Quick Tip Tuesday-Fueling For Exercise

There are a lot of sport energy products out there. There are drinks, gels, goos, bars, chews, and many others. We all like to think of ourselves as athletes, and the and the sport energy companies like us to think we need their products. So, what do we really need? I took a sports nutrition class about a year ago, and got all of the information necessary to make an informed decision. I will present it to you in condensed form, assuming that you work out on average for less than 2 hours per day. If you exercise more than that, you can contact me for more specific information.

If your workout is going to be 60 minutes or less, it's simple. All you need during your workout is water.  Make sure you are properly fueled and hydrated before and after your workout. This is a matter of experimentation to see what works best for you. If I am working out first thing in the morning, I eat nothing. I exercise on an empty stomach and feel great. There is some inconclusive evidence that this trains your body to use fat as a source of fuel more efficiently (The science behind it does seem to make sense.). However, if I start my workout any later than 7:00 AM, it doesn't work. I don't know why. Anyway, the general guideline is the closer to a workout you get, the less solid your fuel should be. Three hours out should be your last real protein. After that, it should be mostly carbohydrates.

If your workout is longer than 60 minutes, you should start looking into something that has some energy and electrolytes. For the most part, products are formulated to be used either before, during, or after exercise, as the recommendations are different for each. Make sure you are choosing something that is meant to be consumed during exercise. The more liquid it is, the more likely it is formulated for use during exercise. Really, if you are doing anything less than a full marathon, all you need is a sports drink. They don't always contain the best quality ingredients, so if you want to make your own, it is quite simple. Most 100% fruit juices contain the correct concentration of carbohydrates for ideal absorption when they are diluted: 1/2 water, 1/2 fruit juice. Then all you have to do is throw in half a pinch of salt (you don't taste it, I promise), and you have your own sports drink made from real food, not chemicals. My favorite is a Naked Pomegranate Blueberry juice diluted with salt added.

So, don't spend money on sports products when all you really need is water, and if you do need more than water, make sure you are buying (or making) something that is formulated for use during exercise.