On Sports Drinks: HoneyMaxx

 

Do you live in the GTA? If you do, I feel sorry for you (I feel sorry for myself too, but I can deal with it). It's hot out. Grossly hot. Stupid hot (why weather why?). Mainly due to the humidity but regardless, it doesn't make for the greatest running weather. So what do you do when it's blisteringly hot out and you have to get your workout in? Well, the key, as always, is to stay hydrated. The human body is comprised upwards of 60- 70% water in grown adults, more so in young people. And humans sweat to stay cool; although there is great variability between individuals, humans can lose up to 2 liters of sweat per hour of very intense exercise, or one liter during moderate exercise. This only worsens during hot weather and can be compounded by the fact that sweat can evaporate so fast that people think that they aren't actually sweating. Then they keel over due to dehydration and heat exhaustion. 

So hydrating yourself while you workout is a must. But what a lot of people fail to realize is that sweat has a lot more to it than just water. You can drink all the water you want but if you don't hydrate properly, your performance is still going to suffer. Through the course of your workout you'll lose not just water, but you'll have expended your sugar reserves (glycogen), as well, a lot of your "salts" (electrolytes) will have been lost through sweat. Someone was smart enough to realize that if you added sugar and salt to water, you could get a boost in performance- thus Gatorade was formed. This Florida-based sports drink is heavily credited as being the first major sports drink on the market (in North America at any rate). It would soon lead to the revolution of sports drinks we have today- different sweeteners being used, different electrolyte profiles, protein content, calories, etc, etc. 

Why are there so many of them though? There must be a single, best drink out on the market, shouldn't there? Well, no, not really. With there being so much variability between individuals there can't be just one that works for everyone. One of the main reasons is because of the science of the sugars that each sports drink uses. If you've ever chugged a Gatorade then tried to go for a run, I'm sure you felt it- the feeling of being bloated, sluggish, or suddenly getting cramps when you KNOW keeping hydrated prevents cramps (that's part of it but not the whole story-more on that another time). That feeling of being bloated is because of the sugar content. Sugars delay gastric emptying and cause those gassy, bloated feeling stomachs. One of the main culprits is high fructose modified corn syrup. The same sweetener that is in everything you eat these days is by far the worst form of sugar for you. It causes you to be extra gassy and instead of being converted into glycogen like most sugar molecules, it is preferentially converted into fat. 

Fructose and Glycogen Pathway- SCIENCE!

  

 That is why so many other sports drinks exist. They use alternate sweeteners that are "easier" to digest and more efficient at giving you energy (glycogen is your main source of energy for any activity over 65% VO2max). That is why you'll see things like maltodextrin, sucrose, brown rice sugar, etc, most of which are usually just glucose polymers or different glucose molecules. Some are easier to digest than others, but again it relies heavily on the individual's ability to break down certain molecules and use them as an energy source. Where a lot of sports drinks fail is when it comes to their electrolyte profile. Most sports drinks seem to get at least two things right: Potassium and Sodium- these two ions are crucial for electrical stimulus and nerve firing in your body and they are easily lost through sweat. However, there are two crucial ones that Gatorade and Powerade neglect- Magnesium which is crucial for muscle and nerve function (producing energy), and Calcium which has its most important role intracellularly causing muscles to contract (if you can find one with chloride in there the better- you need chlorine to balance out your nerves and muscles during impulse firing). Having a good profile of all four (or five) of these electrolytes is hugely important to overall health and to maintain peak performance during strenuous exercise.

In short, the best sports drink is one that is going to sit well in your stomach (so as not to make you feel bloated and crampy), provides a suitable carbohydrate profile to keep you glycogen reserves up, and has an adequate profile of the four/five main electrolytes. Somewhere in vicinity of 100mg Sodium, 50-60mg Potassium & Calcium and 100mg Magnesium would constitute the electrolyte profile of a very well-rounded sports drink. The one that I would recommend trying is HoneyMaxx.

HoneyMaxx is unique in that it is the only sports drink on the market that uses honey as its base sweetener (mixed with maltodextrin). Honey is sweetened by a multitude of sugars including glucose, fructose, maltose and sucrose. You might be thinking, "Hey! You said sugars were gassy and bad and fructose was the worst of all! What gives?" And you'd be right. But remember, this is all-natural fructose- untampered by modification processes. So even though it gets converted to fat faster than any other sugar, it doesn't come with any of the chemical baggage associated with the corn processing. And the make-up of honey is such that it isn't so dependent on any one carbohydrate source for its sweetness. Rather, it has a wider profile of sugars in lesser individual quantities which means it sits a lot nicer in your stomach. The sugar profile allows things to be broken down more easily and efficiently which causes less strain to the gut which means less cramps and gastrointestinal problems for you on your run. For those diabetics looking to get into shape or if you are worried about drinks that raise your blood sugars too much- especailly for children growing up these days, HoneyMaxx is a great alternative. HoneyMaxx's sugar profile alters gastric emptying and helps decrease the blood sugar hit thus altering the insulin response. It is more of a time-released formula to keep you going for the long haul.
 On top of that, Honey Maxx has a great electrolyte profile. 

It has the four main crucial electrolytes, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium, in effective quantities. Compared to the original Gatorade mix:

Nutritional value per serving
Serving size	20 US fluid ounces (590 ml)
Energy	50 kcal (210 kJ)
Carbohydrates	14
- Sugars	10
- Dietary fiber	0
Fat	0
Protein	0
Potassium	30 mg (1%)
Sodium	5 mg (0%)

Now, to be fair, Gatorade has changed quite a bit in the past two years. Since the 80s, Gatorade had been using that high fructose modified corn syrup as their main sweetener in their sports drinks. In 2010 they went back to a cane sugar base because "it's what the customers like" and they've upgraded their product line to include pre, during, and post drink formulations to include a little bit better performance. But what a lot of the larger companies fail to do is ensure the electrolyte profile is well rounded as well as taking into account the sugars used within their drink. Gatorade seems to be half way there, and some of the other sports drinks seem to be looking like they are fairly good, but I have yet to come across anything that is as complete, sits as well and tastes as good as the new HoneyMaxx drink. 

But again, that's my opinion. I'm sure you all have different ones. And as always, I'd love to hear them! Let me know in the comments section, or e-mail me about your experiences with some of the sports drinks; what are your favourite and if you'd like me to look at one in particular that you want to know more about. If you're interested in trying Honey Maxx just swing by the Runners Mark store, we just got some free samples of their two flavors Lemon Lime and Orange, and we'd love some input as to what you think of it.

~E

Man do your feet stink: On minimalism and barefoot

Is it finally safe to step outdoors again? Has the dust settled? After the meteoric rise of the barefoot and minimalist movement, it would seem as though the shoe genre is falling back to Earth. This, according to many industry analysts pointing to the 10% fall in minimalist shoes during the first quarter of 2013, could mark the beginning to the end of an era. That development is in contrast to SportsOneSource's quarterly reports of the last few years, in which the minimalist category had some of the highest growth, while sales in categories such as motion control and stability stagnated or fell.

Sales in motion control shoes rose by more than 25% in the first three months of the year and hot on its heels was a 10% increase in stability shoes. In fact, barefoot and minimalist type running shoes only represented 4% of total running shoes in SportOneSource's analysis. Was barefoot really just a fad? Or was it just sorely misunderstood, a tortured sole looking for a home?

My feet hurt just thinking of this.

Much of the barefoot movement came about because of some pilot studies looking at various Kenyan tribes and one particular tribe in Mexico that runs long distances barefoot. It was reported that it was more fuel efficient- you spared your glycogen reserves more (your carbs), because your VO2 max was lower and you could use your high energy fat reserves longer- basically you were a running machine and super efficient. Your foot fall contact was light and your turnover quick- you were faster and you weren't stomping/slapping the ground when you ran. Maybe it was because you were more self-aware that you were running over hard surfaces, you could feel every stone and every crack, that you ended up changing your gait and your knee and hip alignment and you got less injured. These were all the reasons presented in these few pilot studies suggesting the benefits of switching to barefoot.

But new evidence is coming out that contradicts everything. Injury rates didn't fall, and in a lot of cases, they increased. New studies show that VO2 fell when going barefoot, and efficiency went down with it. Even the Kenyan foot strike data was disputed. And more science about the rearfoot strike being more economical at submax speeds has come out contradictory to the idea that barefoot is more efficient in terms of running.

After such a HUGE increase in the barefoot movement at the start of the decade, it seems to have come crashing down. But why? Most people who aren't in the know don't read all the scientific literature to see why it was or wasn't such a great idea. If I could hazard a guess as to why minimalism has slowed so much, it would be because of a lack of knowledge. People just jump head first into these things without ever knowing the how-to's and why's of the situation. People get injured and don't know why, when these shoes and the whole minimalist ideals are supposed to prevent injury.

The main thing that people don't realize is that barefoot running takes a long time to transition to. A long time. Especially if you've been running in big motion control and guidance shoes for so long. This is one of those things where you run maybe once or twice a week for 15 minutes at a time just to get used to it. You work your way up, GRADUALLY, to the point where you are able to run everyday barefoot or in your minimalist shoes, then you start ramping up your mileage in your minimalist shoes. Too often have I come across a poor soul that has destroyed their achilles or knees or shins from thinking they can do the same workouts they had previously been doing whilst in standard runners, but now in their trendy new barefoot shoes. And one of the problems was that dealers were all too happy to sell them to an unaware customer without warning them of the potential dangers of transitioning too fast to barefoot.

Vibram revolutionized the running scene and took the community by storm but people never knew how to get the most out of them.

 Which brings me to another point. Motion control shoes and stability shoes exist for a reason. People, if you haven't noticed, are different. We all have different running forms, our foot falls all differ slightly, and we each have our own, individualized gait. You could have the strongest feet in the world, but if you overpronate or you run knocked knee, guess what? Barefoot shoes aren't going to change that- it is just how you run, it is what is most natural for you. You do it naturally because it is what works best for you, it may not be efficient for others, but it gets the job done for you pretty well.

Maybe this decrease of the barefoot/minimalist is a good thing (much to the chagrin of podiatrists everywhere). Maybe it gives everyone a chance to step back and re-assess the realities presented. Some people swear by it and have found huge success with it. Others have scoffed at barefoot running and called it nothing more than a passing fad. There still remain many benefits of trying barefoot once and a while- it does indeed help to strengthen your feet and will get your foot speed turning over quicker, both of which are useful for being the best runner you can be. It has also drastically changed the running shoe market today. Heel-to-toe drops in running shoes are disappearing. Consumers are calling for shoes that are lower to the ground but offer more padding and cushioning than a traditional minimal barefoot shoe. Barefoot running will always have a niche I think, and minimalist shoes are great tools for becoming a better runner but the go-to shoes now are going to be lightweight trainers. Shoes which offer more neutral, cushioned shoes that offer a higher performance ride like the Saucony Kinvara and Virrata, the Brooks Pure Project, the "Zero Drop" style shoes like the Altra Instinct, and the New Balance 1400 and 890.

Until next time!

Running Shoes: Myths Debunked! PART 2

Myth #7: But I’m just a beginner. I don’t need all the fancy bells and whistles on the expensive shoes, do I?
BUSTED: I don't know about bells and whistles but it is imperative that beginners get the best shoes they can for themselves. Unfortunately, that's rarely the economic option. A beginner usually needs the best cushioning and support that he/she can find. It’s far more important for a beginner to spend a little more and get the best shoe, as opposed to someone who’s been running several years and already knows what works best. Their feet will have adapted and be that much stronger and be used to being used for strenuous amounts of time. 

Myth #8: Cushioning is the most important factor for me. I’m a big runner and need as much cushioning as I can get. When I try a new pair on, I like that soft, cushy feel I get walking around in the store.
BUSTED: Almost all standard running shoes these days have adequate amounts of cushioning but some shoes/brands may have a softer level of cushioning or even a greater amount of cushioning. Yet that doesn't mean that a shoe has better quality or even a greater amount of cushioning. It simply means that it has a softer grade cushioning material (foam) which may feel amazing when you're simply walking around in the store. But just a light walk from one end to the store to another is not an adequate way to truly test a shoe's cushioning level. Researchers have long ago concluded that a running shoe with softer cushioning (rather than firmer) increases impact forces. There’s no evidence that a softer cushioned shoe is better for you than a shoe with greater firmness. In addition, running shoes that are too soft bottom out on road surface, don’t support the foot well (the foot sinks into the midsole) and the cushioning wears out quicker.

Myth # 9: It takes me two or three weeks to break in a new pair of shoes. It’s frustrating that it takes so long.
BUSTED: It's quite understandable that you'd be frustrated. But the reality is that today's running shoes are good to go right out of the box. The idea that you had to break in a pair of runners is something of a by-gone era (the 70s and 80s) when many running shoes had a board in the rearfoot, ere very stiff and necessitated several short break-in runs. It’s simply not necessary today. The only exception is before an important race (especially a marathon) a few shakedown runs are important.

Myth #10: I’m a woman who is tired of buying women’s shoes. It bothers me that women’s running shoes are technically inferior to men’s and just more colorful versions designed to pander to women.
BUSTED: That simply is not true. It used to be true when women made up a fraction of the running population and women’s running shoes were a little narrower, but today’s women (who make up more than half of all runners) demand just as good a shoe as men. Women are more sensitive to fit than men and absolutely won’t settle for a running shoe that doesn’t fit properly. Many shoe brands design their ladies shoes with lady-specific lasts, and softer/lighter material for the upper meshing of the shoe.

Myth #11: I like to rotate between two pair of the same model shoe. That way I can extend the life of the shoe.
BUSTED:  There’s certainly nothing wrong with using two different pair of training shoes, but it won’t extend the life of a shoe. Shoes have a limited life span of a certain number of miles (which differs for everyone) and rotating between two pairs won’t help the shoes last longer. Shoes don’t need a day or two of rest like you and I do. Generally, a running shoe’s midsole (the cushioning element) needs just a couple of hours of “rest” to rebound from the day’s run, rather than 24 or 48 hours to recover. Doing so, won’t hurt the shoe but it won’t extend its durability.

Myth #12: Minimalist running shoes are the best way to improve running form.
BUSTED: There isn’t anything magical about minimalist or zero drop shoes. Yes, minimal running shoes—i.e., shoes with minimal cushioning and lowered (or zero) heel heights—might help you change your stride, but it is usually more of a result of making a conscious decision to change your running form and foot strike while running in this type of shoe. While it is true that because of the low heel heights and overall lightness of minimal shoes, runners do tend to strike the ground lighter and closer to the midfoot or forefoot with each stride. But, there is still an adaptation period as the typical runner has to biomechanically retrain. The shoe won’t do that; the runner must. Even so, many runners in minimalist shoes, continue to heel strike, just as some runners in conventional training shoes, use a mid or forefoot strike.

So there you have it, myths debunked. If you have questions that you want to ask please do so in the comments or if you want to chat further shoot me an e-mail! I'd love to hear from you.

And as always, check out Runner's Mark