If you are spending hours and hours in the gym, running mile after mile swimming length after length (and not seeing fast improvements) then it’s time to look at your diet.

Why sports nutrition matters… 

Yes, the right training technique, the right warming up and cooling down, all have a major impact on your result.

But (at whatever stage you are at) it is important to take some time to focus on your diet and nutrition.

Because by following the right diet plan you will see a dramatic improvement in your results, a reduction in injuries and a real boost in your energy levels.

Where do you start ?

The key to the right sport nutrition plan is to focus on 4 key factors:

1. Get your body to its right weight.
2. The 4 basic sports nutrition principles
3. Build your training up gradually
4. Eat the right foods

Step 1…. Get your body to its right weight.

If you want to get the most from your sport than you need to be at your ideal weight

- because that way you don’t have to carry all those ‘excess’ lbs around with you, or run out of energy due to not enough stored reserves.

For starters you don’t need to go to the gym (or run) to lose weight – just using the right diet plan is a lot more effective then spending hours in the gym.

Which is why going to the gym, jogging or running without following a diet plan is the least effective way to lose weight.

However – by far the best method is to combine a ‘specialist sport weight loss plan’ with using the right exercise regime.

That way you will not only lose weight faster – you will also get a great shape

For example if you want to know how to lose a few lbs, how to lose a stone or more then the first item is to select the right diet plan which you can combine with your exercise, sport or the gym – for some ideas look at the sports product links below.

Step 2…. Follow the 4 basic sport nutrition principles.

The key to getting the most from the Gym or your Sport is to follow a sports nutrition plan – sounds more complicated than it is.

The key sports nutrition stages are:

1. Fuelling

Fuel up 30 minutes before activity with easy to absorb carbohydrates

2. Re-fuelling

Every 30 minutes refuel with easily absorbed carbohydrates.  The first 30 minutes are crucial as your muscles are most receptive to restocking.

3. Repair

Within 1 ½ to 2 hours after finishing taking in high quality protein to repair your muscles

4. Recovery

Take in antioxidants to help with ‘lactic acid removal’ and muscle-fibril degredation. The items that cause soreness, stiffness and fatigue

Step 3…. Build your training up gradually.

This page is aimed at sports nutrition – what to eat & drink and when.

We will cover training, what to do and when, at a later stage.

Step 4…. Eat the Right Food.

A sports nutrition plan is not complete if you don’t focus on eating the right food at all the other times.

The starting point is to focus on the Glycemic Index.

Good v Bad Carbohydrates

What is the Glycemic Index ?

The glycemic index measures the rate at which carbohydrates convert into blood sugar – this affects performance, weight and energy levels.

For example all foods : such as bananas, pasta, bread, chocolate, etc. etc. all have a value.

When you select the right balance of foods this will significantly affect your results.

Eating foods that contain high-glycemic carbohydrates (one that turn to sugar quickly) hinder the fat burning process and will decrease energy levels.

It affects why you produce fat and not muscles

The reason is that if you

• you eat high-glycemic carbs your blood sugar levels will soar
• As a result your pancreas produces insulin   (Insulin regulates your blood sugar levels – but is also a storage hormone)
• When your blood sugars go up
• Your body produces this storage hormone to clear the blood of excess sugars
• Those sugars end up in fatty tissue
• Ultimately you are gaining fat, because that is what you are telling your body to store

It is also a key reason you will get tired

• As your body produces this insulin it will clear the sugars out of your blood
• This means you are ‘hypo-glycemic‘ i.e. Your blood sugar levels are lower than they should be:
• You ‘crash’ or get lethargic (mid afternoon after lunch?)
• Your body now craves sugars
• You end up overeating and the cycle continue

How do you break out of this cycle?

For example if you want to boost your energy levels, get the most from the gym and lose weight?

• Start using the right foods:
• Foods with low-glycemic carbs: the energy release is gradual and long lasting

To find out the Glycemic index of the food you eat follow the links below

or for better results simply replace one or two meals with the right sport nutrition products

What are the advantages of changing ?

• Want to lose weight and shape up?……………Lots of energy and you burn fat
• Want to gain weight / build muscles?………… Lots of energy and you gain muscles not fat
• Want to increase performance and stamina?……….Lots of long burning energy

How can we help ?

We designed this site to provide background advice for our customers on how to get better sport results by eating the right food at the right time.

In particular we specialise in helping people lose weight when training the gym, doing exercise (like running, swimming, etc.) or playing sport. Simply follow the links for more information on sports nutrition.

Or for more detailed advice have a look at the 2 options :

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1. 30 Day Sport Diet Plan….

The best sport nutrition plan is one that is very easy to follow, you will enjoy and that will help you get the best results.

Of the very few downloaded plans which will show you what to eat & when - we like the meal plans and recipes in a system called ‘The truth about Quickness’

Yes it is aimed at helping people get better running results, how to run faster, react quicker, etc. – but don’t forget that in sports like football the average outfield player will run between 6 and 10 miles per match.

The system includes step by step advice on how to get quicker, a 30 Day sports a nutrition plan which will show you ‘day by day’ what to eat to get the best sports results.

(not only will it help you with the best sports nutrition – it will also help you get better running results ! ).

Click Here for More details
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2. Using Products

Using the right sports nutrition products is a lot easier, and often more effective. 

For example Herbalife do a range contains all the products for each element of the ‘fuel-refuel’ system and is ideal for all sports (running, body-building, athletics, etc.).  All you do is select the right products to fit in with your own objectives.

We especially like the online interactive system that will show you which products you need for your sport.  All you do is fill in your sport, how intense and how long you play or train and it will instantly show you which sport products will help you get the best results.  More Details

More information

• The GI Index
• Low GI Drinks & Sport Nutrition Products

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…… in the Gym, Running, Exercise, etc. ?”

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• Spent hours in the gym or running without the results you hoped?
• Feel fitter but don’t seem to be able to lose those inches?
• Desperate to get to your ideal weight?
• Not sure where to start, how to get the best results?

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Introduction ….

If you go to the gym, go running or do exercise to lose weight then getting better results will depend as much on your diet as well as all the hours you spend training.

For example something as simple doing exercise or playing sport on an empty ‘fuel tank’ (or one containing the wrong fuel) can result in you feeling tired all the time, have problems concentrating, shorten your stamina and endurance or take longer to recover.

Especially if you want to lose weight (or get a nicer shape) and at the same time get better sport results then the key is to use the right sports nutrition plan, and avoiding the two most common mistakes

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Mistake 1 – Eating the wrong food

For sport what you eat is just as important as how much and when you eat.

Especially if you want to combine sports like running & cycling with losing weight you need to focus on eating the right foods.

In particular eating foods with a low glycemic index will make all the difference to your results.

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Because the lower the GI index the better…

The Glycemic Index is a tool that anyone looking to increase energy, get better sports performance, lose fat and just feel better needs to understand.

All carbohydrates (like pasta, potatoes, bread, etc.) convert to blood sugar-some fast, some slow- and the Glycemic Index measures the rate the conversion takes place.

Eating high-glycemic carbohydrates (ones that turn to sugary quickly) will hinder your fat burning process and  decrease your energy levels.

Here’s why:

• When you eat high-glycemic carbs, your blood sugar levels soar ;
• and yes you might get a very short term energy burst
• (there are much better ways of boosting energy levels)
• but….
• ……. you are also telling your pancreas to produce insulin.

One of the roles of insulin is to keep your blood sugar levels regulated – but it is also a storage hormone.

When your sugars go up, your body produces the storage hormone to clear the excess sugars. Those sugars end up in fatty tissue.

Ultimately, you are gaining fat, because internally, you are telling your body to store.

Here’s how it relates to sports and energy levels:

• When you overproduce insulin, you clear the sugars out of your blood
• - the end result is that you are now hypoglycemic.
• What does that mean?
• Blood sugar levels are lower than they should be,
• you crash” or get lethargic, and now your body craves sugars.
• So what next?
• You have to snack again, and the cycle continues

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By switching to low-glycemic carbs, the energy release is gradual and long lasting which is ideal for athletes, because ….

1. you do not tax your pancreas,
2. you do not over-produce a storage hormone,
3. you feel better and
4. you’re in a better position to lose weight
5. or more accurately, burn body fat.

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How Quickly will you see results ?

Even a very simple change like switching the last meal before you run (or go to the gym) to using a  low glycemic product like the Herbalife Formula 1 Shake (see below for details) you would notice a real difference.

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Mistake 2 – Following the wrong diet plan

What you eat, and when you eat, is as important as your exercise

However linked to the above if you don’t change your diet then you won’t get the best results from your sport, running, the gym, etc..

Because your “diet” plan should provide all the balanced nutrition your body needs on a daily basis.

It is important to have a plan where:

1. You lose excess weight
2. By reducing excess calories
3. Without sacrificing important nutrients like protein, potassium and iron.

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Linked to this you need a plan where your reduce your calorie intake while at the same time boosting your energy levels.

(have you noticed how gyms are always busier at the beginning of the week?)

If you want to get better results -

Focus on 3 key items :

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1. Switch to low GI index foods…

Even a very simple change like switching the last meal before you run (or go to the gym) to using a  low glycemic product like the Herbalife Formula 1 Shake you would notice a real difference.
Because that way you will be cutting back on calories whilst at the same time boosting your energy levels.  Leading to weight loss as well as improved energy & stamina

2. Boost your Protein intake

When you play sport your muscles need high quality protein to rebuild & get stronger.
The ideal time to have protein is within about 1 1/2 hours after sport – either by having a meal containing protein or for better results use a protein drink.

3. Use Isotonic Drinks

Because when you are just use water you are missing out on a major opportunity.

When you sweat your body loses ‘electrolytes’ such as sodium, potassium, etc. Replacing these (by using an isotonic drink) will help your body hydrate helping avoid muscle cramps, tiredness and headaches.

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The Specialised Sports Diet Plan

Based in Cambridge (England) we specialise in helping people lose weight when taking exercise or playing sport.

Using this experience we have combined our most success popular products in a specialised sports weight loss plan.

Very easy to follow you will notice quick results….

In both weight loss and improved sport and exercise results.

For details click here

More information

Examples & Success Stories

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How to develop a sports nutrition plan

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Introduction

If you are serious about your sport then you will know that training and technique are only part of the story.

The importance of sports nutrition is being increasingly recognised

- top sportspeople, athletes and clubs have a detailed and comprehensive plan of what to eat and when.

But the key item to realise is that you need a sports nutrition plan specifically aimed for you

- there is a huge difference between the plan you follow based on your sport, at what level you are taking part, how often you train and your objectives.

For example do you need to lose or gain a few lbs ?, are you struggling with recovery, ‘aches and strains’ or want to get that extra energy boost.

Let us take you through the key sports nutrition elements step by step, you can then fine-tune it to achieve your objectives.

There are 5 key stages to Sports Nutrition :

1. Fuelling
2. Hydrating
3. Refuelling
4. Repairing
5. Recovery

We will describe each element in turn, and then sum them up in an action plan.

5 Key Sports Nutrition Stages

Developing a sports nutrition plan that will work for you sounds a lot more difficult than it actually is.

Just by following some simple rules you should be able to see a difference in a very short period of time, and notice an improvement in both your sports performance, recovery, energy levels and health.

Stage 1 – Fuelling

How selecting the right food will boost results

Probably the single most important change you can make to improve sports results is to use the right ‘fuel’ before starting.

The right food / drink will not only provide you with an instant energy lift but will also achieve lasting results. (to help with stamina and performance).

Most Common Fuel Types
(what’s your fuel ?)

• None – I tend to eat afterwards
• A mars bar or other snack
• Fruit, such as a banana
• Glucose drink, or other supplement
• Herbalife Low GI index formula 1
• Meal
• Other

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Sports Nutrition + Low GI Foods

If you look at the list above you will see a variety of different foods, each has their own advantage – but to get the best possible results focus on low Glycemic Index (GI)I foods.

All foods convert to blood sugar-some fast, some slow -and the Glycemic Index measures the rate the conversion takes place.

When you eat high-glycemic foods, your blood sugar levels soar which might give you an instant energy lift ; but when this happens your pancreas produces insulin.

Here’s how it relates to sports nutrition:

• When you overproduce insulin, you clear the sugars out of your blood-the end result is that you are now hypoglycemic.
• What does that mean?
• Blood sugar levels are lower than they should be,
• “you crash” or get lethargic, and now your body craves sugars.
• So what next? You have to ‘top up’ again – the time depends on what you have eaten.

Because if you switch to low-glycemic foods, the energy release is gradual and long lasting which is ideal for sport, as you do not tax your pancreas, you feel better and your stamina and performance improves

If you want to select low GI foods then at the bottom of this page is the link to the most popular foods and their GI index.

• On the other hand a very simple method is to simply drink a product like Herbalife Formula 1, diluted in fruit juice, thirty minutes before starting your sport (or going to the gym).
• It provides immediate fuel (carbohydrates) and helps spare the stored fuel in muscles (muscle glycogen). With your order we send you recommended usage info, which depends on the intensity of the exercise ie light/medium/heavy.

Stage 2 – Hydrating

OK – you’ve heard it time and time again, you need to take in enough fluid when training or playing sport.
But why ?

The simple fact is that as little as 2% fluid loss during exercise(mild dehydration) can significantly harm your performance.

A very simple way to prevent this is that during training, competition and your workout, you should drink fluid – at least every 15 minutes.

But bear in mind you should have plenty of fluid in your body before even starting -

Every adult should be drinking at least 2 litres of pure water, still NOT sparkling, every single day.

Whilst exercising you need to replenish those stocks with even more water. Fizzy and carbonated drinks do not allow the cells of our body to absorb nutrients correctly and can easily upset our body’s delicate infrastructure.

Water or Isotonic Drinks ?

For an exceptional performance, water alone is not enough.

Even moderate intensity exercise will create sweat resulting in a loss of electrolytes and energy.
An isotonic drink has a similar carbohydrate and electrolyte concentration to your body, meaning that your body will absorb them faster than water alone.

Isotonic drinks contain carbohydrates to help you to stay energised whilst also helping to keep you hydrated by replacing fluid and precious electrolytes (salts) which are lost through sweat; helping you to avoid the negative effects of dehydration during and after exercise.

Stage 3 – Refuelling

Only read this section if you train or play for longer than 30 minutes.

How often do you see an athletes (or top tennis player, pro-golfer, etc.) tuck into that banana or snack shortly after starting.

The reason is that within the first 30 minutes of starting your fuel tanks (muscles) are at their most receptive to being refilled.

Yes, if follow the correct fuelling up (described earlier) you will have plenty of energy left – but this is the ideal time to make sure you have high quality fuel to keep going, and going, and going……

If you decided to use the formula 1 earlier than refuelling can be very simple – just have some (diluted in fruit juice) and top up.

Stage 4 – Repairing

Whatever you do don’t underestimate the importance of ‘repairing’

Having a plan in place for what you do when you finish will make a significant difference to boosting your results, as well as reducing your recovery time – so that you can play or train again a lot quicker.

The key period to focus on is within 1 1./2 hours to 2 hours after your sport. During this period your muscles are desperate for high quality protein to repair muscle fibres. Feed them with this and they will grow quicker and stronger – miss this and you can undo a lot of the effort you put into your sport or the gym.

It is at this stage you should drink a protein drink – either ready made or just add high quality protein powder into a drink (water, juice..)

Stage 5 – Recovery

You breathe in more oxygen than the average person and therefore you generate more free radicals.

Free radicals damage your cells (a bit like the way apples will go brown when you cut them and expose them to air) and you need to take antioxidants to reduce damage.  In addition Antioxidants will help reduce muscle cell damage by removing lactic acid from muscles more quickly.

The good news is that you will not only help your long term health but will help with reduced recovery times and an increased immune system.

There are lots of different sources of antioxidants, each will also help with specific health issues.

For example if you add a product based on the Schizandra plant this will  also help support the body’s ability to use oxygen.

How can we help ?

We specialise in providing one to one advice, help and support.

The easiest way to get a plan for you is to visit our main product site ( click here ) and get a free recommendation.

All you do is simply fill in the questionnaire and we will email you with a free recommendation.

Dowloaded Plan

The other way is to use a ‘step by step’ plan.

We especially like the ’100 day marathon plan’.  The main reason is that most sports (football, hockey, cricket, etc.) require running.  Simply using a specialised training schedule to improve your running you will not only improve your sport and could even run a marathon in 3 months time !

Using the schedule you know exactly what to do and when.  More Details

More information

For details of the sports nutrition products mentioned – click here

(for special advice for cycling click here)

(for special advice for football click here)

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