Solution finder.

Do you need a solution for a specific sports challenge, Science in Sport has put together nutritional strategies for athletes crossing the globe on foot, on bike, rowing across the oceans, hiking across ice caps, running through the desert and climbing to the top of Everest. Check out the links below for ideas on how to get the most from your sport, or call one of our qualified sports scientists now.

Pick an event below:

Swimming

“I've used PSP22 since I was at school for training and racing. It's a great way to maintain quality throughout all my sessions and ensure I'm racing on full power. Orange or Blackcurrant flavour does it for me” Olympic Medallist - Stephen Parry

You can download our detailed nutrition for swimming leaflet PDF through this link. [^top]

Cycling

This is what I use for the Tour de France's 17 road stages - I have some PSP22 that I use a lot in training, but it's difficult to get your own bottles during the chaos of the race, so I make sure I have plenty of Go-Bars and Go-Gels. On average I get through about 3 Go-bars a day and 4 Go-Gels, that's a total of 51 bars and 68 gels... Quite alot! Once the stage is finished it's not over and you need to start planning for the next day. I use the Rapid as soon as I can after the finish I'll get 100g down, then plenty of food, then some Nocté before I get to sleep. Giving your body every opportunity to recover is critical, I'll get through about 25 Nocté sachets and three packs of Rapid.

David Millar, has three Tour de France stage wins to his name and also held the yellow jersey for three days.

You can download our detailed nutrition for cycling leaflet PDF through this link. [^top]

Endurance Cycling eg 10 hour mountain stages

Your optimum strategy probably depends on whether you have vehicle support during your ride. If you have someone to hand up more bottles then a strategy of PSP22 before hand and then GO electrolyte and GO-Gels during should do the job fine. If you are not supported then you could make your bottles up with GO to 5% and then top up to 12-15% with PSP22 neutral that way you can carry more energy per bottle and you still get some electrolyte. You can grab some water along the route and supplement energy with GO-Bars and GO-Gels. A strategy of drink + bars and gels is good as it enables you to modify your fluid and carbohydrate consumption according to the weather conditions. You could have everything there from struggling to drink enough to keep hydrated to snow - maybe even everything on the same day. Try to add up all your carbohydrate and aim for 60-80g each hour. Gels are a great energy boost before and on the climbs and it is great to reward yourself with a bar at the top of the climbs that you can digest on the way down.

Don't forget your Rego for afterwards and Nocte before you go to bed if you want to wake up with good legs for the next day.

Marathon Running


The conventional advice is that the pre event meal should be taken 3 hours before competing. It should be relatively light but high in carbohydrate and low in fat. PSP22 Energy and GO-Gels can be useful in this pre event meal to increase the carbohydrate content without increasing the bulkiness of the meal. Eating anything within an hour before an event has, in the past, been considered detrimental to performance due to the possible insulin response. There is also evidence however, that it may be beneficial to take a small amount of strong (25 to 30%) solution 5 to 10 minutes before competition. PSP22 Energy and GO-Gels are particularly useful for taking in high concentrations of energy since they are easily tolerated due to the unique carbohydrate structure. People vary in their response to pre-event feeding and as with any nutritional strategy it is worth experimenting with different combinations during training to work out what suits you best.

Recommendations for Long Training Runs and the Marathon

Many sportspeople prefer, and what we tend to recommend, is to continue sipping PSP22 Energy from the pre event meal right through the warm up and into the event. If it is very hot or humid a weaker carbohydrate/electrolyte solution is appropriate and in this case we would recommend Go.

Strategy used by a SiS Team Member for training and recent Marathon

  • High carbohydrate meal 2 hours prior to the run and remain hydrated during the day
  • Consume a Go-Gel 10 minutes before starting the run
  • Carry 500ml of Go at 6% solution and sip throughout the run. This should be enough to get you through 2:30 but not ideal, especially if it's hot, otherwise arrange for additional drinks to be handed up on route
  • Carry a minimum of 4 Go-Gels and take one at 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes, etc
  • Have a serving of Rego within 20 minutes of finishing the run followed by a light meal 1 hour later
  • Use Nocté prior to going to bed

Race Day Strategy

  • Light breakfast and continue to sip PSP22 at 10% solution until 15 minutes to the start
  • Consume a Go-Gel 5 minutes before the start
  • Sip water throughout and take a Go-Gel every 30 minutes as per training
  • Rego on finishing followed by a meal and some other in-appropriate beverages!!

If an Electrolyte drink is available at feed stations on the course in order to help maintain electrolyte balance and hydration status it is recommended that you use this regularly along with Go-Gels, especially if you expect to be running for more than 2 hours 30 minutes. [^top]

Triathlon

Nutrition advice and product usage for triathlon obviously varies depending on the distance of the event you are competing in.

The basic information of supplementing 60-70g carbohydrate per hour still remains and is what you should aim to be doing. This should be taken in as much fluid as necessary to remain hydrated and will obviously vary depending on weather conditions. It is definitely recommended to sip at regular intervals rather than take large doses.

As with all endurance events it is important to ensure you are well carbohydrate loaded and hydrated in the days preceding the event.

A couple of strong points that need emphasizing are to practice in training what you intend to do on race day, and don't over eat/drink on the bike. [^top]

Sprint Distance Events

Sip a 6-8% solution of either PSP22 or Go throughout your warm up and race preparation. If it is particularly hot then use Go rather than PSP22. Take a Go Gel 5 minutes before the start of the race. During the bike leg carry a bottle of Go or PSP22 at 6-8% and aim to drink about 200ml. This should ideally provide enough energy to see you through the 5Km run, in case of emergencies it is always worth having a Go Gel next to your running shoes that you can take onto the run course. Always ensure you remain hydrated throughout the event and drink on the run if necessary.

Olympic Distance Events

Again Sip a 6-8% solution of either PSP22 or Go throughout your warm up and race preparation. If it is particularly hot then use Go rather than PSP22. Take a Go Gel 5 minutes before the start of the race. During the bike leg carry a bottle of Go or PSP22 at 6-8% and aim to drink around 500ml. Take a Go Gel within the last 5Km of the bike to set yourself up for a fast transition and the run. Have a Go Gel next to your running shoes in transition and take it with you to consume at half distance. Always ensure you remain hydrated throughout the event and drink on the run if necessary.

Half and Full Ironman Distance

Pre Swim - good breakfast if you can eat, Go Bar, Banana, PSP22 and keep drinking little amounts up to 20 min's to go. Take a Go Gel 5 minutes before the start of the race. In swim transition (particularly in Ironman events) it is always useful to have a Go Gel that you can take whilst getting changed, and maybe a drink of Go that you can have a few mouthfuls of whilst running to the bike then leave it in transition.

Bike - have 2 solutions of energy drink on your bike, probably best to have a combination of PSP22 Original and Go. You need to take electrolytes on board because of the duration of the event. A bottle mixed with PSP22 Original at 10% and Go at 6% will provide 580Kcal in a litre, 2 bottles of this mix on the bike gives you well over 1000Kcal. Take GO Gels with you and take extra water on board from feed stations. Each Go Gel provides 88Kcal. People have a tendency to take too much on board on the bike and suffer on the run, it's a fine balance getting it right. Practice in training what you intend to do on race day. Eating a Go Bar during the bike section is also another good way of taking extra calories on board.

On the Run - Go-Gels and water are the way to go along with regular sips of an electrolyte drink. Take or make provision to have enough Go-Gels to consume one every 30-40 minutes. Also see recommendations for marathon running. [^top]

Surfing

errantsurf"During our intensive coaching weekends we have had a great response from our surfers using REGO to recover after sessions, there's a noticeable difference"

Chris Thompson, professional longboarder and pro-surf coach at www.errantsurf.com

Try a 100g serving of Rego Recovery after your sessions, chocolate or vanilla are great warm from the flask during those cold winter sessions, or try a cool strawberry or banana during the warm summer months or in warmer climes.

Competitive surfers have also had great success using GO-Gels just before heats as they are ideally suited to 20-30 minute power packed heats.

Travelling surfers try keeping a few Go bars in the van, ideal for a quick snack before those early dawn sessions, or a quick snack afterwards. [^top]

Basketball

Here's some tips from Simon Lawson - one of the company directors and avid basketball player. "Use Go electrolyte for matches and practice the big 1 litre bottles are great, go for a 6-8% solution and you'll find it goes down great. I find I can drink a lot more compared to just water, so it keeps me better hydrated and keeps my energy levels topped up too. After the game I'm straight onto the Rego Recovery, I just love the Vanilla, I use between 50-100g depending how soon I'm going to be eating afterwards. If you're going to the court straight from work, try a Go bar as an ideal snack about an hour before your warm up and make sure your not starting off dehydrated - most offices are dryer than the Sahara." [^top]

Track Running

From Mike East, Britain's best 1500m runner, Olympic Finalist 2004.

I use Go Electrolytes in two different strengths. The hours before racing or training I use a 5% solution purely for making sure I am hydrated. One I have race/trained I will use a 10% solution and find that this works perfectly for me. After hard track sessions and races I will use Rego Recovery. Rego is essential for me at championships as getting the right nutrition straight away is difficult. Rego provides everything needed in an instant. Any extended delay in replacing fuel can hinder your performance in the next round. I also use Rego after all gym sessions to aid recovery/muscle repair.

The bars I find are a life saver. I always carry one or two in my bag and a load in the car. I find these are invaluable as they can be used an hour or so before a race or training session. The great thing about SIS is the fact that all of the products are easy on the stomach and palatable. [^top]

Adventure Races

I use SiS Go Gels for 500km Adventure Race team events lasting up to eight days/nights and for shorter competitions like LAMM, KIMM, Ace Races and High Peaks Marathon.

Over the years I have tried many different energy and sports nutrition products and find SiS Go Gels by far the best in terms of ease of use on the move and immediate results.

Ranulph Fiennes

The 2003 solo North Pole expedition by Ben Saunders took 14 days to complete as he skied from a temporary Russian airstrip to the Pole and back, a total journey of 240+Km. Everyday during this epic adventure Ben munched his way through 6 Go Bars and drank 3 litres of PSP22 High Energy Sports Fuel. He also consumed a serving of Build and Nocte each evening. The use of high energy products from Science in Sport was vital in helping Ben achieve his daily calorific intake of 5464Kcal. [^top]

Weight Loss

We do not make any products specifically for weight loss but we do have many products that help improve the quality of exercise whilst maintaining a calorie deficit. Remember the only real way to loose weight is to consume less calories than you expend. If you are on a low calorie diet which is low in carbohydrate (e.g. boiled egg whites and fruit for breakfast) you should find taking GO electrolyte during exercise helps you do a decent exercise session. If you start to feel your energy getting too low then a GO-Gel can be really useful to give yourself an energy boost and get through the session. REGO post exercise will help you recover from exercise and give you more energy for the next exercise session. By making your REGO up prior to exercise and leaving in the fridge for when you return, you will have sorted out your post exercise nutrition so you should be less likely to be distracted by other food that’s less beneficial to your weight management program.

You may also find CLA supplements useful, whilst the evidence for this tends to show a change in body composition (more lean muscle mass, less fat) we have had many reports of its benefit for your purpose when used as part of an exercise program. [^top]

All Science in Sport products are manufactured in-house and are drug-free.

Marathon des Sables

Probably the most important product is REGO. REGO has been developed to aid recovery, and many have experienced brilliant results, including the decrease or even loss of discomfort experienced the day after training sessions. It has become part of many athletes’ post exercise regime and this would work well for recovery after each stage of the marathon. 100g of REGO recovery or Rapid, as soon as you have finished the day’s run will help get you in shape for the next day.

“The Rego has had a massive impact on my recovery, and I can't tell you how surprised I was! The previous calf muscle discomfort I always experienced after training runs is now a thing of the past, and I am an ardent promoter of this post exercise regimen.” AM - Marathon Des Sables Runner

Also use Nocté before you finally retire at night. Nocté has also been developed for recovery, specifically overnight. See www.sleepstrong.com for more information regarding Nocté.

During the day, a combination of GO electrolyte with some PSP22 original could be useful. Go contains electrolytes which are important when fluid consumption is high. I understand that they give salt tablets out on the route with the water so you could make a stronger PSP22 solution to provide energy and take water and electrolyte from the feed stations. I would also carry some GO gels just in case you need an energy boost to get you to the finish.

The dilution of the PSP22 and the palatability over the 7 days along with taste is a really personal thing. Taste changes, but it depends if you are treating it as a culinary experience or a physical challenge. You could actually go either way, either use the products weaker, or use the energy drinks stronger and use water as well. There has been feedback that no matter how much you like the flavours of energy drink cold they can get a bit much when they are warm and you are trying to race in very hot environments. Plain water can however be refreshing even when it is a little warm. In these kinds of situations people often go for gels (or concentrated energy drink) so they take the energy in one hit and then the water for refreshment. This way they can also pour some of the water over their head/legs for additional cooling; energy drink never really works so well for this purpose.

GO versus Flavoured Salt Tablets: Taking your own flavoured salt tablets instead of GO does save weight but then you would be taking the carbohydrates through food and gels as salt tablets don't provide you with any energy, so if you want the same carbohydrate energy it will not save any weight at all. Taking PSP22 and/or GO, most of the weight you will be carrying is the carbohydrate energy and you are carrying it in its most efficient form. If you take flavoured salt tablets most of what you will be carrying will be salt (that they give you on the way if you want it) and flavour for the water plus regular food that has more moisture, fibre, etc, so more weight for what you actually need. Flavoured salt tablets are a handy way of adding electrolytes and a little flavour and I am sure they have their use, but I can't really see the point. The most efficient way of adding electrolytes and flavour separately is a very small sachet. That way you get what you need and nothing else. We have done little electrolyte sachets in the past and a few companies do this commercially, it means you can add electrolyte to a can of coke or other regular drinks if that is what you want or what you can get hold of. [^top]

Football

Typical strategies used by Premier League Football teams…

Pre Match Feeding and Warm Up

The conventional advice is that the pre event meal should be taken 2-3 hours before the match. It should be relatively light but high in carbohydrate and low in fat. PSP22 Energy and GO-Gels can be useful in the pre match meal to increase the carbohydrate content without increasing the bulkiness of the meal.

Once the players start their warm up, which typically commences 45-50 min's before kick off, I would recommend that the players sip small but regular amounts of a low percentage solution of GO Electrolyte. After the warm up and prior to leaving the dressing room for kick off I would encourage the players to take on board extra carbohydrate and around 200 300ml of fluid. I would personally use a GO-Gel and water to satisfy these needs or alternatively use a 12-15% solution of PSP22. Obviously each player will have their own preference; some may drink up to 500ml whilst others may only want to take 150ml on board. For those players who do not want to take much fluid on board then each GO-Gel will provide 22g of carbohydrate in a 60ml isotonic formula. Note: If every player of the eleven due to start the game took a GO-Gel and some fluid then at least you will know they have taken some carbohydrate on board after the warm up.

During the Match and Half Time

During the match the critical factors will obviously be hydration and energy supply. Players should be encouraged to sip small amounts of an easily digested, light on the stomach energy drink which will help the players to remain hydrated and provide energy - GO would be ideal for this. The limiting factors will obviously be getting product to players during a game which may have very few natural breaks. GO-GEL is an ideal way for players to take on board extra energy in an isotonic format and can be easily thrown to players on the pitch.

Half time provides a natural break which allows you to make sure the players take on board both fluid and energy in a similar way to after the warm up. The amount of carbohydrate and fluid consumed depends on the player and the type of match. The aim would be to make sure every player starts the second half hydrated and refueled. I would personally use GO-Gels and GO. During the second half hydration and energy supply will be more important. All things being equal, the team with more carbohydrate energy in a hydrated state will finish stronger.

Note - To help maximize recovery at half time I would consider using the following strategy. Take a GO-Gel as they are leaving the pitch on the way to the dressing room, take fluid, preferably in the form of an energy drink whilst in the dressing room, then take another GO-Gel on the way out for the second half.

Full Time and Recovery

It is important to start the recovery process as soon after the match as possible, especially with many matches being played only 2 or 3 days apart these days. I would recommend a serving of either Rego Total Recovery or Rego Rapid be ready for each player in the dressing room so they can drink it whilst changing. Rego will help to re-fuel muscle electrolyte as well as provide carbohydrate and protein in a readily digestible form. Players should be encouraged to drink enough fluid to ensure they re-hydrate fully. A good evening meal should follow 1 to 2 hours later depending on the player's preference as to when they like to eat. However, this may be difficult to achieve following evening matches in which case the REGO becomes even more important. I would recommend Nocté most evenings as this will provide a good source of slow release protein to help recovery, along with ingredients aimed at improving the quality of sleep and optimizing recovery from hard exercise. [^top]

Diabetics

Many diabetics use the SiS range of products very effectively. In fact products like PSP22 can be used to maintain your blood sugar levels as you exercise rather than just eating more carbohydrate before exercise and running into problems if you decide to stop. Use GO when hydration is more of a problem and take some GO-Gels for an energy boost if you mis-calculate and need to raise your blood glucose levels in a hurry.

The last time we checked with the British Diabetic Association they said that they were trying to discourage "suitable for diabetics" wording. Their stance was that all foods that are suitable for "normal" individuals are suitable for diabetics, as long as they take account of the carbohydrate content and build it into a nutritional strategy.

That said, most good recovery drinks are designed to encourage an insulin response in order to push the carbohydrate into the muscle and encourage protein synthesis. Depending on the degree and type of diabetes this aspect of a recovery drink may not be as effective as it is in non diabetics. Some diabetics may have to use medication in order to get the full benefit of their recovery drink. Some recovery drinks contain the anti oxidant enzyme alphalipoic acid (ALA), for its antioxidant activity and to increase insulin sensitivity. ALA is often used alongside traditional drugs in some countries and could possibly be a useful addition to a diabetics supplement armoury.

There is quite a useful website for exercising diabetics that we often refer people to, www.runsweet.com

Probably the most important thing is to experiment to find out what works best with the cooperation of a sympathetic medical practitioner. [^top]

Rugby LeagueMike_Bennett

“Being able to perform on the day is all down to preparation and focus, and that includes what we put into our bodies. Using SiS’ products mean we are fully ready when matchday comes and make sure we can train at the highest possible standard.”

Saints’ forward Mike Bennett

Mike’s SiS Training Diary:

Breakfast – Build (Chocolate)
Gym Session/Weights – Go Electrolytes then Vanilla or Chocolate Rego.
Lunch – Go Electrolytes
Skills & Conditioning - Go Electrolytes and then Rego Rapid.
Snack – Fruit and then Build (Chocolate).
Evening Meal.
Nocte – 20 minutes before bed.
Go Bars – as and when.

Mike’s SiS Matchday Diary:

Breakfast – Build (Chocolate) plus Go Electrolytes with some water.
Pre Match Meal + Go Gel around one-and-a-half hours before kick off.
After Warm Up – Smart 1 Gel.
Half Time – Smart 1 Gel as well as Go Electrolytes.
Post Match – Rego
Post Game Meal
Lots of Water.

Alpine Sports

“I've been using it up in the hills and can honestly say that I now only take a couple of GO-Bars, some GO hydration drink and the GO-Gel with me on a big day or multi day trip into the mountains. The gel is amazing for big days out and really gets you through when things are getting a bit tough, I don't think I've ever felt so strong coming down off big routes before so nice one, thanks. mcnab

Cheers,

Neil McNab.” www.McNabSnowsports.com

McNab snowboarding, Britain's number 1 freeride, freestyle and Backcountry snowboard training facility recommend SiS products for everyday riding.

“I like to take up to a couple of litres of GO electrolyte in my pack, its amazing how much fluid you can loose at altitude especially with a lot of gear on. A couple of GO-Bars a day are great too, one for a snack, one for on your way back to the chalet if it's a ride. Then a couple of GO-Gels for emergency pick ups if you're all out of drink. As soon as you're back in the chalet a serving of REGO to get that recovery started for the next day, then a Nocté just before bed to make sure you give yourself every chance for a full next day. If it's been a big night a couple of HEDSTARTs might be required.” says Simon Lawson “For a Week I typically pack a 500g pack of GO and a 500g pack of REGO plus I throw in a couple of Sachets of each in different Flavours, 6 GO-Gels, and about 20 GO-Bars. Then for me 5 Nocté sachets usually covers it plus a couple of Hedstarts in case things get carried away.”

Ski Energy Pack and Back country pack

Check out the special packs on the webshop. [^top]

All Science in Sport products are manufactured in-house and are drug-free.