Athletics Weekly – July 24, 2019

PERFORMANCE NUTRITION

Blackcurrant capsules

Try: Curranz (£21.75; curranz.

com)

Research presented at the 2018

International Sport and Exercise

Nutrition Conference confirmed

that berry anthocyanins — the

potent antioxidant pigments that

give the fruits their deep purplish

colour — help to improve blood flow

to muscles and prevent muscle

stiffness after exercise.

They are also good for your

ticker according to Glyn Howatson,

a professor in sports science at

Northumbria University, who in his

latest study found that people with

the highest anthocyanin intake

were 9% less likely to suffer from

coronary heart disease.

Cherry shots

Try: Cherry Active (£25; active-

edge.co.uk)

Professor Glyn Howatson’s work at

Northumbria has also investigated

the natural anti- and anti-oxidative

power of U.S. Montmorency tart

cherries, (see choosecherries.com)

popular as juice and shots. His work

is cited in the International Olympic

Committee Consensus Statement,

which highlights the use of tart

cherry nutritional supplements

as an evidenced based recovery

strategy.

Not all scientists agree – a

Cochrane review published in 2018

by experts at Sheffield Hallam

University showed that antioxidant

rich products such as cherry juice

did not result in any meaningful

reduction in muscle soreness

after exercise. But there are other

reasons to try them – they contain

melatonin, a naturally occurring

hormone that is critical in the

regulation of sleep in humans and

have a natural inflammatory effect.

Nitrates

Try: Beet it! (beet-it.com)

Nitrates, compounds found in the

vegetable that are converted by the

body to nitrite, not only relaxes and

widens blood vessels but influences

how efficiently our cells use

oxygen. A growing body of

evidence suggests nitrates

play a role in improving

blood flow, maintaining

immune function and

cardiovascular health

and also potentially

enhancing performance.

Consume nitrates

and the mitochondria,

the energy-producing

powerhouses of our

cells, are able to utilise

oxygen more sparingly,

thereby conserving

energy.

Some studies have

suggested that a good dietary

intake of nitrates lowers the

oxygen cost of exercise to such an

extent that endurance rises by up

to 15%. On a weight for weight basis,

rocket supplies the most, almost

four times the amount in fresh

beetroot.

Swiss chard, oak leaf lettuce and

rhubarb also contain high levels.

Beetroot is popular because of its

convenience – it can be juiced to

provide the concentrated measured

doses essential in laboratory

settings – but there’s plenty of

evidence that shots of it can be

useful.

Natural hydration

Try: SOS

Hydration (£8.99;

hollandandbarrett.

com) or Veloforte

(£5.50; veloforte.cc)

As athletes move away

from excessive use of

sugary sports drinks,

manufacturers are

responding with a range

of more natural hydration

products. SOS Hydration,

developed by athletes to

WHO recommendations,

come as a powder that

you mix into water.

It provides easily absorbed

concentrations of electrolytes,

which will help you to stay hydrated

and replace the electrolytes lost

in your sweat, and glucose, which

will top up your energy stores.

And Veloforte’s range of sports

recovery drinks providing energy,

sodium and potassium as well

as micronutrients, contain purely

plant-based ingredients.

Vitamin D

Try: Healthspan Elite D3

(£19.99; healthspan.co.uk)

It is the nutrient of the moment

and getting enough of the sunshine

Nutrition essentials

PETA BEE ON THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS THAT MIGHT PROVIDE A PERFORMANCE BOOST

Blackcurrant capsules:

shown to reduce DOMS

in athletes

Cherry shots:

antioxidant-rich

recovery aid