Each sporting discipline requires physical effort that involves both the muscular and cardiovascular systems. Depending on the nature, duration, and intensity of exercise the body activates series of mechanisms (enzymes, hormones, etc) that mobilise and use different resources (nutrients, energy, etc. for muscle contraction)...

Each sporting discipline requires physical effort that involves both the muscular and cardiovascular systems. Depending on the nature, duration, and intensity of exercise the body activates series of mechanisms (enzymes, hormones, etc) that mobilise and use different resources (nutrients, energy, etc. for muscle contraction). Carbohydrates, protein and lipids (fat) provide the energy necessary for maintaining various vital functions during rest and physical activity. Moreover, the body uses two main thermoregulatory mechanisms to regulate body temperature: radiation (emission of heat) and sweating (loss of liquids and minerals).

Muscle contraction causes an increase in body temperature. In order to control this rise in body heat the body produces sweat, which evaporates from the skins surface avoiding dangerous rises in body temperature and helping to maintain optimal athletic performance...

Muscle contraction causes an increase in body temperature. In order to control this rise in body heat the body produces sweat, which evaporates from the skins surface avoiding dangerous rises in body temperature and helping to maintain optimal athletic performance. Depriving the body of fluid tends to increase the rate of dehydration, which is associated with marked decrements in performance, increased susceptibility to cramps, a sensation of fatigue, and health risk. A 5% decrease in total body water content can lead to a 30% reduction in athletic performance, with a high risk of cramping. It is therefore necessary to ingest fluids both before and during physical activity, especially during extreme climates to avoid the risk of dangerous fluid losses.
In addition to fluid losses, other factors can play a decisive role in performance. The body metabolises glucose, minerals, and some amino acids, and an inadequate supply of any of these during performance can be detrimental to the sporting result. Sports performance can also be significantly compromised by a reduction in blood glucose and/or muscle glycogen concentration. The greater the duration and intensity of exercise, the greater the energy demand before, during and after the performance will be. The body has an ample supply of lipid to fuel the body?s normal metabolic demands, and is also used as an energy source during the later stages of more prolonged, strenuous sporting disciplines (marathons, triathlons). If a normal, well-trained athlete is optimally nourished, the body?s glucose (carbohydrate) reserves are generally sufficient to fuel the body?s energy requirements during performance. However, if the body?s glucose reserves are severely depleted, the muscle then utilises protein as an energy source, causing protein catabolism (muscle breakdown). The glucose energy reserves therefore play a crucial role in depicting the outcome of exercise (muscle adaptation/breakdown). Blood and muscle glucose levels are also linked to feelings of fatigue onset. Hypoglycaemia, the decrease in blood glucose levels below the normal physiological limit of 5mmol/L, rapidly and severely compromises performance. Adequate glucose replenishment supplies the central nervous system and muscles with a readily-available supply of energy. This can help by maintaining strength for longer, improving concentration and neuro-muscular coordination, and delaying the onset of both physical and mental fatigue. Sometimes during extremely intense exercise it is also important to ingest amino acids (proteins are made of amino acids) in order to buffer the energy demand and reduce muscle catabolism and attenuate fatigue.

The need to adequately restore degenerated glycogen (storage form of glucose) stores, along with lost fluids and electrolytes has been identified through experience and scientific results to be vitally important to performance. Supplementing these substances, both before and during performance can dramatically enhance the sporting outcome. For optimal re-hydration practices, fluid preparations for sportsmen and women must contain the essential electrolytes (Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Chlorine (Cl), Magnesium (Mg)), in appropriate concentrations and ratios...

The need to adequately restore degenerated glycogen (storage form of glucose) stores, along with lost fluids and electrolytes has been identified through experience and scientific results to be vitally important to performance. Supplementing these substances, both before and during performance can dramatically enhance the sporting outcome. For optimal re-hydration practices, fluid preparations for sportsmen and women must contain the essential electrolytes (Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Chlorine (Cl), Magnesium (Mg)), in appropriate concentrations and ratios. In addition, to avoid an early depletion of blood glucose and muscle glycogen stores, it is recommended to add a mixture of carbohydrates with both rapid and prolonged absorption rates (glucose, sucrose, fructose) in order to provide the body with sufficient energy stores necessary to fuel performance. Sports beverages can be categorised into three groups: Hypertonic (>300mOsm/l), Isotonic (=300mOsm/l), and Hypotonic (<300mOsm/l). Osmolarity is a measure of solute concentration; the unit of measurement (Osm) indicating the osmotic pressure applied by a fluid compared to a reference fluid. The osmolarity measurement provides information relating to the rate of gastric emptying and to the effort required by the body to absorb a solution. The substances present in the fluid determine the energy that will be provided, the insulin response, the re-hydration capacity, and the gastric emptying speed. The ideal sports drink to consume during performance for an athlete must provide a reasonable supply of energy, generate a reasonable insulin response, have high re-hydration capacity, and a rapid gastric emptying and intestinal absorption rate.

It is important for athletes to remember to consume fluids during their performance. However, it is also important to remember that the volume of liquids ingested has a major effect on gastric emptying rates, so it is important to follow the following recommended guidelines: 100-200ml every 15-20min during exercise and no more than 800-900ml/hr). Supplements are often recommended for athletes who are required to frequently perform highly-intense...

It is important for athletes to remember to consume fluids during their performance. However, it is also important to remember that the volume of liquids ingested has a major effect on gastric emptying rates, so it is important to follow the following recommended guidelines: 100-200ml every 15-20min during exercise and no more than 800-900ml/hr). Supplements are often recommended for athletes who are required to frequently perform highly-intense, specified training regimes in order to optimise the athletic response to training. However, not all supplements are the same. It is often the case that substances consumed by the body are required to be taken in association with other metabolic co-factors in order to be absorbed and metabolised most efficiently. In some cases it is possible to exploit the carrier effect, in others it is possible to use substances in competition with each other, and in other situations standardised plant extracts or trace elements can be combined, or different absorption rates can be exploited. A profound knowledge of the body?s biochemistry enables the formulation of supplements that work efficiently, and that are truly capable of resulting in enhanced sports performance. It is only by achieving an in-depth account of the nutritional dynamics of the body, following careful studies of the balance of various elements guided by tests performed on athletes, and without cutting back on the cost of raw materials used, can excellent results be obtained to aid sports performance development. EthicSport has a range of sports supplements available for various sporting disciplines to help maximise strength and endurance performance, whether competing against yourself or others. Consult the product technical fact sheets to identify the right supplement(s) for you.