Would you like to know more about nutrition?

Whether you have just started training for a 5 km run or are trying to improve your record, it is important that you learn how important nutrition is for your performance. Even if you only run short distances, nutrition still has a significant effect and it is much easier to achieve your goals when you are getting the right nutrients.

Finding the right balance

It is important that you find the right balance of nutrients in your daily diet, to support your training. Generally speaking, you should strive for a ‘healthy, balanced diet’ that consists of carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and plenty of vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is important to adapt your diet to your training schedule. This way, you can make sure that you consume enough carbohydrates to have reserves during training, for example.

Preparing for races

When preparing for a race, it is important not to start experimenting with something new. Keep eating the meals that you had during training, to minimise the risk of side effects. Make sure that you consume enough carbohydrates for longer races of approximately 5 km, so that you will have access to all the energy you need during the race. As you train harder and become more focused on improving personal records, it becomes more important to get more insight into the benefits of supplements for running races over short distances.

Preparation period

Daily nutrition advice for runners

In general, runners require more vitamins and minerals because of the exercise they do. Due to overworking and excess fertilisation, our agricultural land has been degraded, so that fruit and vegetables now contain less vitamins and minerals than roughly 50 years ago. This lower level of vitamins and minerals, combined with lower consumption of fruit and vegetables in general, means that runners have to pay extra attention to this. For this reason, extra supplements are highly recommended.

• Magnesium 2000 AA contributes to normal muscle function and reduction of fatigue
• Amino acid chelate form for better absorption
• Contains vitamin C for extra muscle protection
• Delicious orange flavour
• Alternative: Magnesium Instant Sticks (easy to take without water)

Use: 4 weeks in advance, 1 tablet in 200 ml water.

AND/OR

• Multimax contains high levels of vitamins, minerals and trace elements
• A balanced recipe for athletes
• Amino acid chelate form for better absorption

Use: 4 weeks in advance, 2 tablets per day

Before exercise

Eat and drink before exercise in order to make the best possible gains.

Drink:

Our level of performance is directly proportional to our loss of moisture. It is important to start your training sessions properly hydrated. Pre-hydration starts the day before exercise, and mainly involves drinking water. The colour of your urine is a good indication of whether you are sufficiently hydrated. Dark yellow urine is a sign that you have not drunk enough. A light yellow colour indicates that you are well hydrated. During the meal before your session (3 hours before) or 10 minutes before the exercise, you can drink a sports drink to hydrate and get some extra carbohydrates.

• Ideal isotonic thirst quencher
• For optimum hydration (electrolytes & moisture) and fuel (carbohydrates)
• Replenishes the electrolytes that we lose by sweating
• Helps to retain moisture during exercise
• Neutral pH to prevent stomach pain
• Choice of 3 flavours: watermelon, orange-mango & lemon

Use: 3 hours in advance: 500ml Etixx Isotonic, 10 minutes in advance: 250ml Etixx Isotonic

Nutrition:

• Energy Sport Bar with ± 30 grams carbohydrate for long-lasting energy supply
• Can be eaten as a carbohydrate rich snack
• Added magnesium supports energy production and muscle function
• Low fat and fibre, so it’s easy to digest
• Choice of 4 flavours: orange, raspberry, chocolate & lemon

Use: 1 Energy Bar up to 30 minutes in advance

During exercise

Eat and drink something during exercise in order to gain as much performance as possible.

The amount of moisture that you will lose during exercise depends on duration, intensity, genetics, body size and various environmental factors such as humidity and temperature. It is therefore not entirely clear how much you should drink while exercising. A very good way to determine how much moisture you need to consume is to use some scales on a day during which you will be training. Weigh yourself before and after training, and multiply the lost weight by 1.5. The outcome is the quantity of fluid that you need to consume in order to compensate for what you lost as sweat.

In order to perform during long periods of exercise, the muscles must have enough glycogen, and that is why it is important to consume carbohydrates while training and replenish these reserves. If no carbohydrates are consumed during long periods of intensive exercise, glycogen in the muscles will become depleted after 90 minutes. The image below shows how much carbohydrate must be consumed, because requirements depend on the duration of the exercise:

You can choose to consume carbohydrates during exercise in liquid, semi-liquid or solid form. The more liquid the food, the faster the carbohydrates will be absorbed during exercise. In stress situations, preference is always given to liquid sources of carbohydrate, because our digestive system does not work optimally when we are under stress. For distances up to 5 km, it is not necessary to consume fluids and carbohydrates during the race.

• Ideal isotonic thirst quencher
• For optimum hydration (electrolytes & moisture) and fuel (carbohydrates)
• Replenishes the electrolytes that we lose by sweating
• Helps to retain moisture during exercise
• Neutral pH to prevent stomach pain
• Choice of 3 flavours: watermelon, orange-mango & lemon

Use:dissolve 35g (2 scoops) in 500ml water

AND/OR

• Energy Sport Bar with ± 30 grams carbohydrate for long-lasting energy supply
• Can be eaten as a carbohydrate rich snack
• Added magnesium supports energy production and muscle function
• Low fat and fibre, so it’s easy to digest
• Choice of 4 flavours: orange, raspberry, chocolate & lemon

Use: 1 or 2 bars per hour of exercise

AND/OR

• Ginseng & Guarana Energy Gel with natural caffeine + vitamin C for an extra physical and mental energy boost
• Contains alcohol for faster sugar absorption
• Ideal for moments that really matter
• Choice of 2 flavours: forest fruits and maracuja (a type of passion fruit)

Use: before exercise: 10 minutes before, during exercise: 1 or 2 gels per hour of exercise

After exercise

Eat and drink something after exercise in order to recover as quickly as possible

Proper recovery after training is crucially important, because strangely enough, your body gets stronger and fitter after exercise, not during. In line with the motto “You’re only as good as your last recovery”, it is important to pay attention to what you eat and drink after exercise. This determines how much you will gain from your training. Often, you have to drive or catch a bus, or rush to your next appointment, so you do not immediately supply your body with the building materials it needs to ensure proper recovery. This can cause you to start your next training with fatigue, potentially causing you to enter a negative spiral. This can result in delayed progress, or even injury. What you should do, is provide your body with fuel and the right nutrition as fast as possible.

• Recovery Shake with very high grade proteins (whey protein isolate) for rapid recovery
• With ‘fast’ sugars for optimal replenishment of glycogen in the muscles
• Rich in vitamins and minerals
• Choice of 2 flavours: raspberry-kiwi and chocolate

Use: immediately after exercise

OR (If you would rather eat something after exercise)

• Recovery Bar with very high grade proteins (whey protein isolate) for rapid recovery
• With ‘fast’ sugars for optimal replenishment of glycogen in the muscles
• Rich in vitamins and minerals
• 1 flavour: caramel

Use: immediately after exercise

Advanced plan

For those who are ready to go one step further and to take on challenges that are just within their potential. The products below can help you here, depending on your goals.

• Nutritional Energy Gel with unique three phase sugar mixture (± 30 grams carbohydrate)
• Fast energy boost (after approx. 10 minutes)
• Long-lasting effect

Use: 1 or 2 gels per hour of exercise

AND/OR

• Isotonic Energy Gel with electrolytes, ideal during hot weather
• Contains citrates to reduce acidification
• Can be taken with or without water and so is ideal for long distance runners
• Can be used as an Isotonic sports drink (1 gel in 350 ml water)
• 1 flavour: lime

Use: before exercise: 10 minutes before, during exercise: 1 or 2 gels per hour of exercise

AND/OR

• Beta Alanine Slow Release for long periods of intensive exercise
• Ideal for postponing acidification of the muscles
• Works for both recreational and trained athletes

Use:Loading phase: at least 4 weeks 3.2 g/day (2 x 2 tablets)

AND/OR

• Chondro Gluco for the maintenance of healthy cartilage and connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, joints)
• Can be used preventatively to prevent injuries

Use: at least 4 weeks (1 tablet per day with breakfast)

AND/OR

• HMB with proteins that help reduce muscle degradation and support muscle growth after training
• Degradation product of the essential amino acid leucine, that is important for protein synthesis
• Ideal for the start of the preparation period or in case of injury

Use: at least 4 weeks (2 x 2 tablets)

AND/OR

• High Protein Shake with qualitative proteins for optimum muscle growth
• >95% pure Whey Isolate (24 grams protein)
• No added carbohydrates, fats or salt
• Ideal during the preparation period, after gentle recovery training or to support weight control

Use: immediately after exercise

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The nutrition and supplementation advice on this site is based on contemporary scientific literature and limited individual data provided voluntarily by our customers. That is why this advice cannot be considered to be fully personalised advice with prior diagnosis. We recommend always seeking individual advice from a professional in the healthcare sector (for example: a pharmacist, sports doctor or sports dietitian). Despite taking the greatest care to keep up to date with the latest scientific insights in the field of nutrition and dietary supplements, we cannot guarantee that these are immediately incorporated into our advice. That is why we cannot accept liability for the accuracy of our advice.