Neil Featherby: Why real nutrition still beats hype and supplements

Earlier this week I had two fairly in-depth conversations with my good friends Mark Armstrong and Bhaskar Kumar about the importance of nutrition.

It was mainly about the huge array of nutritional supplements and products on the market that claim to boost performance for athletes and sportspeople, particularly those who are always striving to improve their current level.

First and foremost, having a desire to improve is essential. While one of the roles of a coach is to motivate athletes, that deep-down drive to achieve one’s full potential has to come from within.

Highly motivated people will always look for that extra one, two, three or even more per cent – whether that’s through wearing the best shoes, clothing and equipment, or buying into the latest sports nutrition claims.

Nevertheless, I am still not convinced that much of today’s marketing, especially when it comes to supplementation, is actually telling us anything that wasn’t already known decades ago.

Energy drinks and protein supplements have been around for a long time, but I would say it goes back as far as the late 1980s when sports nutrition products really started to gain attention – and even more so in the 1990s.

However, it now seems to have gone to another level, with countless so-called ‘must-have’ products on the market, all apparently backed by the ‘latest scientific research’.

Sports nutrition is a huge industry and, as already said, many of these so-called new products are nothing new at all – just packaged in a different bottle.

Athletes want to be the best they can be, even if deep down they are not entirely sure whether a product is actually improving performance, despite the claims.

It can so easily become a case of: “I’m not sure, but I dare not stop taking them now, just in case…” – which, of course, is exactly what clever marketing, advertising and influencers across all media channels are designed to achieve.

Don’t get me wrong – I do believe that supplements have a role to play in performance, but in reality, performance is far more often limited by under-fuelling than by choosing the wrong gel.

When it comes to endurance training, carbohydrates are the primary fuel. Once glycogen stores run low, pace drops and perceived effort increases. Those of us who have ran into the wall during a marathon have all experienced that brain fog in the closing miles of a marathon, when simply trying to hang on for dear life, regardless of how mentally tough we might be.

It is far more important to toe the line of a marathon properly carbohydrate-loaded than to rely solely on products taken during the race.

I am not saying don’t use energy supplements during a marathon, but without boosting your glycogen stores by consuming enough carbohydrates in the two to three days before race day, the likelihood is that you will fade and miss your planned splits after halfway.

I am often shocked when people tell me about a disappointing performance, only to discover they ate very little carbohydrate beforehand. “I try to cut carbs out of my diet as they aren’t good for you,” is an answer I have heard far too often.

Research has shown time and again that endurance athletes perform better when carbohydrates make up roughly 55–65 per cent of intake during heavy training periods and before long runs.

Protein and essential fats are also crucial, of course – protein for recovery and repair, and fats for hormone balance, organ protection, nerves, joints and cells, as well as the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat is also a very good energy source, providing more than double the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates and protein, but fat oxidation is not as efficient as glycogen use for energy production in endurance sport unless intensity is much lower.

For those tackling very long ultra-distance events, nutrition strategies can differ considerably, though – something that took me a long time to fully appreciate myself.

Hydration is equally important. Provided you are well hydrated before a run, you should be able to exercise for up to an hour without too many issues, although I would still suggest taking around 125–150mls of water or an electrolyte drink every 15–20 minutes during key sessions, or when running for longer than 60 minutes.

So yes – there is a place for supplements, but they are not superior to good everyday nutrition and, most importantly, things do not need to be complicated. Train specifically for the demands of your chosen events and fuel your body with the right combination of foods and nutrients to meet the needs of your training and racing.

As always, have a great running weekend – and all the very best to everyone taking part in Sunday’s Valentine’s 10k race.