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Healthy Travel

Before

Be prepared and pack early.

Don’t Forget

  1. Your own medications, multivitamins, probiotics, Imodium and cold medicine
  2. Hand sanitizer and wipes
  3. Eye mask, ear plugs and travel pillow
  4. Face masks
  5. Foam roller
  6. Compression tights
  7. Plug adaptor
  8. Snacks
  9. Pack essentials that you will have trouble replacing if lost in your carryon – shoes, helmet and one set of kit

Sleep

  1. “Bank “some sleep hours. Get in some extra sleep 2-4 days prior to travel
  2. Slowly move your sleep schedule by 30 to 60 minutes a night in the week leading up to travel to adjust to your new time zone.

During Travel

Sleep

  1. When you’re on the plane, adjust your watch to the time of your destination and start sleeping and eating according to the new time zone right away.
  2. Use tools to improve sleep quality like an eye mask and ear plugs or headphones.

Hydration

The dry air that circulates in a plane cabin maintains a super-low humidity of about 15 to 20%, which causes your mucus membranes and skin to dry out. On a 10-hour flight, you can lose up to two litres of water, making long-distance air travel very dehydrating. To mitigate headaches and fatigue stay hydrated while traveling.

Drink 1 glass of water per hour of travel (do not limit fluid intake to prevent using the restroom). Avoid diuretics including caffeine or high sugar drinks while traveling.

Mobilization

When flying your risk for developing blood clots increases 2-4 times.

To prevent blood clots from forming in your legs you should:

  1. Wear compression stockings to promote blood flow
  2. Get up and walk at least every 2 hours
  3. Perform light exercises like ankle pumps, marches, knee kicks, and glute squeezes at least every half hour.

Hygiene

  1. Avoid touching surfaces
  2. Wipe down tray
  3. Regularly hand sanitise – particularly before meals
  4. Wear a mask

After Arrival

How to minimise jet lag:

  1. Adjust to the local sleep/wake patterns as soon as possible after arrival.
  2. A short sleep before noon may be OK if arriving in the early morning after an eastward flight. But try to avoid extra naps during the daytime! Prolonged daytime napping (more than 1 hour) in the new location should be avoided for a few days, as this may act to keep you with your old rhythms.
  3. Utilize melatonin supplements of 0.5 to 5 milligrams two hours before bedtime to aid in falling asleep.
  4. Utilize caffeine to help with daytime drowsiness
  5. Expose yourself to day light -. The sun’s light tells your body it’s time to be awake. If you can, get outside in the sunlight during prime daylight hours once you get to your location. This can help reset your body clock and reduce symptoms of jet lag.
  6. Finally, consider meal composition: protein-rich meals may help with alertness while carbohydrate-rich meals may help induce drowsiness

Time Shifter App

https://www.timeshifter.com/

This app helps to speed up our circadian clock’s adaptation to a new time zone therefore decreasing jet lag. It tells you what to do in relation to light exposure, melatonin supplementation and caffeine intake. It takes the guess work out.

You will need a supply of melatonin which in NZ requires a doctors prescription. The app starts giving advice a few days prior to your travel.

July 18, 2022ByIn,

Carbohydrate Intake

Why is Carbohydrate intake important?

Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy and the brain’s preferred energy source. Carbohydrates are broken down by the body into glucose – a type of sugar. Glucose is used as fuel by your body’s cells, tissues, and organs.

Your body only has enough energy stores to supply your muscles with glucose for around 1 – 1 ½ hrs of exercise, so it is important to keep your blood sugar concentration topped up.  Keeping blood glucose and muscle glycogen levels optimal will prevent muscle breakdown and maximum training adaptations.

When your body’s’ blood glucose levels are steady it leaves you feeling good both mentally and physically and reduces energy swings (that hangry feeling)

Just as importantly inadequate fueling before, during and after training can lead to significant longer term hormonal and health issues that will impact on your performance, health and ultimately longevity in the sport. Consistent under fueling WILL lead to LEA and if left unchecked to RED-S.  When this is the issue focusing on the longer term rather than short term gains is critical.

How much Carbohydrate does an athlete need?

Proper glycogen replenishment through diet and fueling is key for sustained performance and recovery.

Before

  • You should have a balanced meal of protein and carbohydrate 2-3 hours before training. Aim for
    • 1-4g carbohydrate per kg, at the low end on recovery days, at the high end on intense / long days.
  • If your meal is more than 2 hrs before training 30-45 mins prior have a balanced snack.

During

  • <45 mins: nothing required
  • 45-75 mins: 30 g/hr
  • 1-2.5 hrs: 30-60 g/hr
  • >2.5 hrs: 60-90 g/hr (multiple transportable carbohydrates)
  • For rides with efforts aim for 60-90g per hour.

When exercising your body redirects blood flow from your gut to your working muscles. This makes your gut hypoxic therefore digesting food becomes more difficult. For long rides you can use whole foods low in fat and fibre but for more intensive sessions or races choose carbohydrate products which quickly get absorbed ie chomps, gels, dextrose tablets, jellybeans, carbohydrate drink.

When trying to absorb more than 60g per hour you need to look for multiple transportable carbohydrate products, which are a mixture of glucose (or maltodextrin) and fructose. This makes use of a different pathway for absorbing the carbohydrate from the intestines into the blood.

The optimal glucose:fructose ratio depends on total carbohydrate intake.

  • Initially fuel with glucose up to 60 g/hr,
  • Add fructose on top of this to reach the target intake.

After

Within 30 mins aim for:

  • 1.0-1.5 g per kg carbohydrate
  • 30 g protein for women and 20g protein for men (insuring 2.5g leucine)

Every hour

After a training session is over women require 30g protein and 10g of carbs, and men 20g protein and 10g of carbs.

One hour later have another balance meal of 20g protein and 60g carbohydrate.

Immediate Post-Exercise:

  1. Carbohydrates:
    • Intake: 1-1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight within 30 minutes.
    • Examples: Sports drinks, fruit, energy bars.
  2. Protein:
    • Intake: 30 g protein for women and 20g protein for men (insuring 2.5g leucine) within 30 minutes.
    • Examples: Protein shakes, Greek yogurt, lean meat.

First Few Hours After Exercise:

  1. Continuous Carbohydrate Intake:
    • Intake: 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per hour.
    • Examples: Whole grains, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits.
  2. Balanced Meals:
    • Include a mix of carbs and protein.
    • Examples: Chicken with rice and vegetables, pasta with lean meat and a salad.

More Articles

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach-blog/your-athletes-need-more-carbs/

June 11, 2022ByIn, ,
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