06Feb 2018 by Lauri Teperson
Carbohydrate Loading

Carbohydrate Loading

Sports
What is Carbohydrate Loading? Carbohydrate loading or carbo-loading, is a term used to describe a nutrition technique used by endurance athletes in an attempt to prolong optimal athletic performance and delay the onset of fatigue, or, ‘hitting a wall’. The Transformation of Food into Energy When we eat carbohydrate containing foods, they arrive at our stomach and begin to break down. From the stomach, the partially broken down food travels to the small intestine where it completely breaks down into many compounds, one being glucose. From the small intestine the glucose is absorbed into the blood stream. A hormone called insulin which is secreted by our pancreas, accompanies the glucose from the blood to our liver and muscle cells, where it is stored in the form of glycogen. From this…
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03Jun 2017 by Renae Earle
Train Hard, Smart or Specific

Train Hard, Smart or Specific

Sports
Calling all marathon runners, long distance swimmers and other endurance athletes! For a long time, high carbohydrate consumption and blanket recommendations have been part of endurance sports nutrition practice. However, recent research has shown we need to think more carefully about the way we prescribe carbohydrates to endurance athletes. Train Hard We’ve all heard of carb loading- filling up on pasta and bread before a big race or competition. Carb loading and other standard carbohydrate recommendations are centred around providing adequate fuel for training. The purpose of carbohydrate loading, before training or competition, is to increase muscle glycogen stores, which, fuel exercise. Glycogen, however, is a fleeting source and once it runs out, we ‘hit the wall’. This is when the body is forced to switch from primarily carbohydrate fuel…
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04Mar 2017 by Caitlin Jamieson
The Low Down on Caffeine and Sports Performance

The Low Down on Caffeine and Sports Performance

Sports
From those Saturday night Jager bombs to a humble cup of tea, caffeine can be found in a huge range of commonly consumed beverages (and foods), and it’s no secret that it delivers a sometimes much-needed energy hit. Not as common knowledge however, is the way you could be using this chemical compound to enhance your athletic performance… A member of the methylxanthines family, caffeine is derived from a range of nuts, seeds and leaves and acts as an adenosine receptor antagonist throughout the body (i.e. it increases production of adrenaline, pushing your body into that “fight or flight” mode that helped us escape tigers back in the Paleolithic days). Over recent years, caffeine has been shown to enhance athletic performance, with the bulk of these benefits thought to be…
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