Nutrition Basics

Fuel up in plenty of time before an event. Ideally you want to have finished consuming your Xtreme energy (and any other food, Morning Fuel or FeelGoodBars as an example) one to two hours before if this is possible, make it last for maximum effect SIP, SWILL and SWALLOW. This applies to the Ultimate Recovery drinks too, we know they’re delicious but do NOT gulp them down, SIP slowly for maximum effect.

You don't need to consider separate ‘energy’ and/or ‘electrolyte’ products. You also need to replenish minerals, vitamins and nutrients including amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Your ‘energy’ drink should not only be powering you but reloading your system, this way you will perform better during exercise and feel better afterwards. Have a look at the back of the Xtreme Energy and you will see it has a balanced set of ingredients designed to feed, power and replenish your muscles.

Understand that standard sport gels are a sugar syrup and as such need water to help them absorb into your system effectively and if you don't do this it can cause issues. For this reason we don’t sell standard gels (we produce a hydrogel Sport Jelly, you can read about that soon), why? Well nutritionally we simply struggle to justify the existence of standard gels as their makeup is a recipe for dehydration, cramps and upset stomachs – they are marketed that you have to consume one every 20 to 30 minutes and with that you should also be drinking 500ml… err cost and practicality… do I really need to say any more. As a business we could have made a fortune out of them as there is no VAT on them and they are relatively cheap to produce and are guzzled like they’re the elixir of life. However we believe in the balanced nutrition we have so far declined to produce a stadanrd gel based product. The point is gels are consumed far too readily as they are seen as a quick fix but to us their down side far outweighs the 20 minute kick and benefit the gel may provide in the short term – especially if you end up with cramps and suddenly needing to dash to the loo mid race! However we do have a refreshing alternative, the Mountain Fuel hydrogel Sports Jelly. The Sports Jelly is fundamentally different to a gel. Two years in the making The Sports Jelly is fundamentally different to a gel and a refreshing alternative. We selected a specific pectin which enables us to encapsulate the multi source carbohydrate, electrolyte and water in a hydrogel, melting in your mouth and through your system, providing a sustained energy release. The process we follow enables us to hydrate the jelly to ensure you do not require additional fluid and the Jelly passes through your system efficiently making it very easy on the stomach - No gut bombs and perfect for sporty kids through to adults. We've also added into the system a Ultra Chia Gel that is for people who also like a food type feel from their sports nutrition. The Ultra Chia Gel is a slower release of energy as the protein from the Chia seeds helps to ensure a steady release of energy into the system.

Before a race do not panic load (whether it be carb loading or hydrating)… be consistent with your approach to nutrition and in the weeks / days before an event, DO NOT load up on hydration or carbs as this will simply leave you feeling heavy legged and bloated. If you think of our mantra ‘Sip, Swill and Swallow’ when we talk about drinking our energy and recovery products, we say this to slow you down so you can’t gulp them down so quickly that your body doesn’t have time to absorb. The same principle applies to your everyday hydration and food. Keep a water bottle handy through the day, every day and get into the habit of sipping. Don’t eat large portions of food at one sitting and when you do eat take your time to chew the food before swallowing… the slower food and drink goes into our system the more time our system has to deal with it.

SAVE yourself a fortune and stop loading up with protein powder! Unless you are paying an arm and a leg for pure protein (which we still wouldn’t recommend as you need more than just protein after exercise to recover) you are simply loading your muscles with water from the fillers in protein. To make protein powder affordable companies add fillers which then absorb water in your muscles. Fillers = Water = Weight, Bigger Muscles = Weight = slower response and performance. Do F1 cars have huge wheels and excessive spoilers? No, they are light weight, power packed machines. Clean and lean muscle mass is just as strong, less likely to injure and can endure explosive endurance activity far more effectively. A lighter muscle mass which is strength and endurance conditioned though training and effective recovery will power you far more efficiently than water filled bulging biceps, glutes and quads. Our Ultimate Recovery protein mix is a blend of protein, carbs and vitamins to ensure that your muscles are replenished ready for your next activity while ensuring they stay lean and strong.

Don’t get obsessed over your nutrition, food is one of the great pleasures in life and it should be looked forward to and enjoyed. Essentially we don’t believe any one diet or food type is the be all and end all. Simply eat a balanced diet based around roughly 60 to70% carbs and 30% to 40% protein depending on whether you are fuelling for energy or recovery (As part of your balanced diet you will get your essential fatty acids, fat, minerals, vitamins and nutrients so to keep things simple we don’t factor in these as a %). You know the score – wholegrain’s, brown rice, oats, fruit, vegetables, salads, deep sea oily fish, white meat, nuts and seeds (with seeds if you buy flax or chia ensure that it is ground/milled so that our stomachs can have time to break it down and absorb). We suggest trying to have around a 60-40, 50-50 cooked to raw food ratio. Fresh is best so if you can make your own sauces which are easy to do, do this, as pre-made sauces are pretty evil. Also if you work hard you can enjoy the naughty stuff every now and then whether it be alcohol, cakes or chocolates. Moderation is the key, do not have the mentality that these types of things are off the menu, by allowing them now and again you are probably far less likely to binge or simply slip into bad habits.