Day: August 6, 2009

Going into the 9th day of the first Temasya Mini Olimpik 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, the backup squad (Pelapis) competing against the elit athletes had bagged 86 medals. 32 Gold,42 Silver and 54 Bronze.

Data taken from Pelapis Majlis Sukan Negara’s Facebook.

Here are another three abstracts from the seminar. The sminar was powered by 100 PLUS Isotonic drink.

Twelve males performed three trials of ingesting water, a placebo and a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink during exercise and recovery to evaluate their efficacy in replacing fluids, glucose and electrolytes, and the effects on subsequent endurance capacity. A rehydration volume equivalent to 150 percent of sweat loss was ingested during a 75 minute moderate intensity cycling session in the heat and within one hour of recovery time. The results showed that ingestion of the sports drink during and after moderate intensity exercise replaces fluids lost more effectively than water and a placebo. The replenishment of glucose and electrolytes with the sports drink has helped extend subsequent endurance capacity.

• Replenishment of fluids and energy with 100 PlUS is more effective than water.
• Rehydration with 100 PLUS should be encouraged during prolonged exerciseto augment training adaptations.
• For athletes participating in repeated bouts of exercise within a day, the ingestion of 100 PLUS during exercise and recovery will enhance exercise performance in comparison to water.

Hydration Management for Individual and Team Sports (Eg. Malaysian Badminton & Hockey Team)

Abstract:

A proper hydration strategy is important to ensure athletescan perform at optimal levels, but it does vary for different types of sports. Factors that must be taken into consideration include the environment, opportunity to drink, duration and intensity of games, rest period between games, etc.

The duration and intensity of badminton games vary depending on opponents. Besides, the opportunity to drink is a limiting factor. Athletes must apply strategies that prepare them for the worst situations, such as long duration or high intensity sports.

As for hockey, the duration of the game is standard andthere is greater opportunity to rehydrate during time offs or substitutions. The focus would then be the outdoor environment, which would affect the body’s hydration status.

Applications :

Ergogenic Aids in Sports Performance: Effectiveness, Legalities & Enhancement

The nutritional supplements and ergogenic aids industry is a multi-million dollar, poorly regulated industry where new products are released almost daily, often with little to no scientific evidence to support their claims of benefit to athletes. Several manufacturers are moving towards multi-component “super” products yet have not resolved the issues of variations in dosage and situation requirements between different ergogenic aids, even for those which do have scientific evidence support. However, the riskof doping offences through consumption of ergogenic aids remains of concern. The AIS Supplements Program provides a framework of adviceto athletes and coaches regarding nutritional supplements and ergogenic aids.

• The majority of ergogenic aids promoted to athletes have no scientific evidence to support the claims made by their manufacturers.
• There is clear risk of anti-doping offences from consumption of ergogenic aids due to poor quality control procedures and both deliberate and inadvertent contamination.
• There are a small number of ergogenic aids which DO have scientific support. However, they are generally restricted to specific types of activities and have set dosage protocols. Besides, these ergogenic aids can only be used by elite level athletes who are already trained as professional athletes – following a strict training routine, strict diet and hydration remedy, and appropriate rest and recovery period.

This is the abstract of the paper presented by Prof Dr. Rabinderjeet Singh during the Sports Hydration and Nutrition Seminar.

Water is the body’s most important nutrient; it makes up 70-75% of the total body weight, and is needed in every bodily function. Therefore, satisfying our body’s water requirements is essential for good health and excellent physical performance. As major sports events in Asia are usually staged in hot environments with average daytime temperature of 29-32 degrees Celcius and average relative humidity of 70-90 percent, it is generally understood that prolonged bouts of exercising under these conditions can lead to a loss of one litre of body fluid per hour. This can have an adverse effect on the body’s cellular environment. Dehydration and hyperthermia can adversely affect mental and physical performance. The rapid replacement of fluids following a bout of exercise becomes the paramount concern to an athlete who may have to perform more than one such bout in a single day. Meeting water requirements under environmental conditions that promote large losses is not easy. Furthermore, water intake during exercise is usually inadequate and ‘voluntary dehydration ‘ occurs. A competing athlete may be near exhaustion despite absence of thirst. The athlete must begin the exercise fully hydrated and regular ingestion of fluids is beneficial when the exercise duration exceeds 40minutes. It is therefore pertinent to drink enough fluids before a game and during breaks to avoid dehydration and fatigue. Dilute carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks are best for fluid replacement while also supplying some substrate for the exercising muscles. Even after the exercise, thirst may not be sufficient stimulus to ensure full rehydration. What is ingested during recovery, especially in the first two hours, could also markedly influence the rate of recovery and performance in a subsequent athletic events. Athletes, especially in the tropics, are advised to drink to replace their sweat losses rather than simply to satisfy their thirst. The rehydration fluid must contain sufficient sodium to maintain the thirst stimulus and to promote the retention of the ingested fluid.

Applications:

• Dehydration and hyperthermia can acversely affect mental andphysical performance.
• Begin exercise fully hydrated and regular ingestion of fluids is beneficial when the exercise duration exceeds 40 minutes.
• Dilute carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks with sufficient sodium are best for fluid replacement, which not only supply some substrate for the exercising muscles but also maintain the thirst stimulus to promote the retention of the ingested fluid.