The London Marathon took place earlier this year. In the run up to these popular sporting events, elite athletes from around the world boost their diets with sports nutrition ingredients and fine tune their training sessions in preparation. Meanwhile, amateur athletes clock as many road miles as possible. And elsewhere, novices and charity fund-raisers do their part to enlist support from colleagues, friends and loved ones.
Whether you’re a keen marathon runner, the odd parkrun is more your thing, or even if you’re just starting your Couch to 5K programme, the correct nutrients in your diet can play a part. In this blog we explore three key Cornelius sports nutrition ingredients that are designed to help boost energy levels, satiety and recovery in sports nutrition products. But first things first…
Why run?
More and more people are incorporating running into their weekly exercise regimes, especially now the sun is starting to make a more regular appearance. The increasingly popular sport not only enables us to take in the fresh air but is free and offers a huge amount of benefits for the body.
It has been proven that regular exercise quite literally adds years to your life, as well as aiding the ageing process by reducing the signs of mental decline, attention span and memory.
And let us let you in on a little secret. The ‘runner’s high’ is a phenomenon that actually exists, according to a study in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal. The American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) monthly publication stated that as little as 30 minutes of walking could instantly lift someone’s mood. This is mainly thanks to the feel-good chemicals, endorphins and endocannabinoid, which the body produces when exercising.
Get a spring in your step
So, running can make you feel great! However, a healthy exercise regime goes hand in hand with a balanced, nutritious diet. And with this in mind, the Cornelius care team source, develop and deliver innovative ingredients and additives for use in sports nutrition products.
Direct from the experts, here are the team’s top three sports nutrition ingredients that work hard within your supplements to help you go the extra mile.
Mitoactive and Mitobeauty
Asiros MitoActive, a liquid health supplement containing Ribetril A, is a sure thing when it comes to improving sports performance. Based on ultra-concentrated Danish ‘superberries’, MitoActive is filled with polyphenols along with added magnesium to create a sustained effect.
MitoActive offers a much-needed energy boost from just one daily shot, which is taken on its own or mixed with water or smoothie juice as an easy way of injecting extra energy into your day. The best part is, it’s completely natural!
In addition to the ready-to-drink shot, and perfect for when you return from your run all red-faced, Danish company Asiros, has also introduced a face cream, MitoBeauty, to ensure your skin feels as energised as your body does
Protein Bipro
Recovery is essential when exercising and the muscle-recovery capabilities of protein help to support the process. High protein meals and snacks are currently in favour as a good way to suppress hunger, boost energy levels and manage weight.
A great source of protein, Bipro, the purest whey protein isolate on the market at 97 per cent on a dry basis, is manufactured by Agropur, leading experts in dairy products and proteins. Adding Bipro to smoothies and foods is an easy way to increase protein levels to help kick start a summer body and to help build lean muscle mass. In addition to Bipro, a range of proteins, including pea, rice and hemp proteins are ideal for adding to post-activity protein shakes.
Carnipure L-Carnitine
Lonza’s Carnipure, another recovery aid, is the highest form of L-Carnitine on the market. It works by reducing the hypoxic effects created during exercise by increasing blood flow, which decreases muscle soreness and improves recovery time.
The time to run is now!
Work long hours? Not a member of a gym? Whatever your time constraints, there’s always time for a short run. With significant improvements to mental health and mood, weight control and the possibility of living longer, running is an obvious choice. But it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
So, what are you waiting for. Get your trainers laced up and off you go. Okay, go on, we’ll let you put your feet up one more time while you watch this year’s London marathon.