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carbs

Carbs, Energy, Performance
How many is too many carbs to consume during endurance events?
- November 14, 2022
Carbs are one of the main sources of energy that the body pulls from during physical activity. As the intensity of the activity increases, so too does the usage of carbs for energy. High intensities (ie. sprints, jump) means high carb usage. Within our body we have a natural storage of carbs already in place called glycogen. As that fuel tank of energy decreases, feelings of fatigue can begin to settle. Maximizing the body’s glycogen stores and conserving the usage of glycogen is a main focus for training harder and longer. Consuming carbs during exercise is a main strategy to provide outside energy in hopes of conserving glycogen. Great strategy, but it’s tough to know the magic number of how many carbs to consume to optimize that effect.

Plenty of options for carbs to consume

Sports nutrition products have made some companies billions (with a ‘B’) selling different sources of carbs. Gatorade is easily the giant dominating the category. By themselves, Gatorade has countless products of drinks, chews, bars, powders and gels to help provide carbs in convenient ways. All targeted at increasing energy availability and conserving glycogen stores. Helping athletes perform their best is the number one goal with this strategy leading the way.

Multiple types of carbs

Not all carb options are equal though. By consuming different types of carbs, different benefits can be achieved. Glucose and fructose are the two main types of carbs as they are the two the body is most capable to use. They use two different pathways, or ‘roads’, in the body to get broken down and converted into energy. Consuming too many of one type can overload the system and cause some unwanted stomach problems. Balancing your intake between the two though will allow you to maximize the body’s usage of both of them. Splitting between them also helps ease the workload on the stomach to help avoid cramps, discomfort or in some cases an emergency trip to the bathroom!

How much of what types of carbs to consume

Fructose is typically the type of carb to be more careful with as it tends to not be absorbed as easily. Tougher absorption means it increases the risk of stomach discomfort and poor physical performances. On the other hand glucose tends to be a bit easier and better tolerated meaning can be consumed in larger amounts. Several studies have been done in the past and the optimal intake for maximum intake tends to be 90g/hr of carbs at a 2:1 ratio of glucose to fructose. Every hour that means an endurance athlete is consuming 30g of fructose and 60g of glucose. As mentioned previously, the vast majority of sports foods have this type of ratio so a target of 90g with those products should steer most people in a good direction. But what if the body could actually handle more?

That is what several researchers have dug into to try and figure out. In a recent study they pushed it as high as 120g/hr of carbs consumed at a ratio though of 1:0.8 of glucose to fructose. So not only is this increasing total carb intake, but it’s also pushing the fructose intake in particular. Pushing the absorption limits in this study was done hoping to see if that extra intake would preserve the glycogen to enhance overall performance. The same goal as mentioned earlier that everyone is targeting. Consuming extra carbs at 120g/hr though did not actually preserve glycogen any more than the 90g/hr strategy. More carbs in total were used for energy as it pulled from more of the carbs being consumed but it didn’t stop the glycogen from still being used.

Summing things up

Without the preservation of glycogen, 120g of carbs may not be needed. Along with that the higher carb group also noted experiencing a bit more nausea and feelings of fullness. Most athletes prefer feeling ‘light’ during activity so that could cause some negative psychological effects too. Part of this though needs to involve making sure this type of consumption is done in practice first. Just jumping into that high of a carb intake can be a recipe for disaster for many. It goes back to the golden rule of no new foods/strategies on game day!

You can train the body to handle greater carb intakes but if it doesn’t enhance the preservation of glycogen there may be other options. Carb periodization for example, to help train the body to tap into those fat stores a bit more. If glycogen preservation is maxed, using those fat stores would be a good consideration. But in regards to how many carbs to consume, 90g/hr seems to be a great starting point. Just make sure to have a mix of both glucose and fructose with it. Sports foods as mentioned tend to already have that mixture in it. Food wise though try balancing fruit/candy higher fructose items with bread/granola bars higher glucose items.

Study referenced: click here

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Carbs, Energy, Ketone, Performance, Supplements
Ketone supplements look to help high intensity activities
- October 30, 2022
This is a big blast to the past for me as my master’s thesis was on ketone supplements and it’s impact on performance. Overall ketone supplements are still a fairly new thing. We continue to learn more and more about them and have a long ways to go. Early on though, lactate levels seem to be one of the things ketones can target the most.

What are ketones?

Ketones are what your body produces when it is breaking down fat. It’s a form of energy that your body can use, like glucose, with other potential benefits as well. Ketone production is one of the main goals of those following a low carb diet. A lot of research on this has been done looking at medical uses such as for diabetes and seizures but it’s beginning to get a lot more attention in the sports/performance world. The dietary and lifestyle production of ketones is different from simply drinking them so get a short-term ketone boost.

Ketone supplements vs. naturally produced

Most of the research up to this point on ketones has been studying those that are naturally produced. This comes from low carb diet implementation and thus has other variables to consider. Prior to supplements being made the ketones couldn’t be isolated and looked at. But never count out science! Now there are all sorts of different ketones supplements out there. Ketone supplements now allow for a unique situation where ketone levels can be high in addition to having carbs with them. There are different forms of ketone supplements as well to consider. The two most common of which are ketone salts and ketone esters. Neither are the exact same as ketones produced by the body though there are still a lot of similarities for comparable effects. A lot of questions and details obviously still need to be learned but we’re getting closer one study at a time.

Ketones used for energy

One of the biggest functions of ketones is their use for energy. Similar to glucose, ketones can be used by muscles and the rest of the body to keep things running. When consumed as a supplement ketones actually jump to the front of the line for energy usage. This is where some of the interest from a performance perspective comes into play. While it is a go-to source of energy it also is able to do that without producing lactate as a result. Even at higher intensities ketones appear to pull this off effectively.

The impact of lactate

Lactate is produced when performing at a high intensity. As the intensity increases, the usage of glucose increases with it. Partially contributing to this is that the body isn’t getting enough oxygen to run as well on fat which needs more oxygen than glucose. That oxygen need is why you start breathing harder at higher intensities. Glucose though can actually still produce energy even without oxygen. But, this comes at a bit of a cost in the form of lactate being produced. As lactate increases you may start to feel that burning sensation in your muscles. This eventually will force you to have to slowdown or stop.

Less lactate with ketone supplements

What this study shows is the potential for the body to use ketones more and preserve glucose/glycogen. As a result, the decreased glucose usage also decreases the lactate being produced. More energy being available with slower production of lactate sounds like a great combo most certainly worth keeping an eye on. While this study looked at rugby players, the overall concept could be applied to much more. Lower lactate levels will certainly catch the attention of a lot of performance experts and athletes, myself included. While too early to say it should absolutely be a part of an athlete’s supplement plan, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Study referenced: click here

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Carbs, Macronutrients, Metabolism, Performance
Carb loading first with extra fat afterwards
- October 18, 2022
One of the main energy stores in the body in glycogen. Glycogen is essentially reserved carbohydrates to be used throughout the day and exercise as needed. Higher intensity activities (ie. sprinting, jumping) use more glycogen than fat for energy. This is what carb loading is trying to target. By eating extra carbs leading up to an intense activity (carb loading) it can increase the amount of glycogen in the body. More glycogen in theory should then allow for more energy and increased performance. But what happens if after carb loading, a high fat meal was the last meal before the event?

Carb loading has a long history

Carb loading has been a strategy used for decades. It has stood the test of time for quite awhile because it’s worked and the concept makes sense as we discussed. But especially here of late new theories are starting to emerge to question this. One of the biggest is the strategic usage of periods of lower carb with higher fat intake. The carb loading has proven to help significantly raise glycogen in the body and many people have used this to set personal bests in a wide variety of physical tests/activities. With timed higher fat intake the theory is that it could help preserve that glycogen. Which again addresses the goal of more glycogen for longer to equal greater and more sustained performance.

Fat rich meal as a chaser

Generally a fat rich meal consumed purposefully is with the goal of making the body use fat for energy more. Consistent low carb diets really try to push this. In this study though the goal was to cause this effect just for the single exercise. The exercise specifically tested here was a 60 minute aerobic treadmill run. While the intensity wasn’t overly high it was still pushing the participants at 95% of their lactate threshold. After carb loading and then having a higher fat pre-race meal (meal was 42% fat), participants showed using less glycogen. Based off of what was being tested this was a success! But be mindful of a few things before grabbing an avocado and diving in headfirst.

Be mindful with this carb loading strategy

Fat takes longer for the body to breakdown and digest. As you get closer to exercise, typically you want to keep foods simple and easy for your stomach to digest. At that time blood is being focused to your muscles and not your stomach. With less focus on your stomach, digestion takes a back seat. This is why a high fat meal may not sit well for some people as fat takes longer to digest already then carbs do. That paired with exercise can really slow down digestion. With extra food sitting in your stomach that is when bloating and cramps tend to pop up more. So while in theory this could be a great strategy that was shown effective in the study, it should be tested during practice before an actual competition. As I always say, no new foods on game day! That applies to food strategies as well.

Study referenced: click here

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Heat, Hydration, Macronutrients, Performance
Do extra carbs in an ice-slushy help lower body temperature better?
- October 15, 2022
When exercising our body gets hotter and hotter. The longer and more intense the exercise is, the more that temperature increases. As the temperature rises though our body begins to slow us down to avoid over-heating. This is why we tend to feel a bit more tired quicker in hot weather. On the other hand if we add a few things to help lower body temperature we may improve performance.

Ways to lower body temperature

Our body naturally tries to keep us cool and generally does a great job of it. The number one strategy is through sweat. As the sweat evaporates off of us it creates a cooling effect. In humid conditions where sweat isn’t able to evaporate that doesn’t happen. That’s why hot and humid conditions can be very dangerous.

Wearing thin/light clothing helps to keep our skin exposed to the surrounding air. Wind going across our skin helps to cool the blood near the surface. As we get hot the blood tends to push more towards the surface for this. This is why you may notice your veins pop out a bit more in the heat.

Other ways to help include cooling the body externally with cold towels or ice packs and internally with cold beverages or slushies.

The perks of slushies on body temperature

First, who doesn’t like a good slushy? But they offer a performance benefit as well. As mentioned previously our body starts to heat up as we train and work harder. Most cooling strategies of cold towels, fans, clothing and shade coverings address the external cooling. But internally the heat can still be building.

This is where slushies come to the rescue! Having a cold iced beverage like that is able to get into the gut and help cool the body from the inside out. Now I know it’s not very functional to have a slushy machine on the sideline to have in the moment. But having a slushy before can help provide a bit of buffer to give extra time before the body heats up. The question now is can something be added to the slushy to make it even better? Carbs are the first on the list analyzed.

Carbs impact (or lack thereof) on lowering body temp

This compared one slushy with a typical amount of carbs in it with another slushy with twice as much. In controlled environments, the impact on body temperatures were…..the same. Extra carbs and extra calories in general can help provide additional energy to improve performance. None of the benefits being provided by the carbs appear to be related to lower body temperature effects.

Is a sugar rush slushy needed?

Nope. Short sweet and to the point there. This likely doesn’t come as a surprise to many, myself included. But just because I didn’t think there would be anything doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out! Keeping an open mind to potentially being wrong is never a bad thing. But this study does show that slushies can help keep core temperatures down regardless of carb content. So if going to compete in a hot/humid environment, looking to see if you can grab a slushy beforehand could be worth a try if that is appealing to you. Just maybe don’t grab some extra sugar packets to try and throw in there.

Study referenced: click here

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Energy, Performance, Recovery, Uncategorized
Tournament Success Is About What You Do Between Events
- March 5, 2022
When competing in a tournament, there’s no rest for the weary. Games are typically packed much closer together than normally during the season. With such limited time, it’s vital to make the most of it. Tournament success is dependent upon it.

The name of the game is recovery. Training adaptations are not the focus right now. That work has already been done and now it’s time to show off that hard work. Being able to perform optimally and show off that hard work every game is the trick. Proper recovery and feeling fresh is what will allow this.

Maximizing your recovery takes proper planning. How much time between each event and the resources available will dictate what recovery strategy is best. But regardless, you need to make sure to have a plan.

“If you fail to plan, you should plan to fail”

How much time between events is the first piece of the puzzle. Most of the time there is likely to be at least 24 hours between events. While not perfect, this does allow a good amount of time to get back to close to 100% if things are done properly. For those situations with multiple events the same day, a different plan needs to be in place.

Knowing the schedule and how much time between events is crucial. This dictates what recovery strategies we can implement for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. The more time that we have, the more opportunity we have to eat and also to recover. On the other hand with less time, we naturally have to focus on what can provide more immediate benefits.

Optimized recovery is key to tournament success

After the first event ends, recovery should start immediately. Nutrition wise we want to make sure we have protein and fluid readily available. The protein can help us build muscle but right now we are more interested in how it helps repair the muscles we just beat up. Immediately after competition our muscle’s are like sponges and rapidly take up the protein provided. Simple protein shakes can be great due to their convenience to pack and ease of drinking.

All of the sweat that was lost needs to be replaced too! Drinking plenty of fluid starting immediately after helps to rehydrate us. Even just a slight dehydration can negatively impact our performance as well as increase our risk of soft tissue injuries. To help rehydrate quicker, drinking something with some extra electrolytes (sodium in particular) is important. The extra sodium helps the body to absorb the fluid better as well as reduces urine production to help hold onto that water as well. Two birds, one stone!

Carbohydrates help with quick energy replacement as well. With multiple events in one day where there are just hours between, carbs can play an even more important role. That quick energy carbs provide help to refill our gas tank to be filled up and ready to perform again. Carbs are typically very easy on the stomach as well and can help to provide that much needed energy without feeling as though there’s a brick in your stomach afterwards. When grabbing some carbs though make sure to do your best at limiting fiber due to the increased time it takes to digest fiber. That could create the uncomfortable brick feeling just mentioned.

Listen to your body

Overall, if it’s a full day between events we can enjoy whole meals to replenish our needs. There will be optimal time to digest and absorb everything. Fruits and vegetables will be of increased importance as well to help reduce inflammation. Those typically take a bit longer to digest but with this amount of time it won’t be a problem.

Same day quick turnarounds don’t allow us to have full meals necessarily. We have to focus more on ‘snack’ type items for quick access and digestion. Things such as sports drinks, protein shakes, granola bars, bananas and fruit snacks can be great in this moment. The closer that you can get to eating enough to fully replace the calories burned in the previous event, the better.

You know your body better than any body though. With that knowledge making sure to eat something that you know sits well for you and that you enjoy takes a big priority. At the end of the day, tournament success is based on feeling good and performing great. And one thing that is undefeated research wise is that eating something is better than nothing! So make sure you have snacks, drinks and are prepared to make the most of the time available to you.

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Diets, Supplements, Wellness
Quality Diet First, Supplements Second
- February 18, 2022
Like everything you have to walk before you can run. It all starts with the fundaments and with our health that is a quality diet. Most people want the quick fix of a pill or supplement or the ‘super food’ of the month. A quick fix never replaces the benefits a quality diet is able to offer.

But why doesn’t a quality diet get more attention? Because in all honesty, it’s kind of boring!

Unlike supplements or ‘super foods’ it’s difficult to get hyped about broccoli and spinach. You likely haven’t seen a broccoli ad during the Super Bowl but you’ve seen many Energy Drink ads. Those types of things are flashy and can grab peoples attention.

Quality diets don’t necessarily have fancy ingredients or titles. You can make some delicious tasting and looking food but the makeup of the recipes will be fairly similar. What makes this effective though is consistency and…*looks around*….*whispers*…patience. Everyone’s favorite word.

You can’t outwork a poor diet

The fundamentals for any quality diet comes down to protein, fat, carbs, fruit & vegetables and hydration! Each piece is important in its own right and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Protein

Not all protein is equal. If possible try to ensure optimal quality by having grass fed beef, free range chicken and wild caught fish. This helps ensure your meat contains the maximum nutrient punch. It also avoids many inflammatory additions such as preservatives that many low quality meats contain. Many people don’t consume enough protein overall so make sure you also avoid falling into that category.

Fat

Eating fat doesn’t make us fat. Fat is vital for nutrient absorption. There are fat and water soluble vitamins and as you may suspect, fat soluble vitamins require fat to be absorbed. So if you want the full benefit of that next salad, make sure you have some fat in it. Some quick good sources of fat include olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and cheese.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are in just about everything these days it seems and as a result are incredibly available. Unfortunately most of these sources are of poor quality. Focus on more nutrient rich sources such as potatoes, whole grains, fruit and beans. Also keep in mind how much you’re having to match your training appropriately.

Fruit & Vegetables

Don’t skip these! The vast majority of us would do well to have more. Non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, peppers, broccoli and squash should be your go-to veggies. For fruit, berries give you some of the most bang for your buck. Any plate without these is an incomplete plate!

Hydration

Keep a water bottle nearby at all times. Proper hydration is needed to keep our body running optimally. So many of us struggle with staying hydrated despite being such an easy concept.

Quality diet = quality health = quality performance

Getting those fundamentals in place first then can allow us to begin considering supplements. To reiterate though, supplements don’t replace foods! Supplements work to enhance a quality diet allowing us to perform even better. They are also important to provide an extra boost in case our diet is a bit low in any specific nutrient. This is why regular blood work can be a great thing to get with your annual health check up (this is your nudge to schedule one if it’s been awhile).

Don’t blindly take just any supplement though. Do so with purpose and intent while also doing your homework to ensure it’s safe and worth your money. If unsure, don’t risk it and just purchase something anyways! Make sure to check with someone first. If you don’t know anyone feel free to reach out to me! I’d much rather you be safe than sorry. Just be prepared for me to ask you how your diet is before answering you 🙂

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