If you’re new to the world of sports nutrition, it can be dauting and confusing but there’s no reason it has to be that way. We speak to the guys at HIGH5 who have over 25 years’ experience in creating great-tasting nutritious products with amazing natural flavours. Their aim? To support you in achieving your goals – however big or small – so that you can enjoy your sport more.
When doing endurance sport, like running or cycling, getting your nutrition right cannot only enhance your performance but also your general wellbeing. So, here’s their 101 guide to running and cycling nutrition.
Why should you use sports nutrition?
As far back as the 1930s, scientists knew that what you consumed could impact your performance. Today, sports nutrition helps you to consume the nutrition you need during sport, at the right time and in the most convenient format. So, if you’re in the middle of a run and need some extra energy, you can quickly take a carbohydrate gel to give you the fuel your body needs.
With sport, there are three key nutritional demands to think about:
1. Carbohydrate to fuel your muscles
2. Fluids and electrolytes to keep you hydrated
3. Protein for muscle growth and repair after exercise
And, we’ll run you through what that all means below.
How does sports nutrition fuel your body?
Carbohydrates provide quick release energy to boost your endurance performance and the key is to ensure you have sufficient stores of carbohydrate to fuel your sport.
What’s important to know is that your body has a limited store of carbohydrate, enough to last around 90 minutes of strenuous exercise. This means that during longer endurance activities, you’ll need to top up your carbohydrate stores to stay at your best and maintain your performance. This means using sports drinks, gels and bars to top up your stores during exercise. Below, we’ll talk you through the different products available.
What is an Energy Drink?
HIGH5 Energy Drink is a scientifically formulated carbohydrate and electrolyte solution to help you sustain your performance and enhance your hydration during endurance exercise. Using a carbohydrate energy drink is one of the fastest and most efficient ways of fuelling your body.
HIGH5 Energy Drink also features our scientifically proven 2:1 Fructose mix. Research on traditional sports drinks suggests that you can only consume 60g carbohydrate per hour, however, because HIGH5 Energy Drink is a 2:1 fructose mix, you can consume substantially more carbohydrates – up to 90g per hour in fact. That means you get 50% more energy!
Runners, Cyclists and Triathletes find HIGH5 very easy to drink, easy on the stomach, whilst also having a great taste. Win-win!
What is an Energy Gel?
Gels are small sachets of concentrated carbohydrate to give you a boost. HIGH5 Energy Gel is a convenient, fruity gel which delivers carbohydrate straight to your muscles during exercise. An ideal way to top up your energy levels on the go!
If you are new to gels or you are a runner, then we suggest Energy Gel Aqua as they are more like a sports drink so are really easy to take during exercise.
What is an Energy Bar?
Rich in carbohydrate, these will help to fuel your engine and they’re a great option for those who prefer something closer to real food
HIGH5 Energy Bar is an easy to chew, great-tasting bar filled with real fruits and grains to provide you with both simple and complex carbohydrates during exercise or throughout the day.
Do I need to think about staying hydrated too?
Yes you do! Staying sufficiently hydrated is very important because you can lose more than one litre of fluid for every hour that you exercise, and if not replaced, you will see a fall in performance. Did you know your sweat contains both water and electrolytes? Both need to be replenished in order to retain performance and avoid cramp. Sports nutrition drinks can do this job. They contain the optimal mix of electrolytes to keep you functioning at your best.
What is an electrolyte drink?
An electrolyte drink is usually water with an electrolyte tablet dissolved in it and it is a great way to help replace the fluids you’ve lost through sweat. With zero calories, these are particularly ideal for your shorter workouts (90 minute or less) and then you just make sure you supplement with bars and gels when taking on a longer challenge.
HIGH5 ZERO is a refreshing, great-tasting sugar free electrolyte drink with zero calories for during exercise as well as throughout the day.
What does ‘recovery’ mean and why is it important?
Muscles become sore and stiff when they are stressed during exercise. The depletion of muscle glycogen (muscle carb stores) can impair muscle function resulting in fatigue and reduced exercise performance. Post-exercise nutrition is necessary to ‘recover muscles’ by reducing the damage left to muscles after strenuous exercise and helping to build stronger muscles. Supplementing your diet with protein and carbohydrates will provide the building blocks to recover your muscles, and ensure you get the most from your sport.
What is a recovery drink and bar?
Post-exercise recovery is all about convenience and getting the right nutrients soon after you finish with your workout. The protein and carbohydrate in HIGH5 Recovery Drink <link to Recovery Drink product page> are chosen to ensure you recover after intense long lasting exercise and turn up ready to perform at your next training session. It’s also available in great-tasting flavours so it’s easy to take straight after your session.
If you are on the go and want a convenient source of protein and carbohydrate with a light texture and great taste, then try the HIGH5 Recovery Bar. <link to Recovery Bar product page> The ingredients used in this scientifically formulated blend of protein and carbs promote recovery of normal muscle function after exercise and contribute to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass.
Ready to try?
The HIGH5 Race day Nutrition Pack is a great place to start if you want to test our award winning products. It contains the most popular Energy and Hydration products to help you get the most from your sport. Get yours here.
So that’s our introduction to sports nutrition but we’re here to support you throughout your training and events. Keep us in the loop with your training by tagging us in your updates on Facebook or Instagram!