Got the best training programme? Now maximise its results! 

Earlier this month the International Society of Sports Nutrition released a position statement on nutrient timing to ‘enhance recovery and tissue repair following high-volume exercise, augmented muscle protein synthesis and improve mood states.’ They came up with eight key points, here is a summary of these points with a few comments of my own.

1.) Maximal endogenous (inside the body) glycogen stores are best promoted by following a high-glycemic, high-carbohydrate diet and ingestion of free amino acids and protein alone or in combination with carbohydrate before resistance exercise can maximally stimulate protein synthesis.

2.) During exercise, CHO should be consumed at a rate of 30-60g of CHO/hour in a 6 - 8 % CHO solution. This equates to around 250-500mls Lucozade Sport every 30mins. Adding protein (PRO) to create a CHO:PRO ratio of 3 - 4:1 may increase endurance performance and maximally promotes glycogen re-synthesis during acute and subsequent bouts of endurance exercise.

3.) Ingesting CHO alone or in combination with PRO during resistance exercise increases muscle glycogen, offsets muscle damage, and facilitates greater training adaptations after either acute or prolonged periods of supplementation with resistance training. Similar to the previous point, however, not to improve immediate performance but to promote adaptations to training. Read More

Body Composition for Performance or Vanity?

The most frequent question asked in PowerBase by athletes and non-athletes alike, other than “How much can you bench?”, has got to be “How can I get lean?” So, here is a brief article that will outline a few things that can help and hopefully dispel a few myths on the subject.

First and foremost, the easiest thing for me to say would be “Drink less and train more…” However, to put it more constructively, rule number one of getting lean…

Lower Alcohol intake - Alcohol intake has a plethora of effects on the body that make it difficult to improve ones body composition. Even without the negative effects that alcohol has on muscle building and fat storing hormones in the body, it is loaded with empty calories. Alcohol is also used as a preferential energy source which in laymen’s terms means, that kebab you have on the way home isn’t being burned off, its being stored in your overfed fat cells until all the alcohol has been ‘used up’. This also links to drinking calorie laden drinks, the only exception to this is fruit juices, other than these, stick to water and low kcal drinks.