Time To Start Getting In Shape For Summer!

Maintaining a healthy body composition.

When trying to trim down, it is crucial to maintain muscle mass. While carrying a few extra kilos can affect your performance, losing too much muscle will do more harm than good. This is why it is essential to follow a program that will promote fat burning and not muscle breakdown. As an athlete, your goal needs to be more specific than just 'weight loss'. You may want to lose weight, however, your body needs to lose fat not muscle. Losing muscle will only give you a more unhealthy body composition than when you first started the program.

Train hotter, not harder.

One of the best ways to burn fat is to increase thermogenesis in the body. Thermogenesis is a physiological process of heat production. It occurs by increasing the metabolic rate above normal. Increasing thermogenesis also increases metabolism, and consequently, fat burning. Certain nutrients may induce thermogenesis and are commonly used in weight loss programs.

How may supplements help increase thermogenisis?

Supplements, in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program, may increase thermogenesis a couple of ways. One of the main mechanisms is by raising certain brain chemicals that promote energy expenditure via thermogenesis. Additionally, certain herbs and nutrients may also increase core body temperature outside of this mechanism.

Introducing the new Endura Thermoblaster.

Endura Thermoblaster is a new formula in the Endura range that incorporates a combination of herbal extracts and nutrients specifically formulated to support fat burning and increase weight loss via thermogenic mechanisms.

• Endura Thermoblaster contains hydroxycitric acid to increase the use of fatty acids as an energy source during exercise, green tea to stimulate fat oxidation and chromium to maintain normal healthy blood glucose levels.
• Endura Thermoblaster, when combined with a kilojoule controlled diet and physical activity, may assist in weight loss.
• In athletes, Endura Thermoblaster may increase fat burning during moderate exercise, with carbohydrate sparing and enhancement of exercise endurance.

Taking Endura Thermoblaster, 2 tablets twice a day, may assist with fat burning when used in conjunction with a suitable training regime and diet.

Carnitine.

Carnitine enhances energy production by utilising fat in the production of energy. It does this by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria, which can be thought of as the cell's energy factory. Fat is not the primary fuel source for energy production, however, carnitine prioritises fatty acid molecules as a fuel source. This enhances the fat breakdown that you get when you exercise, as well as providing you with more energy to train harder.

Endura N-Acetyl Carnitine.

Carnitine plays an important role in fat metabolism and energy production. Endura N-Acetyl Carnitine is used to assist in cellular energy production and may be helpful in improving the symptoms of physical and mental fatigue. Using one dose of Endura N-Acetyl Carnitine morning and afternoon before training may help increase energy production and may increase fat burning.

Should I reduce my carbohydrates to lose weight?

As we have seen, there are several natural products which can help to enhance fat burning for energy. Eating a diet that discourages the storage of fat helps too. For example, by choosing lower glycaemic load (GL) foods, you will increase fat burning and maintain lean muscle mass. To help you figure out what you should be eating to lose fat, use these guidelines:

• Typically, the endurance athlete's diet should contain approximately 12 - 20% of total kilojoules (kJ) from protein, 50 - 70% from carbohydrates, and 15 - 20% from good fats (Kilojoule breakdowns are; 1 gram of carbohydrate = 16 kJ, 1 gram of protein = 16 kJ, 1 gram of fat = 36 kJ).
• Endurance athletes should typically consume around 3 - 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. For instance, an 80kg athlete requires somewhere between 240 - 800 grams of carbohydrates per day.
• We suggest keeping to the lower end of carbohydrate consumption, around 50% and increasing protein intake to the higher end, so around 20%.
• Outside of training times, carbohydrate sources should be made up of low GL foods such as fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, basmati rice and quinoa.

Minimising carbohydrates is often a misunderstood practice when athletes are trying to lose weight. Carbohydrates are still required as a fuel source, even in stages of weight loss. However, knowing when to take the carbohydrates is the key. Using carbs before, during and immediately after training or events is still critical. However, carbs should be minimised outside of these times. Exact amounts will obviously depend on factors such as exercise regime and body composition.

Achieve your summer body.

Give your body the help it needs to support burning fat more efficiently, to push you through your summer training and get the results you deserve. Nutritional supplementation may be used with a healthy weight loss program to enhance fat burning while maintaining a healthy body composition. By simply tweaking your dietary habits and supplementing with Endura N-Acetyl Carnitine and Endura Thermoblaster you may increase the effectiveness of your weight loss program and sporting performance.

Weight loss for summer.

By Allan Pitman - Triathlon Coach and Ironman Competitor

When I start a new athlete on a training program. I always have them fill out a three day food diary for me. Most athletes seek out a coach because they're not happy with the results they've been getting on their own. Very often the food diary gives me one of the reasons why they have not reached their potential. In 75% of cases, the athlete is not having enough protein in their diet.

Did you know that endurance athletes need more protein

in their diet than body builders?

Ours is a catabolic sport, we burn away the very muscle we need to make us go faster if we don't have sufficient protein in our diets. Many athletes are not performing to their potential because their body cannot keep up to the training. They're simply not repairing the damage they have caused by training. This leads to poor performance, premature ageing and can lead to illness. I recommend feeding immediately after training sessions with Endura Optimizer. This supplies the body with the right combination of carbs and easily digestable protein which it needs at that time.

Endura for a leaner you!

Some of my athletes training for the Hawaii Ironman at the moment are using one tub of Endura Optimizer per week. In addition to that they are feeding themselves with additional protein in the form of Endura Maintain, in the evenings before bed and often at lunchtime if the meal chosen is a little low in protein.

We aim at an intake of 1.5 - 2.0 grams of protein per kilo of lean body weight, during the heaviest weeks of our program. These athletes are very lean, but they are not skinny. They hold an impressive amount of muscle. They look healthy, their skin is in great condition and most importantly, they perform. Athletes not doing quite the heavy training load of our Hawaii Ironman competitors, can lose body fat and increase muscle mass by following a similar feeding plan.