fruit juice or squash/cordial instead of carbohydrate powder, but this will likely contain more fructose than glucose. As fructose takes a lot longer to digest, it is not ideal for a sports drink. Incidentally, glucose powder is a lot sweeter than maltodextrin, so I would recommend the latter.

In ultra-long distance events, too much water without any additional sodium, could in theory cause a condition known as hyponatremia. This is another reason to make the diet in general, as well as a sports drink, high in electrolytes. Himalayan salt and coconut water are great sources of electrolytes. Test your body’s tolerance to food and drink high in electrolytes, as some sensitive individuals have been known to experience stomach cramps after drinking large quantities of coconut water for the first time. If you struggle to take on board large amounts of water during a run lasting more than one hour, energy gels are also an option to top up carbohydrate levels so that you don’t ‘hit the wall’ and have to rely on the body’s fat stores for energy.

Post Run Nutrition

It’s good to get in the habit of weighing yourself before and after a run; this is a good marker to let you know how much fluid to consume to completely rehydrate. You should consume 150% of what has been lost in sweat, so if you weigh 2kg less after a run, than before it, you should consume (over a number of hours) 3 litres of water; again with some sodium and glucose added. Do the pee test and make sure your pee is clear 30 minutes after you’ve finished drinking the water.

Insulin levels are elevated for up to 2 hours after exercise. This is the best time to replenish muscle carbohydrate/glycogen stores and to consume high glycaemic index carbohydrates. The addition of protein to a post-run drink may also enhance recovery, as it helps to speed up repair and recovery of the muscles. Chocolate milk has been shown to be a great post-run drink as it contains protein, sugar and sodium; although many nutritionists argue that whey protein is more effective than milk protein in terms of optimising recovery.

Supplements

Supplements play a crucial role in promoting enhanced physical strength. There is a wide range available and you can improve your physical strength considerably. Taking the right supplement and at the right time is essential. CNP Professional offers a wide range of supplements that work for physical strength enhancement. The top supplements that you should really be keeping an eye on include the CNP Pro Energy and Rehydration Drink, High Protein Pro Flapjack Snack Bar, Instant Protein Dessert Mix, Post Workout Recovery Drink, Advanced Meal Replacement Drink and Low Fat Meal Replacement for women among others.

Taking these supplements will help you realise your objectives much sooner than you would really imagine. By taking these nutritional supplements both before and after workouts, you will be able to ensure that your body is able to absorb the necessary nutrients for muscle rebuilding and repair. The supplements will help your body metabolise everything efficiently and are a great way towards achieving your ideal health and fitness levels.

Exercises

Engaging in bodybuilding exercises is crucial if you want to enhance your physical strength. Experts advise that you need to perform various body weight exercises, which work your upper body and core. These are essentially referred to as the body weight exercises since no additional equipment is needed when performing them as it is just your body is required. In addition, these exercises are incredibly convenience since you can perform them virtually anywhere and at any time. For best results, it is advisable that you create a good daily regimen whereby you perform a couple of sit ups and push ups before embarking to your daily activities.

Also, to improve your physical strength, it is important that you perform various body weight exercises, which works the lower parts of your body like lunges and squats. The good thing about these exercises is that no extra equipment is needed and you can perform them at any location. In addition, make sure that you also incorporate free weights in your training regimen as well such as weight plates and dumbbells depending on how stronger you are. There are many other physical strength training exercises that you should also consider like flat bar bench presses to work out your arm and chest muscles.

In conclusion, it is possible to improve your physical strength considerably particularly if you pay more attention to supplements and exercises. CNP Professional offers a wide range of products that can help athletes achieve their goals fast and easily.

1. Protein Powder

Protein powder is one of the supplements that play a great role in the body and I’d recommend trying protein from Kinetica Sports. Typically, these proteins usually contain straight proteins and typically have little dietary fat or carbohydrates. Sometimes, protein powder will have no dietary fat or carbohydrates at all. It is essential that you keep in mind that other protein powders are on the market and each brand tries to achieve certain goals. Do your homework before buying any of these proteins and make sure you know what it is supplying your body.

2. Weight Gainer Supplements

Weight gainers are among the most common supplement that you will find and most people who take them involve strength training. These supplements usually target those people trying to build their muscle mass and for this reason, they require a calorie surplus. This calorie surplus plays a crucial role in the body, as it is the one that helps create some new body tissues when combined with some heavy weight lifting. Most weight gainer supplements will usually feature a combination of carbohydrates and proteins while some also include some fats though in small amounts.

3. Meal Replacement Supplements

The next highly convenient supplements that will perfectly in and around your lifestyle are the meal replacement supplements. These are essentially ready to server or pre-mixed drinks, which are convenient to take while training. Ideally speaking, meal replacement supplements are more or less the same as weight gain powers in that they will have dietary fat and carbohydrates added in. In most cases, meal replacement supplements recommended most sports have much lower values of calories. These supplements allow you to enjoy the advantage availed by a complete meal without risking to gain weight undesirably. 

4. Protein Snacks

Protein snacks are a very general category of convenient supplements, which are equally important just like the rest. While protein bars are included in this, you will find so many snack problems available out there that you should also consider. Such includes high protein cereals, power packed popcorn, protein puddings, protein jerky, protein pretzels and protein chips.

Just make sure that you explore your options for convenient supplements available on the market when deciding on what is right for you. All these supplements have all the nutrients you need to fully cover your dietary needs.

Bodybuilding supplement shave become extremely popular for body builders, sportsmen, athletes, dieters and gym goers over the years. With so many brands and new product developments, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends and product launches. If you are new to using supplements to aid your performance at the gym, take a look at our top 5 brands for some guidance.

Here we look at 5 of the most popular and most trusted brand names in the sports supplements market. Although there are now many names out there, a few key names still remain as the leading favourites for regular body building customers. So if you are looking for supplements to help you with building muscles, increasing your strength, maximising your energy and your strength, helping you with your performance, or aiding weight loss and fat burn, then take a look at some of the leading brands.

PHD

PHD is a sports nutrition and whey protein provider and the company strives for perfection with every product range. PHD’s mission statement ensures their customers that they offer only the best tasting products around and they are dedicated to producing effective supplements to their clients.

Currently, their product range includes body mass and muscle building, weight loss, performance, body sculpting and recovery.

Maximuscle

This supplier has grown at an incredible rate thanks to it effective product range. The company focuses heavily on conducting research to ensure that each of their product lines gives the best possible performance for its customers. The research is highly effective and supports the unique formulas which help with bodybuilding and sporting performance.

Optimum Nutrition

Founded in 1987, this super brand is recognised around the world and has already built a respectable reputation within the industry. They are famous for being the creators of 100% whey protein and their books also include outstanding products such as Serious Mass Bulk Up, Gold Standard 100% Casein and Essential Amino Energy.

Reflex

Reflex, which was started in 1996 in the UK by James Phillips, has become a popular brand of supplements  over the years and they currently focus their product ranges in 5 key areas; high protein, muscle and strength, energy and endurance, weight management and vitality. The company prides itself on using the finest ingredients and sourcing the best possible ingredients to use in their protein powders.

Hope this article helps you,

PHD Diet Whey for Fat Loss

So what exactly is it? And how does it work? As one of the two proteins found in cow’s milk, whey is actually very common and most people have had whey in their diet all their lives. Whey provides essential amino acids, which are the body’s building blocks for muscle tissue, energy production, brain metabolism, cardiovascular function, immune system function and more.

PHD Diet Whey is designed for anyone looking to lose weight as well as maintaining muscle mass. As well as a high protein blend, Diet Whey from PHD also contains barley starch as a source of healthy complex carbs.

If you want to make sure you get the most out of your diet whey protein, here’s how:

1. Use it as a meal replacement – whey protein should be a part of a healthy and balanced diet. It is designed to be a supplement to healthy eating and living but can be used as a meal replacement at your discretion. A great way of using this meal replacement is to choose one meal a day to replace it with.
2. Have a healthy eating plan – if you are wanting to get rid of fat and/or build muscle, it’s important to understand that whey protein alone won’t help you. It is a supplement and that means you must have a healthy eating plan in place. Include 5-a-day of fruit and veg and ensure you have protein, the right amount of carbs, fibre and all the essential vitamins in your diet.
3. Use whey post workout – the protein is designed to be absorbed quickly by your body and the best time for this to happen is after your workout session. After working out, your body provides the best structural positioning for absorption.
4. Build your workout plan – whey protein should be incorporated into a healthy living and exercise plan. Not only should you review your diet regularly but you should have a workout schedule in place if you want to see results. The most important thing about losing weight is to keep momentum and keep going.

If you would like to find out more about PHD Diet Whey, visit DynamicSportsNurtrition.co.uk today.

Thanks,

What  a lovely lovely day it has been today in the west midlands and I’m not just on about the weather either!

I’ve had a lot of questions in class today about supplements and following my rant I had the other day when I shared a bit of my views on supplements and the 6 supplements that I use.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding health supplements and sport supplements, mainly due to the fact that it’s big business ££££££. 2006 saw £180 million spend on sport nutrition £41 million of which was on sport supplements according to the datamonitor report.

So I’ thought I’d share the top 4 supplements that I have been recommending my clients use for weight loss and why, so here goes:

1) A Green Drinks
The one I’m using is Udo’s Choice Beyond Greens simply because it has the best of what greens have to offer, plus a whole lot more. It brings together the finest green foods, essential fatty acids, fibre, whole food concentrates, phytonutrients and digestive enzymes in one formula. No other greens product offers such complete nutrition in one convenient formula, for a well balanced diet.

2) Essential Fats
Udo’s Oil because of the high quality that it has, the product quality is only so high as Udo spent considerable time creating the oil, tweaking the ingredients to give the right profile of oils, co-factors, and minor ingredients.  In every drop of Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend you will find:

Flax seed oil*, sunflower seed oil*, sesame seed oil*, coconut oil*, evening primrose oil* (13 mg gla/15 ml), soy lecithin, rice bran and rice germ oils, oat bran and oat germ* oils, mixed tocopherols: the oils in this blend supply a range of fatty acids including 2:1:1 ratio of Omega 3, 6 and 9*, certified organic. Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend contains no animal derived products, and is certified Vegan and Vegetarian. Please note that Udo’s Choice capsules do contain animal gelatine.

3) Probiotics or L-Glutamine
These beneficial bacteria were a regular component of our daily diet, and contributed to the vast ecosystem in our gut that ensure we maintain a healthy gut and therefore good health are often killed off with what we eat, drink and pollute our bodies with. Replacing them is of high importance especially if you have been taking Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (usually abbreviated to NSAIDs) as these types of drugs knock out and kill off ‘good‘ bacteria in the gut and allow ‘bad” bacteria to take over.

L-Glutamine is an awesome supplement: studies have show that the use of glutamine, either in oral, enteral, or parenteral form, increases intestinal villous height, stimulates gut mucosal cellular proliferation, and maintains mucosal integrity. It also prevents intestinal hyperpermeability and bacterial translocation! another study shows “The addition of glutamine to parenteral nutrition prevents deterioration of gut permeability and preserves mucosal structure”. So in a nutshell L- Glutamine can potential help heal the gut wall and this is important or anyone who has leaky gut, which if all honestly could be a hell of a lot of people. Leaky gut is an increased permeability of the gut wall resulting from toxins, poor diet, parasites, infection, or medication. The leaky gut then allows substances such as toxins, microbes, undigested food, waste, or larger than normal macromolecules to leak through an abnormally permeable gut wall. Proponents suggest that these out-of-place substances affect the body directly or initiate an immune reaction.

4) Natural Whey Protein shake by reflex
Everyone needs protein and not just to get big but to help so many different functions in the body! People often don’t get enough or get  protein from a poor source. Reflex protein is free from artificial colourings, flavourings and sweeteners. On top of which other key elements are and take not of what I have mentioned above!:

Natural Whey is focused on delivering whey in its most natural form. It contains no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours and no added carbohydrate.

Reflex Natural Whey, has one of the highest biological values of any protein supplement on the market due to its excellent amino acid profile, protein fraction content and superior digestibility meaning that it gets into the body better!

Another big difference between other standard whey products and Natural Whey is the standard inclusion of very special Digezyme enzymes and Lactospore pro-biotics. Digezyme enzymes have been extensively studied and shown to enhance protein digestion, whilst Lactospore pro-biotics, similar to those found in yoghurt, provide for a healthier gut.

Thanks,