LUCOZADE SPORT
Please note that the views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the race organisers or their advisors and partners.
Your Ideal Running Partner
• When you run your body needs energy. This energy comes from what you eat and what you drink. The body’s preferred source of energy is carbohydrates that are stored in your muscles and liver as a ‘fuel’ called glycogen.
• The body’s glycogen stores are limited so, as a runner you need to ensure you eat plenty of carbohydrates to keep these stores topped up. When you are training, at least 60% of your daily calorie intake should come from carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, rice, bread, cereals and potatoes).
However, you should not base your carbohydrate intake on percentage alone, this is a good indicator, but it is best to also follow the below suggested guidelines, which are based on grams per kilogram of body weight.
o Moderate duration/ low intensity training: 5-7g per kg per day
o Moderate to heavy endurance training: 7-12g per kg per day
o Extreme exercise performance: 10-12g per kg per day
Carbohydrates – The Facts
• The body’s primary source of fuel for performance
• Carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen but only in limited quantities- enough for just 1.5 to 2 hours running
• Fatigue occurs when glycogen stores are depleted resulting in significant reduction in running speed
• Crossing the start line with low glycogen stores is like taking a car out with a half empty fuel tank – you will run out of fuel more quickly and may suffer premature fatigue
• Taking on carbohydrates before and during prolonged performance has been shown to reduce the negative impact of glycogen depletion on performance*
Dehydration – The Facts
• A 2% reduction in body weight can significantly decrease performance**
• Marathon runners have been reported to lose up to 8% of their body weight in warm conditions!***
• Fluid lost through sweat contains key electrolytes such as sodium and potassium which must also be replaced
• Sports drinks such as Lucozade Sport have been shown to reduce the negative impact of dehydration on prolonged performance**
Caffeine – The Facts
• Caffeine has been shown to enhance performance by reducing the perception of effort and helping runners focus better, react quicker and feel better during exercise
• Lucozade Sport with Caffeine Boost is the UK’s first caffeinated isotonic sports drink, applying the latest sport science-based performance research to develop a product that not only contains carbohydrate to fuel your muscles and fluid and electrolytes to hydrate your body, but also incorporates caffeine to help focus your mind
• Caffeine takes 60 minutes to peak in your body, so the Lucozade Sport Science Academy (LSSA) recommends drinking the product an hour before you run
Hydration
Is your body getting the fluid it needs?
Stay well hydrated throughout the day (a minimum of 2 litres per day) drinking little and often and in the periods before, during and after exercise.
An excellent way to ensure a high fluid intake is to carry a water bottle around with you at home and at work to help promote regular drinking.
In many cases, athletes begin training in a dehydrated state, which not only affects the quality of training in the short term but makes it even harder to hydrate in time for their next training session.
Ideally, you should be aiming to drink:
• 200-500ml immediately before training
• 125-150ml every 15-20 mins during training
• 500ml (approx) after exercise depending on your sweat loss during exercise
You can be much more accurate about how much to drink after training by weighing yourself before and after. For every kilogram lost this should be replaced with 1.5L of fluid. Weigh yourself wearing the least amount of clothes possible to improve the accuracy of the results.
You can also check your hydration status throughout the day by checking your pee colour, see the below chart.
Remember that you will need to drink more in hot and humid conditions as well as in air conditioned environments!
Lucozade Sport Hydrate has been formulated especially for exercise in hot and humid conditions when increased sweating means there is a greater need to get fluids onboard. It contains more electrolytes than the Lucozade Sport drink to promote faster and more effective hydration and to help replace all the essential electrolytes you will lose in your sweat. The high sodium formulation may also benefit runners who have very high sweat rates, or those that are prone to heat cramps.
Runners’ Training Pack
Being prepared for the road ahead is essential for all runners. But you will not necessarily know which products are most suitable to use during training runs and the event itself.
Following extensive consultation with sports nutritionists and running experts, we’ve developed a training pack which gives you the opportunity to sample a wide range of products that can offer support when you need it most. Designed to take the hassle out of your nutritional strategy and help you stay properly fuelled and hydrated each month during your training, the Lucozade Sport Runner’s Training Pack bulges with isotonic carbohydrate/electrolyte powdered drink mix, post-training Recovery powdered drink mix, carbo gels and energy bars.
To get your hands on this indispensable training partner, visit the Lucozade Sport online shop – www.lucozadeshop.com – to receive a 10% discount off high street prices on this and other products in the high performance range. Orders received by 2pm will be delivered the next working day to addresses within mainland UK.
If you would like further information on Fuel, Hydration and Focus for your training and race day then visit our website and keep in mind the LSSA’s top tips for the big day:
Lucozade Sport Science Academy TOP TIPS
• Don’t try anything new on race day
• Drink little and often
• Pack your kit bag the night before – tick items off your check list
• Take a drink and snack in your bag for after the race
• Enjoy yourself and good luck!
*J Sport Sciences 2004; 22 57-63
**1. Murray, R. (1998). Rehydration strategies-balancing substrate, fluid, and electrolyte provision. International Journal of Sports Medicine 19(2S):S133-135
Food and Nutrition Board / Institute of Medicine (2004). Dietary Reference Intakes: Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. p.105-111.
*** In house/ unpublished data.
LUCOZADE, LUCOZADE SPORT and the Winner Device are registered trade marks of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies
