Blown To Wind

Tuesday, 23 August 2005 I received much advice from among athletes and enthusiasts on how to achieve my best when running headlong into endurance sports. They talked about how they overcame pain and cramps, and some mentioned about experiencing the fabled “runners’ high” or being blown by their third or fourth wind. From the past year of running, swimming and marathon house-cleaning, I know diet and nutrition is paramount for any endurance activity. I could also tell that the likes of Lance Armstrong, whose physiology is aided by genes and conditioned for particular sport needs, is significantly above the average Joe or Tom’s physical threshold. A notch lower, a rookie athletic enthusiast like myself who shies away from high protein intake with voluminous amounts of vitamins and other supplements, or from high intensity workouts and periodisation methods, would not have a metabolic and physiological make-up for dedicated body-sculpting programmes of any sort. Here are what I have learnt works, for myself, in a nutshell: Objective: to lose fat mass, gain muscle strength (fast/slow/endurance) Increase my cardio activity to above 60% max heart rate, at least one hour once weekly, and at least 30 minutes, twice weekly; Work out with weights resistance training, preferably with short intervals two or three times weekly; Schedule full day rests without any work outs at least twice a week; Include protein nutritional supplements at least daily, increase as your body muscle mass and strength increases to twice or more daily, in conjunction with high intensity work outs; Snack on dry high fibre or caseinate protein with low glycemic index carbohydrate foods in the evening, and avoid full meals five to six hours before sleep; Break your diet if you feel weak or aches, etc. Re-schedule your work outs and give your body more time to rest. Objective: Endurance and power (race event) Caffeine, it seems, really works. What I have found about this stimulant is that it actually distorts your perception of effort and delays the sensation of fatigue in the central nervous system. By affecting the brain’s neurotransmitters this way, it enables me to overcome the early onset of tiredness. Double espresso shots work extremely well for me (within 20 mins) rather than caffeine pills, although my source reference Matt Fitzgerald insists that a 5-6mg/body weight kg – that’s about 500mg for me – 30-60 minutes before racing would help. Carbohydrate gels. Never took this before until I got into my very first race events and there, everyone had a favourite flavour or several packs stashed away or strapped on their bikes or bodies! These contain electrolytes, antioxidants, caffeine (some do), and easily assimilated carbohydrates. Sports drinks have higher water content, while the gels naturally are nutrient source. For endurance events, sports drinks and gels are interchangeably used, based on your own preference and need. Energy drinks. I did not touch any of these as I was concerned about spiking my glycemic index and result with a sharp decline when glycogen stores are not accessed efficiently. Herbal extracts, amino acids are now added to fast-acting carbohydrates and these are becoming popular boosters for sports and recreation users. Taurine and caffeine are commonly added, these have some basis for improving aerobic performance. Recovery drinks. Nothing beats a quality protein shake as far as I am concerned, after a hard work out or race event. Next to that, bananas are great too, in restoring the body’s mineral and glycogen balance. Electrolytes are the basic tools for rehydration, and carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores, and protein to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. I know from experience that the benefit is best felt if consumed within one hour of intense work outs, when appetite is suppressed naturally by the body, and fat is being metabolised. At the moment, what athletes often leave out is including a high fiber source with their nutrient in-take. Fresh fruit and vegetables are not always as handy, being expensive or time consuming to prepare. Salad – very perishable and expensive - if you are just the only person to feed, and do not have time to be at the local supermarket three to four times a week. My solution is to include high grade cereal and bran with fruit bits (dried or cut). The ideal time is in the evening, as a supper snack. I know there are many other proficient athletes who fare better than I with their own nutritional lifestyle for endurance and power. A friend I know includes 1000 mg zinc, 5000 mg vitamin C, and 3000 mg vitamin B with his other nutritional supplements. Indeed, the fact remains that the more you spend on high quality foods, the better the impact on your physique and strength for sure, assuming you are training harder and smarter than the average Joe or Tom. If you have better suggestions or ideas, I would be glad to hear from you, too!