Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Fuel and hydrate for Sport and Exercise


Fuel to give your body the nutrients and energy needed for optimum performance at your sports event or activity. Herbal sports supplements UK have products to fuel, refuel, repair, recover and hydrate.
Your body can get energy from protein or fat but for the fastest form of fuel energy - you need carbohydrates. Not all carbohydrate are equal at providing fuel, some are absorbed into your body faster than others:
Glucose (in sugar, sugar sweetened drinks) is absorbed and used quickly, making it an ideal energy source for sprint sports. It is metabolised in your muscles.
Fructose (in fruit, fruit juices) is metabolised by your liver, and is distributed around your body when needed. This makes it more useful for sports that require sustained energy - such as sprint sports — sprint running, sprint-distance swimming. These sprint sports need energy that can be utilised by your body immediately. This would be best provided by a fast absorbing carbohydrate source taken roughly 15 minutes before the start your event. Your body can absorb liquids and gels more easily than solids, so these are ideal.

Hydration
is crucial for all sports - water will hydrate the body but less effectively than tailor made drinks. Some drinks may revitalise body with energy boost such as Liftoff boost energy drink with zero calories, others are electrolytically balanced for greater hydration in sports such as H3O Pro.
Sprint sports - you need to balance the discomfort of carrying large amounts of liquid in your stomach during your race with the benefits of hyration. For this reason, you should drink fluid in small sips before your event to allow it to absorb fully into your body.
Top-up your glycogen stores 15 minutes before sprint race with a healthy source of carbohydrates, like our H³O Pro isotonic drink for sport (sip slowly and mix in 250ml of water).
Endurance sports — marathons, triathlon, cycling. Choose a slower-absorbing source of carbohydrates. You may also need to 'top up' your energy levels during your event.
Team sports — football, hockey, basketball, tennis. In team sports, you should follow a similar approach to endurance sports. You should ensure your fluid, electrolyte and energy levels are topped up regularly. A isotonic drink with a source of healthy carbohydrates, like our H³O Pro™, is ideal.

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