Energy and Recovery Drinks

There are loads of energy products on the market to choose from, but for the last couple of years we have been fuelling our training mainly by using the following.

High 5 - We use the powder and buy it in 2.2 kg tubs. We use a caffeinated and non-caffeinated powder mix depending on what time of day we are training. The powder is a mix of carbohydrates and electrolytes which help hydrate you during exercise. It comes in various flavours although, we like the citrus one.

Tailwind - We first bought this in California ahead of a race as the local shops no longer stock PowerBar hydration. It is marketed as all you need to take all day long which means you don't need to eat any food or take anything else alongside it. Lots of endurance runners seem to use this and like it alot. Adrian used this when training for an ultra marathon but personally, I find it tastes a bit too salty for me.

Powerbar - Gels and bars. We might carry a gel or two if we are going on a long run but we don't really take gels unless we are racing. Powerbar Apple Flavour Caffeinated gels are generally what we use but sparingly. We use Powerbar bars for our long cycle rides. They are a bit dense but they have a good amount of carbs and cals in them and you can chop them into sections and take them on board every so many minutes knowing you are getting enough fuel in. Admittedly, after training with these bars for a couple of years I am lacking in enthusiasm now for them but they are good. Coconut is my favourite.

USN Protein Recovery Powder - After a hard session we tend to have a protein recovery shake. We use USN, as it is full of all the nutrients we need and it tastes okay. You can mix it with milk or water. Chocolate or Strawberry is Adrian's go to drink.

How much water should you drink?

Our body is made up of about 60% water and although we can’t claim water is the elixir of life, drinking plenty of it is certainly a pathway to good health and well-being.

A few reasons why water is so good for you

Water helps you maintain a balance of body fluids which are important for you to function including transporting nutrients to all our cells especially the muscles, postponing muscle fatigue.

Water aids digestion, helps regulate our body temperature and is good for our skin.

Water helps us lubricate our joints and maintain their shock absorbing ability.

Water helps with weight loss. It is 100% calorie free, boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories as well as suppress appetite if you consume before meals.

However, you can’t just simply drink water to lose weight, you need to eat healthy and burn fat by exercising.

All these good reasons for drinking water but many of our us forget to drink enough every day.

So how much water should I be drinking?

You should aim to drink 2 Litres of water a day. That is the equivalent to roughly 4 pints of water or 4 water bottles (note varies a bit depending on your own water bottle but usually around 500ml each)

Your tea and coffee intake does count towards this but I would not count it since it is likely to be caffeinated and have a dehydrating effect on the body.

Smoothies and fruit juice count towards your water intake but because they contain free sugars you should limit to one very small glass a day (150ml, milk counts as well as some of the food you eat such as melon, cucumber and soup but I would still target 2 litres of pure water.

How to get this into your daily routine?

If you are not a big drinker or lover of water you may need to make a conscious effort to get this into your daily routine.

Try starting the day with a large glass of water rather than a coffee or a cup of tea. If you can’t manage that then substitute your second cup of the day for water.

Take a refillable water bottle to work, keep it visible, sit it on your desk. Make sure you finish it all before lunch, refill it and drink a second bottle before you go home.

Have a glass before dinner, particularly if you are trying to eat less as it will fill you up as well as keep you hydrated.

Drink water before, during and after exercise. (You should try and calculate how much fluid replacement you need after exercise. There are various ways to do this depending on the intensity of your exercise, some methods include weighing yourself before and after exercise.)

The best news of all. Water from the tap is free. So no excuses, get those refillable bottles out and start properly hydrating today!

Healthy eating on a budget

Eating healthily does not mean you need to buy more expensive foods. It is cheaper and healthier to cook from scratch than buy ready meals and there are plenty nutritious and delicious foods available that don’t cost the earth.

Here are just a few of our tips for you

1. Buy frozen fruit and veg– all the nutrients and flavour are not lost in the frozen process and cooking frozen veg is quick and easy. Frozen veg like broccoli and green beans steams well and using frozen veg and fruit avoids waste particularly in the hotter weather when “going off” can become an issue. Keep bags of frozen mango, berries and pineapple and you will always have ingredients for homemade smoothies.

2. Buy eggs – they are cheap and good for you. Rich in protein and filling. Omelettes with vegetables thrown in, poached, scrambled, hard or soft boiled they are the most versatile staple and you can have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

3. Try wholemeal rice and pasta – it has more protein and fibre than white varieties and it keeps you feeling fuller for longer. It costs the same as white pasta.

4. Try brands you are not familiar with. We are often blinded by brand names which tend to cost more than own label.

"The reality is that many brands white label and produce for lesser known ones. Also, quality and taste is not always associated with a higher price. Orange juice is a casing point. Tropicana fresh orange juice is almost double the price per litre than any unbranded fresh orange and the taste is not noticeably different."

5. Plan your meals – a really simple thing, but forward planning what you are going to eat is not only key to consistently eating well, but helps you budget.

6. Cook dinner and keep leftovers for lunch – intentionally cook a bit more, box it and have it for lunch the next day.

7. Vary your diet to avoid getting bored. Get some inspiration for free from the British Heart Foundation which has a brilliant online recipe finder where you can filter your search by dietary requirements and cuisine. See here www.bhf.org.uk

8. Choose your supermarket carefully as the prices can vary considerably. I mostly shop at Aldi and top up at Asda or Tesco for one or two brands that I prefer and can’t get there. The quality and variety of its fresh produce is good and the prices are unbeatable.