How To Fuel A Training Camp: Part 2

It’s essential you keep hydrated, especially as most training camps take place in warmer climates. As well as energy supply, hydration is one of the critical nutritional factors that affects sports performance. As little as a 2% loss in body weight through dehydration can decrease performance.

You need to drink 1.5 times as much weight in fluid as you have lost in sweat in order to fully re-hydrate after exercise. A set of scales can help you determine this, although we appreciate these aren’t easy to travel with. The fluid you use to rehydrate should have electrolytes present to replace salts lost through sweating. This is important to avoid cramping and help with muscle contraction. We’d stock up on Hydro Tabs before you go, as these are an easy way to get in everything you need to rehydrate. Drinking them during training is good, but also in your downtime around sessions. Don’t forget rehydration is important for recovery too.

Most training camps start and end with a significant travel

1. Hydration when flying: Due to low humidity of the cabins it causes our bodies to dehydrate quickly. This can also be an issue when it comes to protecting against air borne bugs. Humidity in the air keeps your airways moist so the lining can help trap germs trying to enter your body. When the air you’re breathing is too dry, the mucus in your airway can’t do its job, and viruses or bacteria can enter more freely.

Get a big bottle of water as soon as you have made your way through security check. We would suggest adding an OTE Hydro Tab to the bottle (snap it in half to get it in) then remember to sip it throughout the flight.

2. Emergency Snack Pack: When travelling to unfamiliar countries either travel with or send ahead a pack of staple foods that you can turn to in emergencies. Foods such as cereals, dried milk powder, dried fruit and nuts, canned tuna, flour tortillas and Anytime bars are great things to take with you.

3. Help Prevent Jet Lag: Adapt your meals and snack times to destination you’re travelling to 24-48 hours before you travel. Keep this snack and meal pattern throughout your travels to make sure performance is not impacted upon arrival. Make sure you have plenty of activities with you to keep you entertained during the journey to prevent boredom eating.

4. Avoid illness when abroad: Always wash your hands and carry hand sanitizer with you to use regularly. Often water abroad can be unsafe, so it often wise to opt for bottled water and avoid ice in drinks. Avoid foods that may have been washed in this water (such as salads) or foods that may not have been cooked properly (such as meats, fish and eggs). Buffets are common abroad but be wary of foods that are not served either chilled or very hot.

Make the most of your camp!!

Most people go on training camps to obtain a steep increase in their fitness levels.  Good nutritional practices will help maximise adaptations from the increased volume of training, ensuring you get the maximum benefit from your training camp investment.  Keeping hydrated and adequately fuelled goes a long way in ensuring the success of your training camp; additionally, research shows that increases in exercise volume and intensity do increase protein requirements. OTE Recovery shakes taken post exercise will provide a significant proportion of this increased protein requirement. OTE Recovery also contains L-Glutamine and L-Leucine which are important amino acids which may become depleted in times of high exercise stress

Training camps and “over-training” are often linked with an increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infections, either during the training camp or soon after you return home.

It is worth taking precautions to reduce the chance of catching an infection post training camp. Try taking two of our Health & Immune tablets a day to keep any bugs at bay and help boost an potentially low immune system. Also make sure your diet is rich in fruit and vegetables. You could try our Super Green smoothie idea.

Airports and Air travel involve very dry environments and can cause de-hydration even before you reach your training venue. Think about this before you board the plane. A good start is to make sure that you take a bottle of OTE Hydro Tabs on the plane with you, and try not to drink too much coffee and alcohol at the airport.

We hope you make the biggest gains possible from your training camp this year. Remember your energy in is your energy out!! Put fuel in your engine and you will get bigger training adaptions. Good luck!