IN
Tactical dehydration
and carb ‘rinsing’
In the most recent consensus
statement published in the Clinical
Journal of Sport Medicine, Dr
Mitchell Rosner, a kidney specialist
from the University of Virginia
school of medicine and a group of
16 independent experts from four
countries, stressed a reliance on
listening to your body.
“We recommend using your
thirst as a guide,” he says. “If you
drink when thirsty, you will not
become hyponatremic and you
will not suffer from significant
dehydration.”
Tactical dehydration is a growing
trend. “Think about it,” says John
Brewer, professor of applied sports
science at Bucks New University.
“Each litre of fluid lost equates to
approximately 1kg of body weight.
Carrying around less weight has
a positive impact on endurance
performance, so people train their
bodies to cope with dehydration,
rather than fighting to prevent it.”
And, while sports drinks remain
an essential endurance aid, the
practice of mouth rinsing – when
you swill and gargle (but don’t
swallow) a sports drink – is now
common. According to the recent
IAAF consensus statement, the
‘mouth sensing’ of carbs that
occurs when you do this can hold
benefits for the brain and energy
systems.
OUT
Milk and meat protein
As early as the 1940s, scientists had
shown how protein could enhance
muscle mass if taken by power or
strength athletes, but thought it was
of little use to endurance athletes.
During the 1950s and 1960s
athletes increased their protein
intakes through diet and “training
tables” and focused their intakes on
high quality sources such as milk
and beef.IN
Whey, soy, pea and
hemp protein
The rise in protein products has
been phenomenal. Intensive
marketing campaigns by
supplement companies havesuggested that protein and amino
acid products should be consumed
within a two-hour window for
optimal recovery.
However, in 2018, a panel of
scientists assembled by the
American College of Sports
Medicine published a position
statement on sports nutrition
which suggested that while eating
protein an hour or two after intense
sessions may help to reboot
glycogen stores more quickly,
there’s no evidence that it has a
direct impact on recovery.
And there are signs that things
are turning full circle. A study cited
by the IAAF and conducted at the
University of Stirling and McMaster
University in Canada, concluded
that athletes’ diets do not “require
an overemphasis on protein-
containing foods and, beyond
convenience, there is not
a suggestion for a need to use
protein or amino acid-based
supplements.”
Instead, sports nutritionists
are once again recommending
athletes drink milk, which contains
whey naturally, as studies have
shown that it’s just as effective in
promoting muscle synthesis after
resistance training and suggesting
that protein demands for even
elite level training can be met with
ordinary food like tuna, milk and
eggs.OUT
Mug of tea or coffee
Caffeine is one ergogenic
nutritional aid that has never gone
out of fashion. Although it was
banned in high concentrations by
WADA between 1984 and 2004,
athletes in the 1960s and 1970s
swore by the stimulatory effects
of a pre-race cuppa for a
competitive lift.IN
Strategic caffeine
dosing
Caffeine has proven advantages on
focus and energy levels, but it’s
how you take it that now matters.
James Collins, an elite sports
nutritionist who has worked with
Olympic medallists and the
2018 World Cup-winning French
football team, says that timing
your java intake is crucial. “For
optimal performance in an event
or exercise session, caffeine should
be taken around 45 to 60 minutes
beforehand.”
Caffeine remains in your blood
for three to five hours so “a 4pm
pick-me-up coffee at work might
be enough to deliver the requisite
boost to performance in your
evening training session at 6pm,”
he adds.Carb rinsing: provides
psycho-physical benefitsWhey, soy and
pea protein:
popular for
how long? Caffeine: aids performance only
when used strategically@ATHLETICSWEEKLY