A focus on: Coconut water – Simone do Carmo
Coconut water has gained immense popularity in sports and fitness over the past few years. It is viewed as a ‘natural’ low-calorie drink, and athletes have been using it as a replacement for typical sports drinks due to its high electrolyte content. However, athletes do not realise that these electrolytes are not the ones they […]
Nutritional considerations for the vegan athlete – Simone do Carmo
Veganism is becoming increasingly popular among athletes who believe it can improve their health and help them succeed in their sport. Simone do Carmo takes us through some important nutritional considerations and shares practical guidelines for athletes who have adopted or are transitioning to this dietary approach. Veganism is taking the sporting world by storm. […]
DIY Sports Drinks – Ian Craig
Raised a scientist, I will never ever believe the advertising claims of producers of sports drinks without a closer look. I read scientific reports about how certain foods and drinks affect our energy, strength and performance, but more than that, I now rely strongly on gut instinct when discerning nutrition quality. For example, it makes […]
HMB for athletes: A brief review of the literature – Simone do Carmo
Athletes are always looking for that extra edge that will help them increase their strength levels, muscle mass, performance and recovery. Simone do Carmo investigates the effectiveness of the popular supplement HMB. HMB (β-hydroxy-βmethylbutyrate) is a metabolite of leucine, a branched-chain amino acid. Although you can get HMB through leucine supplementation, the process is inefficient […]
Bone broth: what’s old is new again for athletes – Rachel Jesson
Despite being around for centuries, bone broth has become a new food trend for athletes. Rachel Jesson explains the benefits of bone broth and why it should be part of every athlete’s nutritional regime. There seems to be growing interest in ancestral foods and a move towards the diets and habits that sustained our predecessors, […]
History of sports nutrition: a 50-year review – Ian Craig
Research, in part, shapes the way we think, so Ian Craig has taken a historical view of sports nutrition research and how it may have influenced how we think about the subject today. Returning home after hosting the IHCAN Functional Sports Nutrition conference in London recently, I must say that I was incredibly inspired with […]
Exercise-induced gastrointestinal distress: Can a low-fodmap diet help? – Simone do Carmo
Exercise practitioners are thankfully becoming more aware of gastrointestinal distress in athletes, and various strategies have been suggested. Simone do Carmo investigates the therapeutic usefulness of the low-FODMAP diet. Despite months of training and careful preparation, a bout of gastrointestinal distress on race day can wreak havoc on an athlete’s performance and subsequent recovery. The […]
The functionality of energy – Ian Craig
Rather than thinking of energy in terms of macronutrient contributions, let’s understand more about how it is made. Ian Craig unearths three important areas of functional energy provision. Energy is the cornerstone of every good athlete’s armoury: having vibrant energy means coping with tough training sessions and racing with passion; to be without high energy […]
Iron: The original performance limiting nutrient – Simone do Carmo
In standard sports nutrition practices, nutritional deficiencies are not readily acknowledged, apart from iron. Simone do Carmo digs deeply into the iron and athletic performance literature. Iron is an essential micronutrient in elite and recreational athletes’ diets. It is key to the formation of haemoglobin in red blood cells, the protein that is responsible for […]
Vitamin D – Simone do Carmo
The last decade has seen an enormous amount of research on vitamin D, particularly with regard to immune function and skeletal and cardiac health. Simone do Carmo expands on the role of vitamin D in athletic performance. Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in bone health by regulating calcium and phosphorus levels, but nearly every […]
