A guest blog post by Phil Elsasser of the Hagens Berman Elite Team Fueled by Hammer Nutrition.

While I have used several of Hammer’s products such as Heed and Sustained Energy in the past, this year I have had the great opportunity to explore some of their supplements through Hammer’s support of the Hagens Berman Cycling Team. One product that impressed me greatly was Hammer’s REM Caps. Being an endurance athlete means that generally by the time my head hits the pillow at the end of the day I am out like a light. As a result, I have never really thought about using a sleep aid. This year definitely changed that. Continue Reading »

Author: Steve Born

Endurolytes Fizz (introduced recently along with Perpetuem Solids) is the newest member of the Hammer Nutrition lineup of superior, high-quality fuels. This great product gives you yet another option—and a deliciously refreshing one at that—to fulfill your body’s electrolyte requirements. Continue Reading »

Brian Frank fuels with the NEW Perpetuem Solids during the Highline Hammer while riding with friend,
Marshall Opel.

Author: Steve Born

We believe that Perpetuem Solids, while they can be used as your sole source of calories, are best used as a part-time, solid-food source of calories. They are designed primarily to augment your use of the Hammer Nutrition liquid fuels, helping you reach your targeted hourly caloric total during exercise/competition, especially that lasting more than two hours. Continue Reading »

Author: Steve Born

When it comes to calories, fluids, and electrolytes, the human body is not designed to accept from your fuel donation an amount that comes anywhere near to what it’s losing. The good news is that your body knows this, which is why it has numerous built-in hormonal (survival) mechanisms, which very easily “bridge the gap” between what your body is losing and what it can accept from you. Don’t try to replace what you’re losing; you’ll only make matters worse. Instead, replenish your body with appropriate, “body cooperative” amounts of calories, fluids, and electrolytes. When you do, your body can’t help but respond positively, and it will be able to do what you want it to do more consistently hour after hour. Learn why a “Less is Best” approach is undeniably the right way to fuel and start reaping the benefits today!

» Read the full Less is Best – The Right Way To Fuel article.

Author: Steve Born

There are many theories as to why athletes suffer muscle cramps, though the usual culprits are improper hydration and/or improper electrolyte replenishment. If don’t consume enough fluid, one of the unpleasant outcomes you can expect is cramping. Ditto if you consume too much fluid (See the article Hydration – What You Need to Know for more information on this important topic). Additionally, if you don’t replenish electrolytes consistently during exercise, especially during hot-weather workouts and races, cramping is almost guaranteed to happen – and if you’ve ever suffered from mild-to-debilitating cramping, that’s a bridge you want to hopefully cross one time only.

Needless to say, as important as the calories you consume and the fluid you drink during exercise is a consistent replenishment of electrolytes, and not just to help prevent cramping. A number of important bodily functions, including muscular performance, are severely compromised if adequate levels of electrolytes are not present. Even if you’ve got your fuel and hydration plan dialed in, without adequate, balanced levels of electrolytes, you’re missing a crucial component of the athletic performance “puzzle.”

So even if you’ve never had a cramping issue in your life, but most certainly if you have, we encourage you to thoroughly read Electrolyte Replenishment – Why It’s So Important and How to Do It Right. In the article we’ll look closely at this vital, but often neglected and misunderstood, aspect of fueling.

Your workout or race can go down the drain fast if you follow the “calories out, calories in” protocol that many “experts” recommend. Athletes who attempt to replace all the calories they lose will end up with bloating, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea . . . definitely unpleasant and performance-inhibiting scenarios.

If you want to achieve your best performance, replenish calories in “body cooperative” amounts, allowing your fat stores to make up the difference, which they will easily do. While 240-280 calorie per hour is a theoretical hourly maximum based on the liver converting 1 gram of carbohydrates (4 calories) per minute into glycogen, almost all athletes report success with far lower hourly caloric intake. Continue Reading »

Author: Steve Born

DAYS LEADING UP TO THE RACE

• Avoid the temptation to train too much and/or too close to race day! – You will not be able to positively influence your fitness level in the days leading up to the race; however, you can negatively impact your race by training during that time (training meaning anything of significant duration or intensity). As well-known coach Jeff Cuddeback (pictured right) states, “The week of any event of this duration should be all about resting up and topping off your energy stores. Training is done to keep the engine lubed and tuned up, nothing more. If you think you’re going to further your fitness through training the week of your key race, you’re sadly mistaken. If you are the type to train right up to the event, you will almost certainly under perform.”
  Continue Reading »

Author: Steve Born

Athletes tend to focus on training and neglect recovery, specifically the critical step of refueling as soon as possible after each workout. We tend to think that a hard workout deserves a nice reward. Do you usually first go for a shower or relaxation after a hard workout? Are beer and pretzels your favored post–workout snack? If so, remember that a hard workout has left your body in a state of utter depletion and physiological vulnerability. However, it’s also in a state of prime receptivity, ready to absorb nutrients. Taking those few extra minutes to properly refuel is one of the most important things that you can do to improve your race day results. In fact, properly refueling your body immediately after your training session is as important as anything you did in the actual workout. When you give your body what it needs as soon as possible after exercise, it will respond wonderfully in the following ways: Continue Reading »

Author: Steve Born

When exercise goes beyond two hours, we generally recommend that athletes use a “carb + protein” fuel (Sustained Energy or Perpetuem), either as their sole fuel from beginning to end, or as their primary fuel (roughly 2/3 – 3/4 of the time). The reason for this recommendation is that once you hit that second hour and beyond, a small percentage (roughly 5–15%) of their energy requirements will be fulfilled from protein. If you don’t provide some in the fuel mix, at least part of the time, your body has to cannibalize the lean muscle tissue to obtain the amino acids it needs to fulfill that small percentage of its energy requirements. Continue Reading »

The overwhelming majority of our clients take a number of capsules during the prolonged bouts of exercise. Some take Endurolytes, Anti-Fatigue Caps, and Endurance Amino, while many take even more products, such as those outlined in the article Epic Workout/Race Supplement Suggestions.

With some of these products looking somewhat similar (Anti-Fatigue Caps and Endurance Amino come to mind), here are a couple tips on simplifying the process of carrying and consuming pills during prolonged bouts of exercise: Continue Reading »