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Hydration

Hydration

Let's start with thermoregulation As humans we thermoregulate, this means our bodies are continually working to keep our core temperate within strict bounds. As many of you may know, the body’s resting core temperate is 37°C. During exercise we often see a rise in the body’s core temperature to between 38-40°C. How is the body able to lose heat during exercise? Radiation - Electromagnetic heat waves emitted. Convection - Heat loss through movement of air and water. Conduction - Transfer of heat between molecules. Evaporation - Evaporation of sweat. (Major method of heat loss).   The majority of heat being...

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No Mouthwash On Race Day

No Mouthwash On Race Day

Yes You’ve Read It Correctly! If you’re using nitrate supplements to increase your nitric oxide levels on race day, using antibacterial mouthwash can have a detrimental effect on nitric oxide production! Recap of the Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitric Oxide Pathway When ingested, nitrate circulates in blood plasma whilst approximately 25% is concentrated in saliva after being taken up by the salivary glands (Spiegelhalder et al., 1976). Anaerobic bacteria on the tongue is then responsible for the reduction of nitrate into nitrite (Govoni et al., 2008). Once swallowed, some of the nitrite is reduced to form nitric oxide in the acidic conditions of the stomach, whilst...

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Pre-Load Nitrate Blend

Pre-Load Nitrate Blend

Let's Go Back In Time It was approximately 8 years ago that I first witnessed the use of nitrate supplements within the Action Sports industry. I remember watching Hard Enduro legend Jonny Walker drink two beetroot based shots on a morning before his race later that day. So what was the reasoning behind this surprising nutritional strategy? After talking with Jonny himself, his reasoning behind the use of nitrate supplementation strategies quickly became apparent – enhanced endurance performance and increased blood flow, helping to reduce the symptoms of ‘arm pump’ when riding his motorcycle. I began to question why this...

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Nitrates & Nitric Oxide

Nitrates & Nitric Oxide

What's The Hype? Over the past several years supplements and food powders designed to increase the consumption of nitrates have gained attention and popularity within the world of sports performance. This is because it is now recognised that ingested nitrate can be converted to nitric oxide in the body. What Is Nitric Oxide? Nitric oxide is a powerful signalling molecule involved in several vascular and cellular functions within the body. The most well-known function perhaps being the role nitric oxide plays in blood vessel dilation (widening). With this being said, reports also suggest nitric oxide plays a role in the...

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