What you should be doing this month… CUT DOWN ON SUGARS mOVE 1
“Having a juice last thing at night can be l i k e e a t i n g a mar s B a r ”
FRUIT JUICE is meant to be good for you. But did you know that some bottles can contain 50g of sugar (depending on brand and size)? Natural or not, it’s still sugar.
According to our resident nutritionist James Morehen, there are good times to get sugars in – during pre-match loading, for example – and bad times.
“Having a fruit juice first thing in the morning with breakfast or last thing in the evening when sitting on the sofa with the feet up, resting, can be similar to eating a Mars Bar first thing or last thing at night,” Morehen says.
He believes that if you want to buy a drink from the supermarket that’s made up of several pressed mixed fruits, you would be far better off just having a single piece of fruit.
Remember, there are good times to load up on these natural sugars, though. Morehen goes on: “Pre-game, many of us still opt for the classic banana, but other fruits like melon and pineapple will also help you to increase the glycogen content in your muscles.
“Always remember that timing is key – do not go for this before bed, otherwise good luck sleeping!”
It’s better to consume fruit juices or smoothies leading into or coming out of some intense exercises, such as a tough conditioning session similar to the one provided here from the guys at Performance Pro gym (see far right).
Morehen suggests an easy recovery drink to take on post-match: simply blitz blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, milk and honey. And during a moderate training day, you can squeeze in our own juice recipe to the right. You’ve heard the phrase, “All the gear, no idea”.
Well, that’s me. So do I need all this kit?
AThe simple answer is that you should master the basics of exercise and nutrition first. On these pages we constantly preach about the need to focus on timing, type and total amount of food we eat, and to lay off carbs and increase protein when not near ‘competition’. You don’t need a shaker and expensive supplements for that, though with a more advanced understanding you can move onto it.
It’s similar with fitness trackers. Despite fears about the data accuracy on some devices, it’s best to learn to love the exercise you’re doing before worrying about buying a fancy watch.