3 commonly asked questions about nutrition and exercise

Standard porridge
• 8 to 10 tablespoons of oats
• 30g of whey protein (optional)
• 200ml of milk or hot water
• 1 tablespoon of xylitol
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ½ an apple
• 1-2 tablespoons of ground seed mix (flax, pumpkin and sunflower)

Mix the whey protein with a little cold water and whisk to make a frothy lump free liquid. Add hot water or milk to the oats, xylitol and cinnamon, mix together and bring to the boil. Add the whey protein and simmer for 30 seconds to a minute. Serve with sliced apple and sprinkled ground seeds.

Scrambled eggs on toast
Eating eggs will not raise your cholesterol and the YOLK is healthy. Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, B vitamins, minerals, essential fats and phosphatidyl choline. All these nutrient help turn your food into energy. Use 2 eggs with a little butter and milk and serve on 1-2 slices of lightly toasted wholegrain bread.

A cup of green tea contains the antioxidant EGCg, which has been shown to help burn fat and protect the body from free radicals –exercise creates a lot of free radicals.

Q. What is good advice concerning hydration before, during and after exercise?

A. Before exercise simply drink more plain water. Why? Because as little as 2% dehydration causes:

• 8% loss of speed
• 10% loss of strength
• 20% loss of cognitive function

This will hamper your ability to push yourself during your training session and lead to poor event times and frustration.

Caffeine in coffee mobilises free fatty acids that can be burnt as fuel and research is showing that a boost of caffeine before exercise improves performance. Other than that – drink water. This may make you go to the toilet a lot to begin with, but if you add an electrolyte such as Elete or just a tiny pinch of salt to your water you will absorb it better.

During exercise
Consume30-60g of glucose per hour of exercise with water and electrolytes – a 500ml bottle of lucozade sport contains 30g of glucose and would suffice. It should be at about 15-20ºC (room temperature) to aid rapid absorption. The key is to prevent dehydration, so use isotonic sports drinks.

After exercise
Replace water and electrolytes and restore muscle and liver glycogen. This is best achieved with a post work out shake. A basic recipe would be 30g of whey protein with 300-500ml of a high antioxidant fruit juice such as red grape juice. Avoid red bull, shark and alcohol as they make you pee more and dehydrate you, alcohol lowers testosterone if you drink it after exercise for up to a week. Beer is the worst thing you can drink – it castrates you if you are a male and increases you oestrogen if you are female.

Q. What good snacks are there and why are they good.

A. Snacks are used to balance your blood sugar and provide a steady supply of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for your body to use. Not controlling your blood sugar leads to energy lulls, mood swings, palpitations, drowsiness and lethargy – none of this will motivate you to go to the gym or is conducive to a good work out.

Always look to have protein, fat and carbs in a snack, here are some good examples:

• An apple with a small handful of mixed nuts
• Vegetable crudités with some hummus or nut butter
• Sardines in tomato sauce on rice cakes
• Falafel
• A fruit and whey protein smoothie

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