17 March 2015

Sports Nutrition My Experiences

updated at http://ballantynesinspiredmusings.blogspot.com/2016/06/sports-nutrition-updated.html 


Sports Nutrition

My Experiences

Nothing has so enhanced my continuing performance as a hiker, trekker, mountain climber and cyclist as modern sports nutrition. The following are some of my opinions and experiences after almost 40 years of strenuous activity.

1. CytoMax sports Performance Mix – Tangy Orange https://estore.cytosport.com/product/cytomax-r
The single most important supplement I take during exercise. Hydrates the body better than water alone. Generally, I consume 1 scoop in 10-12 oz water every hour hydrating by the clock not my perceived need. Note ONLY the tangy orange flavor has the ‘Herbal Lift’ caffeine boost from guarana, which I believe is much preferred. Recently upgraded to stevia sweetener from, what I called, rat poison.
Note that D-ribose is recommended for chronic fatigue sufferers and others. My experience is Cytomax works better – usually the flavors without the guarana herbal lift. Cytomax, and a few other brands somewhat similar, are used for rehydration in neo-natal clinics and cases of acute dysentery/diarrhea.

2. Trace Minerals Research Electrolyte Stamina Tablets
I take 2 every hour while exercising. You MUST sustain your serum electrolytes during continuous exercise. Mineral depletion is the main reason, IMO, people conk over dead at races, probably potassium and magnesium deletion.

3. Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is probably the most prevalent problem of most athletes. I addition to the magnesium I get from Cytomax and the electrolyte stamina tablets I take 500 or 1000 mg. additional magnesium a day. Magnesium glycinate is the preferred form, as suggested by Teitelbaum. https://secure.endfatigue.com/store/products/publications/from-fatigued-to-fan/

4. Post exercise recovery nutrition
After 2 or more hours of exercise I am careful to take a carefully crafted post exercise protein/mineral/carb drink. The components are:
        A. Whey protein isolate – natural, stevia sweetener http://www.allstarhealth.com/de_p/26558/BODYSTRONG_100PERCENT_Whey_Protein_Isolate_Natural.htm
        B. 500 mg magnesium
        C. 500 mg. arginine/250 mg. ornithine [Jarrow brand]
        D. ½ scoop Cytomax or, preferably, Cytocarb, just the carbs of Cytomax http://www.cytomax.com/products/cytocarb/cytomax-cytocarb2/?tab=technical-details
With this post exercise drink I NEVER get muscle soreness or ravenous cravings to eat 1 and 2 days after a big hike or climb AND I recover enough to do a big exercise again the next day although I seldom do that.

5. Daily trace mineral supplement – smooths out heart and brain function
Trace Mineral Research Concentrace Trace Mineral drops -- http://www.traceminerals.com/products/liquid-tablet-minerals/concentrace-ionic-minerals  
Take only 10-15 drops a day, allow at least a month for it to begin working. By itself this removed a heart arrhythmia I had for 40+ years and, IMO, greatly contributes to my being depression free, along with niacin, noted below. I have run an unsupervised ‘clinical trial’ of about 20 people on Trace Mineral Concentrace and niacin and none have resorted to mood or mind altering medications.

6. Niacin – I take 500 mg./day every day. A known anti-depressant https://www.google.com/search?q=niacin+depression&oq=niacin+depression&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.5214j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8 also improves heart function and cholesterol. I have had people avoid certain cardiac procedures by taking niacin and Concentrace.

7. CoenzymeQ10 – increases the hemoglobin’s capacity to dissolve oxygen in the blood. I currently take 100 mg. of Jarrow’s Q-Sorb http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/jarrow-q-absorb_coq-10_100mg.htm   [equivalent to a larger dose of another brand/formula] per day. My performance noticeably drops off if I stop taking this. A few months after I first began taking CoQ10 I went to the Himalayas and was tested by a scientific expedition and I had the highest dissolved oxygen of anyone they tested including all the Sherpa [97% while walking at 13,000’, the Sherpa ran 95% and lower].

8. Vitamin C 100 mg. – Calcium ascorbate or Ester C. The only one I can currently recommend is http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/solgar-ester-c_plus_1000mg_vitamin_c.htm . I take 1000 mg. per day AND one 1000 mg. tab every 2 to 4 hours of a big climb or hike. I’m convinced the vitamin C assists sugar metabolism preventing muscle soreness, but I can’t prove it by the literature or any health “professionals” I’ve talked to, such as Olympic trainers.

9. MUSCLETECH Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/muscletech-hydroxycut_hardcore_elite.htm is a spectacular energy boost, mostly from caffeine. I sometimes take ½ a capsule 4 hours or more into a long climb or hike. This stuff has some INTERESTING ingredients, like coleus! Having a logy day? Take ½ cap [approx. = 1 espresso shot]



My current view is that minerals are more important than vitamins. I have a lot of other opinions and things I have tried. Email me. 

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