Successfully competing in endurance sports such as triathlon – which is mostly completed in hot environments requires close attention to adequately fuelling and refuelling your body with appropriate fluids and foods consistently.

Fluids: Stay Adequately Hydrated

As an endurance athlete, especially a triathlete who trains and competes in hot and humid weather conditions, your biggest potential problem is the constant risk of dehydration. This risk becomes greater the longer you train or compete and/or when you train more than once a day – which for most triathletes is commonplace.

Some points to consider:
• If you lose too much fluid in sweat without replacing what’s been lost (in both fluids and electrolytes like sodium and potassium), you risk becoming dehydrated, plain and simple. Research has shown that even partial dehydration (2% loss of body weight) can decrease performance significantly (e.g. By 2% even at this marginal rate of dehydration).

• The best way of battling this fluid loss is by using a “sports drink” (e.g. Gatorade) which will help by replacing both fluid and electrolytes. “Energy drinks” on the other hand (e.g. Red Bull) have the potential to do more harm than good.

• When you consider (even at an age-group level) that the difference between top finishers is often less than a minute, you can’t afford to lose time due to dehydration.

There’s a right and wrong way to hydrate:

You can “over-hydrate” so have a hydration plan in place before training and competing.

• Remain hydrated throughout the day, be sure to turn up to training/competitions well hydrated. If you start even partially dehydrated you’re already behind the 8 ball. Make sure you’re urinating clearly throughout the day BEFORE you start training/competing. To achieve this start the day by grabbing a sports drink, then using water bubblers, drinking fountains, office coolers, and other beverages/dispensers regularly throughout the day.

• Hydrate 2 to 3 hours before training and competitions. Aim for 2 cups (500ml) of fluid at this time and an additional 250ml 10 to 20 minutes before you start training/competing.

• Drink to replace sweat; don’t over-drink. In-experienced triathletes, particularly those who are a little slower in competition can have a tendency to drink too much and run the risk over-hydrating, which can lead to “hyponatremia” – particularly if they are drinking low sodium beverages like water or flat Coke. The easiest way to offset the chance of suffering from hyponatremia is by knowing how much fluid your body requires (see sweat rate chart below).

Knowing your sweat rate is pretty simple. To determine your fluid requirements simply monitor your sweat rates. These can vary for each person and for the same person depending on weather, exercise intensity of exercise, acclimatization status, etc.

So be sure to measure:

How much weight you lose during exercise (in mg) + How much fluid you consume during exercise (in ml) = The amount they SHOULD drink to replace sweat losses

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As a trainer and coach, I have found some excellent and nutritious snacks that work to fuel your body and provide you with stamina and energy to get through the day:

Greek yogurt and fruit

Berries

Nuts

Avocado on wholemeal toast

Sushi

I hope these foods give you some great ideas to add variety to your diet and keep you from eating those unhealthy snacks!

Rod Cedaro

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Wear reflective clothing when running at night

32. Protect your skin. You don’t want to look weather beaten and 50 when your 30! The sun, wind, heat and cold can all damage to your skin. Make sure you protect it. Use products like sunscreen, chapstick and moisturizers to take care of it.

33. Lower back pain is preventable. To prevent lower-back pain, take time to stretch on a daily basis particularly through your lumbar and hamstring region. If the pain is especially acute, stretch, ice the area for 10 minutes, and stretch again.

Lower back stretch

34. To treat windburn try using a one-percent hydrocortisone cream. You can find this at most chemists and it will calm the irritation and burning.

35. Eat the “rainbow” – the more colour in your diet the better. Antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E are most common in fruit and vegetables they are said to offset the effect of free radicals which speed the aging process. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants will help keep you looking and feeling younger for longer.

Eat a colourful diet rich in fruit & veggies

36. Training and racing in polluted areas can increase your exposure to free radicals. The free radicals that you need to worry about are the ones that infiltrate your body via environmental pollutants, such as ozone and cigarette smoke. If you’re forced to train in polluted areas (e.g. Travelling on business) try to get out early in the morning before the morning peak hour when there are less cars, trucks, etc. on the road.

Run early in built up areas

37. Free radicals are central to the process of training adaptation known as the “training effect.”Free radicals produced after a hard training session provide a signal to muscle cells that it is time to make adaptive changes to exercise.

38. Learn to be objective with your training. There’s a fine line between training hard and “over-training”. Try not to cross it! To avoid injury, draw the line between hard workouts and overtraining.

Foam rolling is great for hip flexors

39. For running your hip flexors, in particular your psoas is very important, strengthen it and keep it flexible. Your psoas basically connects your legs to your body. It runs from the base of your thigh bone to your lumbar spine. If it is weak or tightens up your running suffers. Work on it with appropriate stretches and strengthening exercises.

40. You can’t train a tired body! Look for the signs and symptoms of over-training. Take yourself to the edge but don’t go over it.

For more of Rod Cedaro’s tips, see part 5

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Launching into a heavy run training program can tear your legs apart if you aren’t adequately prepared. I’ve prepared 52 top tips to help you make running a lot easier on your body.

1. The impact of running can be lessened by having strong joints You can lessen the impact of running if you have strong joints. How do you develop strong joints? By slowly and progressively building up to your running. Start with progressively longer walks of you have to until your body adapts.

2. To prevent running injuries increase strength and stability The three most common joint areas that are injured by running are the hips, knees and ankles. Improve your strength, flexibility and stability through these regions and you’ll lower the incidence of injury.

3. When you start a running program it is common to be sore through your calf muscles. You can lessen this discomfort by warming up, cooling down and stretching thoroughly through the lower leg region.

4. Where possible, don’t pierce blisters, allow them to heal of their own accord. If they are really painful, dip a needle in some form of an antiseptic fluid, pierce the blister, drain it and then cover the area with a band-aid or something similar. Blisters are caused by friction between the shoe and skin which creates “hot spots” and areas that rub. Identify these areas early and cover them with some vasolene. Good quality, purpose made running socks can also be helpful.

5. Use moisturizing lotion and lip balms. Use moisturizing lotion and lip balms to treat areas of your skin exposed to windburn during the winter. This will help stop your skin and lips from drying out and cracking which can be extremely painful.

6. Sunburn can still be an issue during winter. We live in Australia, the country with the highest incidence of skin cancer anywhere in the world. Even during winter sunburn can still be an issue. Regardless of the time of year protect your skin with sunscreen.

7. Look after your feet and prevent athlete’s foot. “Athlete’s foot” (tinea), can be extremely uncomfortable and in extreme cases debilitating to the point it can stop you from running. To prevent this ailment change wet socks immediately and dry your shoes and inner soles as quickly as possible to remove all traces of moisture. Rotating two pairs of training shoes and stuff the damp ones with newspaper is a good way to achieve this.

8. Strength-training helps your running. Stronger legs help you absorb training more effectively and offset the chance of overuse injuries. Completing some appropriately designed strength training exercises will help you run stronger for longer by staying injury-free.

9. Excessive training can compromise your immune system so know your limits. Some training improves immune function, take it too far, too fast, before your body has the chance to adapt and your body will fall into mal-adaption. If you find yourself continually coming down with colds, flues and other such infections, chances are you’ve given your immune system a hammering, back off the training volume but more importantly, back off the intensity which is the major cause of lowered immune function.

10. Don’t run in a vacuum. Running can almost be hypnotic, it can be a great escape as you day dream or chat to training partners, but don’t ignore your surroundings. This is a really easy way of wiping yourself out by tripping over gutters, running into low lying tree branches, or getting hit by cars. Enjoy the escape of running but stay aware to avoid potential disasters.

Find out more tips  from Rod Cedaro in Part 2

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Consultant Exercise Physiologist ACC Accredited Level III Triathlon Coach

On a recent trip to Italy my partner (who is a dietician) and I found it fascinating to look at the manner in which typical Italians eat, compared to Aussies and Americans (we travelled back to Australia via the States – what a contrast in food habits to Italy!).

Whilst Italy has its smattering of Fast Food restaurants with the Golden Arches rearing its ugly head among the beautiful monuments and the like, it seems, in majority of the cases at least, that the only people in these establishments are the Anglo-Saxon tourists that don’t know any better!

The Italians on the other hand are chowing down on a derivation of what has commonly become known as the “Mediterranean Diet”.

For the last 20 years public health eating guidelines in places like Australia and the USA have emphasised a balance between groups of foods intended to meet the basic nutritional requirements of the population. The emphasis has been on carbohydrate rich foods with a low fat intake. The problem is – at least in industrialised countries – that the emphasis has shifted from nutritional adequacy to “over” nutrition and the consumption of excessive amounts of foods closely linked to cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer.

These guidelines have been typically displayed in the “food pyramid” and lump certain foods together (e.g. Red meat is lumped together with chicken, fish, poultry, beans and nuts and called “protein” foods) making no distinction between vegetable oils and animal fats and not really distinguishing between full fat and low fat diary options.

Relatively recent studies however have documented the benefits of the “classic” Mediterranean diets in fostering longer and healthier lives for those who adhere to them. Given that the Mediterranean Sea is bordered by some 16 different countries there is no “one” Mediterranean Diet per se, but rather food habits that appear to be common throughout this region and which promote health and longevity in those eating in this manner.

So what are the common denominators?

All versions of the Mediterranean diet appear to have:

•  High consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts and other cereals.
• Olive oil is used extensively in cooking and as a dressing.
• There are moderate amounts of fish – particularly those that are oily in nature – and only limited amounts of red meat.
• There is a low to moderate consumption of full fat diary products such as cheese and yoghurt.
• Alcohol – particularly red wine – is consumed in moderation and usually in conjunction with meals.
• They rely on local, seasonal and fresh produce – not a lot of processed/packaged food is consumed.
• They lead an active and relaxed lifestyle.

Given that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet has now been documented to enhance health and longevity (see reference listed below), this style of eating has promoted researchers to ask, “why” and “which foods” have these protective properties.

Their findings can be summarised as follows:

(i) Olive oil is used instead of butter. margarine and other fats for cooking. It is a rich source of monounsaturated fat which protects against heart disease possibly because it displaces saturated fat in the diet. It is also a source of antioxidants such as vitamin E, but equally important, Olive oil is used extensively as a dressing in various vegetable based dishes, salads and to fry fish.

(ii) Fruit and veg. Study after study have found these foods to have protective qualities against both heart disease and cancer, probably as a consequence of their antioxidant properties. Tomatoes in particular have come under closer scrutiny because they are used so extensively in the Mediterranean diet in sauces and the like. In fact the process of heating and cooking tomatoes increases the availability of the compound lycopene which is richly available in tomatoes and is a powerful antioxidant.

(iii) Fish, such as sardines, are regularly consumed and they are rich in Omega 3 oils which have been found to be beneficial to cardiac function. Those partaking in the Mediterranean diet, that live close to the sea rely on the bounty of the sea for much of their meat intake.

(iv) Wine in moderation. Red wine is drunk throughout the Mediterranean region, particularly at meal time and in moderation. Red wine in particular is rich in certain health promoting compounds (flavonoids and phytonutrients) which are powerful antioxidants and have a role to play in lowering cardiovascular disease states.

(v) A combined effect. In the paper sited below, the researchers found that no single component or food group singularly provided any significant health protection and the authors concluded that it is in-fact the combination of all the different elements of the diet coupled with the more relaxed approach to life, plenty of sunshine and more physical activity that contributes to the improved health status of those lucky enough to live in this beautiful part of the world.

The take home message for you, the triathlete – forget the nonsensical high protein, low carb dietary regimens, forget trying to eat like Nathan Pritikin – all carbs and no fats – eat like the traditional Italians (particularly from the south) and Greeks. If you’re training hard, up the volume of food from all food groups but in particular the cereal, fruit, vegetable and legume component of the diet – they are rich in energy giving carbohydrates. Above all, enjoy your food, train smart and enjoy life, or as the Italians say, “La Dolca Vita” (the sweet life) – after all the research is in and your life depends on it.

http://oldwayspt.org/resources/heritage-pyramids/mediterranean-diet-pyramid

The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid

Reference:

1. Trichopoulou A. et al: Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and survival in a Greek population. New England Journal of Medicine 348: 2599-2608, 2003.

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ACC Accredited Level III Triathlon Coach.

At some stage or another, just by its very nature – full weight bearing high impact – running is going to cause you an injury. With a little pre-thought and some sensible alterations to your training there are a number of things you can do to (i) lower the incidence of injury, (ii) speed your recovery from running related injuries and (iii) ensure you don’t suffer the same ailment again.

So here’s a simple “what to do” checklist to consider.

BUILD A BASE. Before doing an “quality” (high intensity training) make sure you have a foundation of low intensity longer miles in your legs.

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. Athletes over 80kg should only increase their total running volume by about 10% per week to ensure their bodies can absorb the impact loads to avoid overuse injuries.

TRAIN “SMARTER” NOT JUST “HARDER”. You can’t train a tired or injured body. Back off when you need a break. 12-24 hours of recovery can make all the difference.

STRETCH. There’s an old rule of thumb around running circles – 10% of your total training time should be spent stretching. Stretch all your major running muscles and hold at the point of stretch for at least 10-15 seconds minimum.

YOU CAN’T TRAIN A TIRED BODY!

Over training leads to burn-out. Monitor your morning heart rate. If it is elevated by more than 15% have a rest day, 10-15% keep the training aerobic, 5-10% above normal, train normally but be on the lookout over the coming days to make sure you’ve adequately recovered.

WORK ON YOUR FUNCTIONAL STABILITY.

A great way to do this is by swapping your chair at work for a Swissball – it may look a little out there, but all day long while you’re sitting at your desk you’re training your functional stabilising muscles – this’ll pay off in your running form.

STAY ON TOP OF YOUR FEET – DON’T OVER-STRIDE.

Your feet should be hitting the ground underneath you, not out in front – overstriding increases ground reaction forces and the instance of overuse injuries like stress fractures.

RUN ON SOFTER SURFACES.

Vary the terrain on which you train. Staying off asphalt and concrete and running on grass and natural trails will save your legs.

workouts and terrain for muscle balance

WARM UP FOR AT LEAST 5-10 MINUTES.

Increased muscle temperature improves range of motion and helps prevent injury. The colder the day, the longer your warm up. Do a few efforts at least at or greater than, race pace.

TWO PAIR OF TRAINING SHOES. Switching shoes after each running session means your shoes last longer (they dry out between sessions) and you can avoid putting undue stress on one particular area. If there’s a particular brand/style you like get two pair and alternate them.

IF YOUR TOE NAILS ARE BLACKENED LOOK AT YOUR SHOES.

Blackened toenails indicate that you’re jamming your toes against the toe-box of the shoe. Consider a slightly larger size and/or a different model.

BE ON GUARD FOR EARLY WARNING SIGNS.

Listen to your body and don’t train through niggles as they can escalate into full blown injuries. Identify the cause and treat it. You may drop a day’s training by doing so, but it’ll save you 4 weeks of down time due to injury.

INTENSITY – USE IT SPARRINGLY. The top distance runners in the world don’t do much more than 20% of all their training intensely. If you’re logging 50km per week in total that means no more than 10km should be quality work.

BUILD YOUR TRAINING SLOWLY AND PROGRESSIVELY.

Sudden increases in training volume of more than 10-20% per week can cause injury as your body struggles to adapt to the additional training loads.

CROSS-TRAINING IS A BLESSING.

If you’re scheduled for another run and your legs are still feeling a little trashed, the beauty about being a triathlete is you can jump on the bike and go for a recovery spin to speed the rate of recovery without having to load your legs. Use cross-training to speed your running recovery.

WORK ON YOUR FUNCTIONAL STABILITY (CORE STABILISERS).

Improving functional stability muscles lowers the incidence of back pain and lower limb injuries by enhancing your running form.

STAY COOL.

After a hard training session cool your legs with ice and stick them into a cold bath. This lowers the amount of inflammation and speeds your recovery rate.

RECURRENT INJURIES?

Do you seem to get over an injury only to have it flare again? Chances are you have a biomechanical shortcoming of some sort. Have your gait analysed by an appropriately trained professional like a sports podiatrist.

WALKING CAN HELP

If you’re suffering from a long term injury that has kept you out of running for an extended period of time – WALK. This will help your muscles, tendons, bones and ligaments maintain some strength and integrity so that when you’re able to return to running at least you won’t be starting behind the 8 ball.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES AREN’T LOLLIES!

Anti-inflammatories mask the pain but don’t remove the cause of the injury. Without the warning signs you can actually make the injury (and long term consequences) worse. Anti-inflammatories (or at least extended inappropriate use of them) can have other implications (e.g. They can produce significant gut problems). Use them sensibly and under medical direction.

WHEN TO CAN IT

Again listen to your body. If you have a cold keep training – provided it is only a head cold – once an ailment goes through your entire system or settles on your chest, pull up stumps, go home and catch a movie.

REGULAR MASSAGE

A regular massage can help keep your legs supple and injury free, they can promote blood flow, alleviate pain and speed recovery. Have one booked for after a hard training session or a race.

R.I.C.E.

The R.I.C.E. principal (Rest, ice, compression and elevation) is still the best immediate treatment for any injury you sustain when running, but don’t ice the affected area for more than 15-20 minutes at any one time.

So there you have them, some tips to help you navigate your way through the coming season with the least hassle possible.

Rod Cedaro

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The human foot is a remarkable piece of engineering design. It is a shock-absorber like no other. When you consider, even running at a moderate pace a 70 kilogram athlete will put something in the vicinity of 126,000 kilograms through each foot every kilometre they run, it really puts things into perspective as to why the foot is vulnerable to injury if something goes astray.

With each stride, the five long bones that run from your arch to your toes, your metatarsals, act as shock-absorbers. As you toe off when running, your body weight is transferred directly onto your metatarsals. If that resultant weight distribution is uneven when it hits the road for whatever reason (e.g. Poor shoe mechanics, tight calves, etc.), the metatarsals can become irritated and inflamed, resulting in the dreaded “metatarsalgia”.

Many people describe this irritation as feeling like a burning, stabbing, or aching pain at the “head” of the bone, just beneath the toes. Some describe it like feeling that they have a stone stuck in their shoe. It is generally worse on standing, walking and especially running and subsides when you sit or lie and take the load off the region. While the ailment can come on abruptly after working on hard surfaces and running hard in poorly cushioned shoes, it tends to develop over time and effects all foot types equally.

How do you go about preventing metatarsalgia? The answer is often as simple as appropriate shoe choice. Athletes with neutral to flat feet should look for shoes with a wide toe-box and a dome-shaped metatarsal pad, these will protect the metatarsal heads from pounding. If on the other hand you have high arches – which is a foot type known for poor shoe absorption, you may benefit from a shoe that provides extra cushioning that deflects pressure from the bones. While shoes play a considerable roll in lowering the incidence of this ailment, improving your own foot mechanics won’t go astray either! Strengthening the sole of the foot helps to prevent it from flattening, which protects the metatarsals from impact. Strengthening through the plantar muscles will help to control excessive over-pronation which is one of the major causes of metatarsalgia. Try some of the following exercises:

[i] Pick up a marble with your toes, hold for a count of five, and release. Start at the big toe and repeat, working your way down to the little toe. Repeat three times.

[ii] Screw up sheets of newspaper with your toes, hold the movement at the end of the paper screwing for 10 seconds and repeat 10-15 times. If you do develop metatarsalgia, initially give your feet a break – it is an “overuse” injury – so stop the use, comeback to training initially with lowered volume and run on softer surfaces like a golf course to lessen the impact shock. If you do experience pain in the front part of the ball of your foot, get on to it early! Treat such symptoms aggressively with the “RICE” principal (rest, elevation, ice and compression) during the first 24 hours and take anti-inflammatories if need be.

Then see a sports physician if need be and/or a podiatrist if your symptoms persist. At that point you may need to have a callus shaved, a metatarsal pad inserted or appropriate orthotics designed. Untreated this syndrome can become chronic and debilitating leading to joint swelling, bone bruising, chronic stiffness and loss of joint range which can create a vicious cycle. As per any ailment, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of treatment.

 Rod Cedaro

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Text by Rod Cedaro (M. App. Sc.)

Consultant Exercise Physiologist ACC Accredited Level III Triathlon Coach

Aside from everything else that triathletes need to build – strength, power, endurance, flexibility, they also need to improve their balance and functional stability and nowhere is this more important than out on the run when you’re already tired from the previous two disciplines. Think of running as a one-footed balancing act. Unless you’re well balanced and in control when you’re running you are (i) lowering your performance potential and (ii) increasing your chance of injury.

For a triathlete being steady on your feet means you can more efficiently transfer propulsive forces into the ground – driving you along the road faster, while at the same time absorbing ground force reaction impact more effectively, hence lowering the chance of injury from each foot-strike.

Unfortunately, like any other skill “balance” declines with age if you don’t work at it or if you’ve had a debilitating injury. So what exactly is “balance” in relation to the triathlete when running? It is all about a process called “proprioception” – in other words knowing precisely where your body is in space. Running, particularly when fatigued off the bike really inhibits this process whereas improving your balance can increase your proprioceptive abilities helping you to run smoother and faster.

To train this proprioceptive ability you literally have to work from the ground up.

Try standing barefoot on one leg and focus on how your foot feels on the ground and what its natural inclination is. Most people tend to shift their weight to the centre of their foot. When you do this you become more stable and agile and less likely to become injured, however when you run, repeating this process, in motion is about the last thing on your mind. As your weight is shifted around, literally thousands of times every kilometre you run your body is forced to compensate and overuse injuries result.

To improve your balance when running start by getting comfortable being on one foot, after all, when you run only one foot is in contact with the ground at any one time. Activities like yoga and pilates can be ideal in helping you achieve this objective as they are “functional” activities, in other words, exercises that work multiple muscle groups as you move, rather than isolating a muscle in a static position such as you do when undertaking traditional strength training (e.g. Weight exercises like a squat). Consequently you’ll get much better “carry over” from such functional exercises to your running, as running is a dynamic activity requiring the integration of multiple muscle groups in rapid fire succession.

At the end of the day, balance training is about improving your running. A stable body moves more efficiently, allowing you to run faster and longer with less effort.

Some suggested exercises:

(i) Stand barefoot on a stable surface. Lift one leg and bring the bent knee toward the chest while maintaining an upright stance (don’t move your hips). Balance on one leg for 15 to 20 seconds then change legs. You can make this exercise more difficult as you master the basic movement by (a) closing your eyes, (b) raising and lowering your arms and (c) standing on an unstable surface (e.g. An almost completely deflated basketball).

(ii) Stand on one leg on a slightly elevated, stable surface. Bend your knee and swing your leg forward while maintaining an upright stance. Control the momentum by holding each end position for one second. Keep your knee bent throughout the swing. Do 10 reps on each side.

(iii) Use a “wobble” deck. Stand on top of a wobble deck and try to extend the period of time you are able to hold the wobble deck in a balanced position. To make it harder juggle two tennis balls whilst you’re doing it or try closing your eyes to remove your visual reference points.

(iv) Balance on your left leg; lift your right leg behind you. Lean forward; reach your right hand to your left toe. Return to an upright stance, staying on the left leg. Do 10 reps on each leg, then build to 20 reps. To make it harder close your eyes.

(v) See-saw balance board. Stand on a balance board built over the top of some PVC piping secured underneath the board and work in the same manner as per the wobble deck. (vi) Swiss ball exercises – there are literally hundreds of functional stability exercises that can be done from a Swiss ball that’ll help to improve your dynamic balance and hence your functional stability for running.

Rod Cedaro

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Text by Rod Cedaro (M. App. Sc.)

Consultant Exercise Physiologist ACC Accredited Level III Triathlon Coach

Pieta Cedaro (APD) Consultant Dietitian

It never fails to surprise me just how much misinformation still exists around the athletic training circles. My wife works on a consultancy basis as a dietician with many of the athletes we coach. One of the services she provides is a complete dietary review whereby the athletes provide her with a comprehensive 3-day diet review of everything that goes into their mouths. She then provides them with feedback as to how to optimally modify their diets to optimise their recovery, performance, etc. Time and time again what comes across is the incredible amounts of money triathletes are spending seemingly adhoc on nutritional supplementation and one of the most exploited myths is that of creatine. With this in mind I thought it timely to consider just what you are potentially doing to your performance – running in particular because of its weight bearing nature – if you are creatine supplementing on a daily basis.

So let’s look at the physiology behind creatine. When athletes consume creatine be it from meat and fish or in supplementary form, some of the creatine will be absorbed from the blood into the muscles. Once there, creatine can be combined with phosphate to form phosphocreatine, a vital—but very limited—source of energy for brief, high-power activities such as sprinting and resistance training. It follows that creatine users should have more phosphocreatine energy available to perform these kinds of activities, leading to improved performance – at least in sprint and power events – already distance running off the bike associated with triathlon isn’t looking to benefit too much from this form of supplementation now is it!?

This rationale sounds great, and a whole industry has been built upon it with many millions of dollars worth of creatine supplements sold every year. But even after the completion of several hundred scientific investigations, many questions remain about the value of creatine supplementation for performance of various sports and about how much and when to use creatine—if it should be used at all. Here is some of what we now know from the current research:

* Supplementing the diet with 20 grams of creatine daily (four X 5-gram doses) for 4-5 days (i.e., “creatine loading”) will increase muscle levels of creatine in some, but not all, individuals. When consumed in amounts greater than 20 grams per day the balance is excreted via the urine.

*2 grams of creatine ingested daily for 30 days is just as effective as the aforementioned loading regimen in regards to the concentrations found in muscle at the end of the loading phase.

* Consuming carbohydrate with creatine increases creatine uptake by muscles marginally.

* Creatine ingestion generally results in weight gain by a couple of kilograms, some of which will be extra muscle and the rest extra water. This additional weight is likely to be detrimental to your running performance.

* Most lab studies of high-power tests lasting 30 seconds and/or repeated high power tests show slight (but signficant) improvements in performance in creatine users.

* Lab testing between 30 and 90 seconds duration suggest some positive performance with creatine supplementation. As test durations exceed 90 seconds, creatine users show little or no change in performance compared to non-users.

IN SUMMARY FOR THE TRIATHLETE:

* When consumed in moderate doses, there doesn’t appear to be any adverse health effects with the supplementation of creatine in healthy adults.

* There have been no studies reviewing the effects of creatine supplementation on growing children so it would be prudent NOT TO use this supplement with athletes under the age of 18.

* Since the manufacture of supplements isn’t tightly regulated there is no guarantee that what is stated on the bottle is what is actually in the product. As was the case with the Bek Keat issue there have been incidents where supplements are “spiked” with stimulants or prohormones that are banned by sport governing bodies – so ensure that the product you are using is from a reliable source.

* Endurance athletes such as triathletes have little if anything to gain (and particularly during the run leg, much to lose) using creatine because of the associated weight gain due to increased muscle mass and fluid retention.

* Dietary supplements won’t make you a champion! The key to great performances is dedicated intelligent training over time coupled with a genetic predisposition to endurance sports, recovery and sensible dietary habits. Get all of these ingredients in place and them search for the 1%ers to give you that edge – creatine for the triathlete doesn’t fall into this category.

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The times are here: Rod Cedaro Brisbane Marathon

There are several events on the 3rd of August, including the 42km marathon, a half marathon, a 10km run as well as a 5km. The smaller distances are ideal for beginners and enable you to experience the buzz of the event whilst competing. It’s a fantastic event, with great people in a wonderful  city.

Find out more about the marathon in this video:

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