226ers

Friday 6 September 2013

TRAINING IN THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY - PART THREE


LET’S TALK PROPER HYDARTION
By now you know that body’s main way of dealing with the heat is through increased sweating.  Make sure you have good hydration habits all through-out the day, in addition to re-hydrating well immediately after your training.

While water is your primary concern, you also need to be sure that you are replacing the electrolytes you lose through increased sweating.  Your body can take much of these electrolytes from a healthy diet, but during the hot summer months you may need to also increase your intake of electrolytes through sports drinks or supplements.  This will be vitally important during long runs, where some electrolyte supplementation may also be beneficial.  Remember: when you sweat at high rates, you’re not only losing blood volume, but also important electrolytes. This is why proper hydration is vital.

WATER VERSUS ENERGY DRINKS
Yes, water is the very best replacement fluid since it passes quickly from your stomach to your bloodstream.  Most replacement and energy drinks usually contain sugar. Sugar slows the assimilation process. Many replacement and energy drinks are also loaded with caffeine. Caffeine adds to the problem since it promotes water loss. So avoid colas, coffee, tea, and any product containing caffeine. Read the labels of energy drinks carefully before starting to gulp down lots of energy drinks.

Instead, drink lots of water before you head to training and carry plenty with you. Drink during your workout and continue to consume more afterwards. More is better than less. 

Robert Voy, former chief medical officer at the U. S. Olympic Training Centre, recommends 177 ml of water for every twenty minutes of activity. That one water bottle of 500 ml simply won’t be enough for a 3 hour training session! 

WHEN DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER BECOMES A PROBLEM
While everyone is aware of the importance of drinking plenty of water to replace what is being lost in sweat, few realize that water alone is not enough. In fact, drinking high volumes of water can actually create deficiencies. Whenever you’re sweating profusely and gulping down lots of water, you’re flushing nutrients out of your body very rapidly, in particular, the water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Without an adequate supply of vitamin C, the B-complex group, and all the minerals, your body will not be able to function properly. Most important are the minerals. 

SUPPLEMENTS 
Life itself is dependent on minerals. When minerals are not supplied in adequate quantities, muscles cannot contract well and there is a general feeling of weakness. Early-warning signs that you’re deficient in minerals include cramps, muscle tremors, light-headedness, and fatigue. 

Of course, the other two water-soluble vitamins are also needed for a successful workout. The B-vitamins help convert the foods you eat into energy and vitamin C helps recovery and rebuilding. 

To ensure that you have an ample supply of these water-soluble vitamins and minerals available throughout your workout, simply do this. An hour before training, take a gram of vitamin C, a B-complex vitamin, and a couple of multiple minerals, along with a banana. The banana will provide a nice energy boost plus 400 mgs, of potassium, the mineral largely responsible for muscle contractions.  During the workout, take more minerals as you feel the need. If your energy starts to wane, take another B and C. After the workout, take yet more minerals. Keep in mind, all these nutrients are water-soluble. Any excess is flushed out of your body. 

OUR RECOMMENDATION OF THE WEEK:
226ERS ISONTONIC DRINK > Electrolytes, Vitamins & Alanine

226ers Isotonic drink is designed to be taken during high intensity workouts and competitions or during extended workouts in which the athlete does not need to reduce weight, or as an aid to offset salt intake. 

The main ingredient is amylopectin which ensures rapid uptake of energy and an effective and prolonged dissipation of it. Because the product contains no sugar, no insulin peaks occur during the process of absorption.

Isotonic Drink contains a lot of salts and vitamins to ensure proper hydration lost through increased sweating. It is ideal for intense training sessions and competitions lasting less than 90 minutes because it also contains Beta Alanine, which acts as an inhibitor of lactic acid and helps to delay fatigue. Isotonic Drink is recommended to be taken for the hydration and replenishment of mineral salts prior to competitions and for recovery of minerals afterwards.

Approximately 500ml Isotonic Drink should be taken
every hour of exercise. Drink 150-200ml every 15-20 minutes during exercise.

Caution: don’t exceed the recommended dosage as the different ratios of carbohydrate to water will reduce its rapid absorption and, in extreme cases, can cause gastric distress. 

226ERS Isotonic Drink contains NO sugar or gluten. 
This is XTERRA
 

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