Is Sports Nutrition All It's Cracked Up to Be?

Multi-Sport

August 29, 2024

If you're tired of sports drinks, gels, or chews, it's worth keeping in mind that there are alternatives to many sports nutrition products - and a lot of them are entirely natural.

One of the most common questions I get asked, writes Renee McGregor, is around sports nutrition – "Is it necessary?" My answer usually is…. ”it depends!”

Sports nutrition was formulated in response to advances in sports science. As we became more and more aware of how our bodies utilized fuel during exercise and what the limiting factors were, sports brands started considering how they could support individuals participating in training and performance and diversify their income. One case in point is Lucozade. How many of you in the UK remember the original golden-colored liquid that was promoted as the original energy drink, used by athletes, but equally often seen on bedside cabinets in hospital environments as a way of encouraging the unwell to replace some lost energy?

Then came their sport-specific drink, which still boasted the benefits of providing energy for those participating in sport, but now with added electrolytes and branded as isotonic, which encourages absorption and rehydration.

Over the years, sports nutrition has continued to evolve, moving from drinks to gels, to chews, to bars; playing around in composition, always trying to provide that extra edge to your performance. With ultra-distance sports taking center stage a lot more, product formulations have altered to be specific for these needs. However, while there is ample choice, the cost of all this nutrition can sometimes be difficult to swallow, so I absolutely appreciate why so many people ask me if it really is all it is cracked up to be.

The Role of Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition does have its place in respect to creating and delivering an ideal mix of nutrients, hydration, and electrolytes to active bodies. It is important to remember that our body’s preferred currency for energy is glucose and present guidance recommends 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour during endurance exercise up to 3 hours and, 60-90g of carbohydrate per hour for over 3 hours.

In certain types of training and environments, it can be very difficult to consume anything other than fuel that is easily digestible. Some examples include when you are working at a high intensity, or when you are training at altitude, and especially going up an incline – trying to consume fuel that needs chewing and swallowing can be challenging. Thus, in these situations, relying on sports nutrition such as drinks or gels ensures that you do not get depleted too quickly.

Similarly, in ultra-distance events, you may have to pay a little more attention to sodium intake, especially if you are someone who has high losses. As a rule of thumb, we tend to recommend around 700-900mg of sodium per liter of fluid consumed. However, some people may need a lot more and others a lot less. Using electrolytes, either dissolvable tabs or chewable options, or choosing carbohydrate mixes with higher sodium intakes again makes it easier for you to hit your requirements.

Then there are other training environments, where real food options are preferable both from a taste and acceptance point of view, but also because they are often budget-friendly. In general, this is more acceptable when you are training at a more moderate intensity, or where there will be walking breaks, or in ultra-distance events when you are out for long periods of time and your body will start to demand solid food.

Photo by: Real Sports Photos / Shutterstock

Alternatives to Sports Nutrition Products

If we take a look at the average gel, it is usually in the region of 20-30g of carbohydrate, depending on the brand. The equivalent would be:

A medium-sized banana – although not the easiest to transport but useful for training.
5-6 regular-sized jelly babies
2 x 16g packets of chewy sweets (think: Haribo Starmix)
2 small boxes of raisins
4 pitted dates

However, before you become overzealous with the dried fruit do remember that, over-consuming fructose can contribute to higher rates of gastrointestinal distress, especially during runs.

DID YOU READ? Why You Should Avoid Fasted Training

When it comes to ready-prepared sports drinks, such as Lucozade and Gatorade, these provide 30g of carbohydrate per 500ml and 20-30mmol sodium. A simple alternative is to dilute 300ml orange juice with 300ml water and add ¼ tsp. salt gives you exactly the same.

DIY Recovery

One area where you rarely need to use a specific targeted sports nutrition product is in recovery. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that cow’s milk or flavored cow’s milk is an excellent recovery choice. In fact, most of the recovery drink options on the market are based on milk and its nutritional profile as it provides the exact mix of carbohydrate, protein, electrolytes, and hydration for optimal recovery.

However, it is important to point out that some of the plant-based drinks are not quite as nutrient dense so don’t always deliver. Those of you who are plant based may have to be more mindful. For example, having a carton of chocolate soya milk with a banana will ensure that any discrepancies in nutrition are met.

Going One Step Further

For those who feel they want to go one step further, there is also the option to create your own pre- and recovery fuel.

Good options for pre- fuel include flapjacks, banana bread or fruit-juice based smoothie.

As we have already discussed milk and flavored milk are great convenient and nutritious recovery options, but you could also make your own recovery smoothies – try blending frozen fruit, milk, and Greek yogurt with a squeeze of honey for a quick and easy recipe.

Or for those colder days, how about a recovery hot chocolate – try using milk fortified with skimmed milk powder to enhance the protein content.

Final Word

While it is clear that sports nutrition definitely has its place in certain situations and environments, we can also see that not all your performance nutrition requirements need to be met this way. There are plenty of DIY options that are more wallet friendly and in many cases taste a lot better.

Written by

Renee McGregor

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