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Hi,
This Week: What's the difference between workout and daily hydration, why I got creatine all wrong, and some Hot Deals you will be interested in.
Workout VS. Daily Hydration
I'll start out with my normal statement that even the best fueling strategy won't help you if you are dehydrated. Nothing stops performance in its tracks more than being even 2% dehydrated - your performance could drop by as much as 10% to 20%.
The best hydration strategy is to focus on staying hydrated all the time, and this is where daily hydration comes in. By daily hydration, I don't mean drinking a liter bottle of Skratch Sport hydration with two scoops and 38g of sugar while you're at your desk at work.
While you want all the sugar when you are training, you definitely do not want it when you're just hydrating during normal activities. I have some good daily hydration options for you below.
During your workout, you have two decisions to make: Are you hydrating or fueling? I like to go with a bottle of each when riding, and that's what I'd also see most of the world tour riders on my team do. They would take a high electrolyte hydration in one bottle and then another that was a high carb bottle.
When you are running, it's a bit harder to have two bottles. If I bring a high carb bottle or run flask, then I take some Salt Stick Fast Chews for more electrolytes with me. A recent study showed you absorb 45% of the sodium in the fast chews in under 1 minute versus only 18% for drinks.
If I'm running and I bring a hydration bottle, then I'll use Gels and Chews for fueling.
Here are my hydration recommendations for you:
Daily Hydration
The most common format are effervescent tabs you drop in your water. I like this format as the flavor is light and has no or low sugar. The U.S. brands that have these like Nuun are really light on flavor; I like the European ones that I find have way more flavor:
In terms of more flavor and a powdered hydration:
Workout Hydration
Workout Drinks (More than 30g of carbs)
We have tons, and I'm on a European kick which I find have better, more subtle flavors, so here are my top 5 Workout Drinks I have in my pantry right now:
What I got wrong about Creatine
I used to never think creatine was something I needed. Turns out, I was completely wrong. If you're an endurance athlete and not taking creatine, you're leaving free performance (and recovery) gains on the table.
Creatine is certainly having its moment right now, and for good reason. I recommend every athlete take 3g of creatine daily. It's safe, relatively inexpensive, and effective. It's probably one of the most used supplements in the world.
The classic benefit is more snap in your legs during high-intensity efforts—whether that's a sprint finish, a hard surge, or a steep climb. But the REAL benefits I see are that creatine reduces muscle fatigue, helps me recover faster, and most importantly for me, supports cognitive function and mood. (Yes, I'm way less grumpy and irritable when I'm on the creatine train).
Normally I use the flavorless powders in a protein shake or sneak it into a hydration bottle, but lately I've also been using the creatine gummies more and more. When they come in sour green apple flavor, it's hard to resist the gummies.
Here is my deal of the day for you: you get 20% Feed Cash Back on all Creatine products today.
Some Hot Deals for you:
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Maurten Drink Mix is 40% off. I'm running a campaign while supplies last to get more athletes to use it in their training this month. We just got some more in, but this will be the last delivery at this price point, so don't wait long.
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New Feed Gear. The gear bags are really popular right now and the new hats with smaller logos are great. You earn 25% Feed Cash.
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SIS $1 Gels. It's back for a limited time. Your favorite Gel for only $1.
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Endurance Tap 30 servings: Save 50% on 100% pure maple syrup fueling.
Enjoy your week!
Matt
Founder
The Feed.
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