Resources for Sports Training & Nutrition

Increasing Endurance with Sports Energy Drinks and Other Fluids
If you are going to exercise for more than 25 minutes, according to This article, you can increase your endurance by drinking fluids. If you are going to exercise for more than 45 minutes, you can increase your endurance with sugared drinks, which provide a quick source of calories. Sugared drinks such as fruit juices, soft drinks and sports drinks can be absorbed just as rapidly as water. There is more useful information about sports drinks in this article, including a chart that compares sports drinks and other fluids for exercise in hot weather.

Maintaining High Energy While Biking
This is a simple list that can help any athlete maintain energy while in sports activity, specifically, it cites mountain biking. To improve your energy level, this article recommends drinking plenty of water and eating nutritious high-energy foods before and after the ride. Pedaling in circles, as well as shifting into gears that let you keep your legs moving, and avoid running out of breath are a few suggestions. Recommended also is riding new trials, experimenting with various energy bars on practice rides and making sure you have fun while biking.

Triathlon Race Day Nutrition
If race day is looming, read on to learn more about what to eat. The morning of the race try to consume a breakfast containing approximately 800 calories about 2 hours before the race. The meal should be primarily low glycemic index carbohydrates with some protein and fat added to prevent blood sugar fluctuations. Energy bars and powdered pre-workout drinks can be substituted for whole foods if you have a nervous stomach, which can be common. An added benefit of pre-workout and recovery drinks such as Preformance and Endurox R4 is that they contain protein, which is needed in addition to carbohydrates to help fuel your muscles during longer events such as a triathlon. Some athletes report energy problems if relying solely on carbohydrates during long races.

Energy Bars and Sports Drinks
This WebMD article explores the use of energy drinks and bars in our society. Carbohydrates fuel muscles. For elite athletes, the timing of food intake is critical, the article states. Different amounts and forms of carbohydrates are best before, during, and immediately after high-intensity play. Energy drinks and energy foods offer convenient ways to meet these needs. For the rest of us, energy drinks and foods are just as convenient. The danger is getting too many calories. That's the biggest issue for weekend warriors, says Leslie Bonci, MPH, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, in the article.