Steve Pike

SURFING sucks energy from the human body faster than many might think. South African surfers know the feeling of parched berg wind-baked throats. We have experienced the saltblasting effect on the eyeballs of howling offshores that whip spray into your face.

Most have pushed their surf session to the limit when the waves are too good to forsake. Of these stoked souls, who hasn’t felt the floppy sideeffects of the paddle marathon that renders your arms like limp strands of spaghetti sprouting from shoulder sockets.

However, many don’t know that you can control, or at least minimise, the debilitating effects of this over-indulgence.

I I was talking to keen surfer and nutritionist Christelle Crickmore, who is branch committee member of the Nutrition Society of South Africa and a member of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa. She knows her oats. As we all know, surfing is a repetitive cycle of inaction and sudden bursts of intensity, from adrenal overload to quick energetic paddle sprints or marathon paddles to the backline.

One moment, you’re sitting beyond the breakers chatting to your mate and planning your weekend. The next, you’re paddling like crazy for a wave, then screaming down the line on a tubing walls, then tumbling through a white foamy maelstrom.

Finally, you’re paddling steadily out as wave after wave breaks on your head. Like rugby, you’re getting some heavy impacts between the cardio workout, while trying to hold your breath at the same time. It’s draining. For this type of intermittent highintensity activity, Christelle says, “as your body can’t really store a lot of carbohydrates, it is up to you to make sure you keep the carbs coming pre and post-surf.”

“The best approach for any sort of endurance exercise ( lasting more than an hour) is to eat 3–4 hours before.”

But it’s important to eat the right kind of carbs. For the pre-surf meal, eat unrefined, low-GI foods that provide for a slower release of glucose, making energy last longer.

Of course, many surfers are paddling out even before the sun has risen, so that would put your re-victualling at about 2 in the morning, but she says that an hour is okay.

Unlike other sports, you won’t be able to drink anything out in the sea, so she suggests a long swig of an energy drink on the way to the break.

The critical thing though, is to replete the glucose levels in your blood afterwards.

“If you don’t, you feel sluggish and tired.

“This is where it gets fun – refuelling the tank,” she says.

Basically, recovery is about boosting the glycogen levels in your liver and muscles to get the glucose flowing in your blood.

She suggests high GI foods for the “fast release of glucose”.

“This is usually not a problem as most carbohydrate foods at restaurants are of moderate to high GI.”

In fact, a double decker burger and a filling of your choice is fine, and “for once you can choose white bread guilt free!”

There is still the need to eat healthily though, and surfers should also remember to continue “healthy snacking between meals” including “fresh fruit, energy bars, dried fruit, nuts, sports drinks, fruit juices or smoothies.

Food for thought, and action. place. Things are hotting up going into the Billabong Pro Teahuppo.

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