The Newsletter For Endurance Athletes

Contents

Welcome• Page 250th Giro Lavenese• Page 2Be Like Jack and Bob• Page 4Phytomax is Back!• Page 5Is a High-Sodium Diet Bad?• Page 6New Research on Omega 3’s• Page 853x11 Coffee - Ride Ready• Page 82006 RAAM• Page 9Ask Dr. Bill• Page 10Athlete Spotlight :Team Rite Aid• Page 12From the Saddle of Steve Born• Page 14Product Spotlight : Liquid Endurance• Page 16Helpful Hints to Keep Product Fresh• Page 17The Latest on Lactate• Page 18Nate’s Corner• Page 19Website Changes• Page 19CoQ10 Update• Page 20Tieni Duro Junior Development Team• Page 20The Rest of the Story• Page 21Race Report • Page 22

Low Sodium/High Sodium : Where we stand

Stay Cool : Hot weather adaptationIn extremely hot climates or due to an

internal infection, core body tempera-tures can rise to dangerous levels.Hyperthermia, a life-threatening disor-der, typically starts in humans whenbody temperatures rise to 105-107° F.(40.6-41.7° C.). Athletes lose heat to thesurrounding environment by 4 path-ways [1, 2]:

1. Radiation of Heat Waves - 60%2. Evaporation of Sweat - 22%3. Convection of Air Currents - 15%4. Conduction to Objects - 3%

There are LIMITS to how much heatthe body can withstand during exercise.But there are ways by which adaptationto heat stress may be improved.

Simple radiation is responsible formost of the loss during normal temper-

ature range, but in hot dry climatesevaporative cooling and sweating ismore significant. Adapting to hot envi-ronments is complex. The effect of heaton human bodies varies with the rela-tive humidity of the air. HIGHTEMPERATURES + HIGH HUMIDI-TY makes it very difficult to lose excessbody heat. This is due to the fact thatwhen the moisture content of air goesup, it becomes increasingly more diffi-cult for sweat to evaporate. The sweatstays on our skin and we feel clammy.As a result, we do not get the coolingeffect of rapid evaporation.

In DRY HOT weather, humidity islow and sweat evaporates readily. Thehigher the desert temperatures, themore significant of a cooling effect we

It’s looking like we’re in the minorityon this one. What I’m referring to is theseemingly growing number of “experts”who are recommending that youincrease your sodium intake - either ona daily basis, in the week leading up toan event, during an event, or all threecombined - to prevent heat-relatedproblems. Also on the rise are the num-bers of companies that seem to be on asodium “kick,” meaning that theirproduct is loaded with high amounts ofthis mineral, the amounts seeminglygetting higher and higher. It’s asthough sodium-or more appropriatelyput, more and more sodium-is the keyto resolving all your heat related prob-lems! If that’s the consensus ofso-called experts and other nutritionalcompanies then yes, we’re definitely inthe minority on this issue.

(see HOT WEATHER on page 3)

Issue 051

The Newsletter For Endurance AthletesNEWSENDURANCE

August 2006

Published continuously since 1992

Look, there’s no doubt that sodium isan important mineral for maintainingoptimal exercise performanc and it’simportant to note that during exerciseyou excrete sodium faster than anyother electrolyte. In addition, if sodiumgets too diluted (usually from over-hydration), hyponatremia, a medicalemergency, may result. However, andthis is the key, the kidneys have specif-ic (and complex) mechanisms toregulate sodium excretion. When sodi-um concentration gets too low, yousecrete hormones that help retain theremaining sodium and keep it circulat-ing within the system. Your body knowshow to regulate itself!

Before you buy into the high sodiumrationale, consider this: Excess sodium

An E-CAPS / Hammer Nutrition Publication

(see SODIUM on page 5)

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

Steve Born

Our Mission

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The objective of Endurance News is to provide you, the seriousendurance athlete, with a valuable resource that you will find tobe informative, educational, thought provoking and helpful in yourongoing pursuit of optimum performance and health.

Endurance News features insightful articles on diet, nutrition, train-ing and other topics of interest for endurance athletes — written bymyself as well as professional and elite amateur athletes and otherexperts in the area of nutrition and exercise. In addition, EnduranceNews will include articles highlighting new and existing E-Capsproducts and how to get the maximum benefits from them.

In reading this and future issues, please remember that the viewsexpressed in this publication will always be biased in favor of a healthydiet, hard training that emphasizes quality over quantity, and prudentsupplementation to improve health and performance. But above all,we at Endurance News believe there are no short cuts, and successcan only come from hard work.

Back issues of Endurance News are available online at:www.hammernut.com

Legal disclaimer: The contents of Endurance News are not intend-ed to provide medical advice to individuals. For medical advice,please consult a licensed health care specialist.

The FDA has evaluated none of the statements in this newsletter.

Endurance News StaffEditorial :Steve Born, Dr. Bill Misner, Brian Frank

Editorial Contributors :Nate Llerandi, Tony Schiller, Jonathan Siegel

Copy Editor :David Levin*

Layout :Angela Nock

*Articles written by Dr. Bill Misner and third party contributors are notproofed by David Levin

ENDURANCE NEWS : The Newsletter For Endurance Athletes

Welcome,The first thing I want to do is thank

you for your support - To those of youwho have been with us since the earlydays and those of you who have discov-ered us more recently. Without yoursupport, I would not be 19+ years intothis adventure and we would not beable to offer the products and informa-tion that we do. There are moreproducts than ever on the market today,and that makes your support so muchmore valuable and appreciated. So,thank you for allowing my staff and meto continue this good work.

Continuing to inform you and keepyou up to date on the latest in nutritionand fueling is a lot of work. That is whyI’m so pleased that we have located andhired a new staff nutritionist, JamesStevens, M.S., R.D. James will receivehis Ph.D. before the end of the year, sowe’ll have a new doctor to assist might-ily in our ongoing efforts to keep youinformed and provide a counterbalanceto the hype and fluff. He will make hisgrand entrance in issue #52, but willsoon be active on the Endurance listand field the more complex questionswe get from clients daily.

In case we have not stated it obvious-ly or frequently enough, here is ourplatform, which you can expect us toconsistently speak from in this publica-tion and elsewhere:

Daily Diet - Eat whole (organic) foodsas much as possible. Avoid packaged,processed foods and junk foods at alltimes. Do not consume any artificialsweeteners, colors, or flavors, and avoidpreservatives as much as possible. Thequality of the calories you consumeALWAYS matters.

Sugar Bad - Avoid all “ose” (sucrose,fructose, glucose, etc.) highly processedsugars in your daily diet and especiallyduring exercise. These sugars are not

only inefficient fuels, they’rehealth hazards as well.

Protein - It’s not just forstrength athletes; it’s vitallyimportant for endurance athletesas well. Consume 1/2 gram of pro-tein per pound of bodyweightdaily as a minimum. Increase to

3/4 gram/pound of bodyweight dailyduring periods of high volumeendurance training and/or when want-ing to increase lean muscle mass. Whenyour exercise extends well beyond twohours, soy protein should be included inyour fuel.

The “balanced diet” myth/thenecessity of prudent supple-mentation - How many of you take nosupplements because you believe youeat a “balanced diet?” Did you knowthat there has never been a single clini-cal study that documents whatcomprises a balanced diet, nor one thathas demonstrated one’s ability to meetbasic nutrient requirements throughwhole foods alone? That’s because it isnot possible. Thus, our position thatprudent supplementation is essentialfor optimum performance and health.

Fueling during exercise - Replacewhat you can effectively assimilate, notwhat you lose, with limited, measuredfluids, complex carbs, moderate sodiumand other electrolytes, and soy proteinwhen exercising beyond two hours.Also avoid products that contain “ose”highly processed sugars, artificialsweeteners, colors or flavors.

It looks like high sodium intake, bothin the daily diet and while exercising, isgoing to have to be added to our educa-tional efforts and to the above“platform.” This is rather odd to me,since it seemed like everyone, (holisticand allopathic communities) haveagreed for the past 20 years, or more,that high sodium intake is bad for yourhealth. Unfortunately, many “experts”have decided that high sodium intake isgood for you if you are an enduranceathlete and exercise in the heat.

Show me an athlete with salt crust ontheir skin and clothing and I’ll show youan athlete that consumes a high sodiumdiet. The more you eat, the more youwill excrete; it really is that simple.

However, some companies are now tout-ing the high sodium content in theirgels and sports drinks as a key feature.We even have clients asking us why wedon’t put more sodium in our products.

High sodium intake is not only con-trary to optimal health but itcontravenes normal body mechanismsthat regulate sodium excretion and re-circulation during exercise. This is whywe have always advocated a low sodiumdiet and moderate sodium intake dur-ing exercise. Many articles in previousissues of Endurance News, as well asthose on our website, have clearly andconvincingly made the case for a lowsodium diet. I encourage you to readthose as well as Steve’s most recentarticle in this issue. That way, the nexttime someone tells you that more sodi-um is better, you’ll know otherwise.

Enjoy the read, live long, and hammer!Brian

socializing is the focus. Trophies areawarded afterwards for all kinds of rea-sons that I cannot remember, but they

have nothing to do with whowas the fastest or any othercompetitive goal. G.S. Bertireceived a cup for having themost club members do theride, sort of like a team spiritaward or something. TheGiro Lavenese, like most ofthe social cycling clubs’events, is all about havingfun riding with friends. If youever have a chance to rideyour bike in Italy, with orwithout locals, do whatever ittakes to get there.

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August 2006 : Issue 051

get from evaporation. This relationshipbetween relative humidity and air tem-perature is quantified athttp://anthro.palomar.edu/adapt/adapt_2.htm. When the apparent temperatureis above 60°F. - 60% humidity, dehydra-tion, hyponatremia, heat exhaustionand cramps are likely for humans.Much above 60°-60%, life threateningheat stroke may result [1].

Fluids (water) are absorbed in thestomach cavity first, then a few minuteslater in the small intestines.Carbohydrates rely on sodium mole-cules to cross gut linings, so somesodium is absorbed with carbohydrates.However, sodium and chloride andpotassium are absorbed at a high rateby the colon. Fluid loss and body coretemperature elevation drive thirst toincrease fluids and this is good to apoint. But loading too much water vol-ume without electrolytes may create alow serum sodium or hyponatremia, anevent-ending medical emergency.

The ability to physiologically acclima-tize to hot conditions requires 14-21days training in the heat. “The salt con-centration of sweat progressivelydecreases while the volume of sweatincreases. Urine volume also reduces.

In addition, vasodilation of peripheralblood vessels results in increased heatloss through radiation. Vasodilationalso causes flushing, or reddening, ofthe skin since more blood is close to thesurface.” [2]

Tips for adaptation to the heat:

1. Distance Training @ Aerobic Pace 14-21 consecutive days2. Train body to refuel, rehydrate, andprocess electrolytes during #13. Train at a reduced pace to compen-sate for overheating4. Liquid Endurance 3-day hyperhydra-tion loading protocol (trial in trainingfirst)5. Dilute rehydration solutions slightlyincrease electrolytes6. Increase fluid volume cautiously;resist drinking above 1 liter perhour [3]7. Keep head, trunk, & quads WET toincrease evaporative heat loss

The human body will adapt within 21days aerobic heat stress exposure. (DONOT wear extra clothing or plasticsweat suits to raise body core tempera-tures in preparation for a hyperthermicevent). If body core temperaturesexceed evaporative cooling rate, fluidloss and electrolyte loss will present asdehydration, tachycardia, excessive

heart rate, dizziness, gastric shutdown,performance deterioration, musclecramping, and the athlete will be forcedto reduce pace or stop exercising. Whenbody core temperatures exceed theevaporative cooling rate, drinking coldfluids and emersion in cold water arethe fastest remedies to reduce body coretemperatures. Keep in mind, maintain-ing a slower pace (lower gears, easycadence) in the heat may mean a betterfinish place over the course of a hyper-thermic endurance event. It is best to beable to complete adaptive training inthe heat with race event light coloredclothing, exposing as much skin as pos-sible. DO NOT wear skull caps in theheat, unless a crew supplies an icepacks often over the top of the head.

References

[1] Source: U.C. Berkeley WellnessLetter, August 1996http://anthro.palomar.edu/adapt/adapt_2.htm

[2] Adapting to Climate Extremeshttp://anthro.palomar.edu/adapt/adapt_2.htm

[3] When drinking above 34 fluid ouncesper hour, the risk ofdilutional hyponatremia increases(medical emergency)

(HOT WEATHER from page 1)

I was fortunate to be able to spend acouple of weeks riding in northern Italywith some of my friends from the G.S.Berti cycling club recently. My goodfriend Carlo Vanini introducedme to this group in 1997. Sincethen, I have made biannual tripsto do both local rides and extend-ed tours with them throughoutItaly. In the process, I havebecome good friends with many ofthem and learned much aboutenjoying the company of thoseyou ride with as well as the amaz-ing scenery.

On June 25th, I participated asan honorary member of the G.S.Berti club in the 50th annual GiroLavenese. It’s kind of like a well-organized Sunday ride that several

hundred cyclists from the area aroundLaveno Mombello, a small town on thenortheast shore of Lago Maggiore, doeach year. The route is a little over 100

kilometers, at a very easy pace and

50th Giro Lavenese : Riding in Italy Brian Frank

Brian with some of his Italian buddies

4


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Be Like Jack and Bob Tony Schiller

A couple days ago I found myselfstruggling a mile from the finish of the10K run at the Timberman Triathlonwhen I got a boost. It was the sight ofJack Nelson slowing to dance hishappy jig while being cooled by themist spray coming from a young boy’sgarden hose. Jack was a mile into his5k run as part of the sprint distancetriathlon. Oh, did I mention that Jackwill turn 84 in August?

Later at the awards ceremony, heand the youngster, 82-year old BobbyPowers, received a standing ovation forhaving swept the 80-84 division. As Iwatched these two happy, sharp, andyouthful looking men take in the day, Ithought, “I want to be just like them,racing into my 80’s-and beyond.”

In a recent article on proper racefueling, Hammer’s Steve Born wrotethat one of the most frustrating thingsthat can happen to an athlete is seeinga race vaporize because of the wrongfueling. That’s true, but I can think of

something far more frustrating: notbeing able even to start, due to aninjury. And worse beyond imaginationwould be an avoidable career-endinginjury caused by the wear and tearfrom years of racing and trainingthrough pain.

I wonder if that same fate could nowbe playing out for a 40-something for-mer running champion I read aboutrecently. As the article stated, thisrunner was “beating the odds” by rac-ing again less than a year afterreconstructive surgery, albeit, muchslower these days. He said that goingslower and always with pain is nowjust “part of the bargain.” He alsoexplained, “I just can’t imagine a lifewithout running.”

I hope he never has to live without iteither, but just play out the lifeline andwhat do you get? Do you see him danc-ing the happy jig like Jack and Bob inhis 80’s? How about in his 70’s, or even60’s? What about you? How are youholding up?

Myself? I’d like to think I’m doingpretty well, above average compared toothers with a third of a century ofpounding the body by pouring on thosemiles. But no doubt there’s been somedamage, some of it irreparable. That’sbecome obvious in recent years andthat’s why I now take a new, morelong-term approach to sport. A littlepain can no longer be “part of the bar-gain.” If I want to be like Bob and Jack,with full mobility 20, 30 and even 40years from now, the key is having full,pain-free mobility today, or somethingvery close to it.

That means two big shifts are neces-sary: 1) The end to pain denial and anytraining that antagonizes your pain,and 2) A daily and life-long commitment toself-repair.

Implied in these two shifts is analmost endless list: everything fromcross-training and alternative exercis-es like yoga, to flexibility work, rest,recovery and improved nutrition, plusmassage, chiropractic care, and work

Save $9.90 when you purchase a one month supply for $99.95

on proper posture and body mechanics.

I’ve written previously in this publi-cation about an important newaddition to my self-repair program:the use on a near-daily basis of theCompex Sport, an electrical stimulusdevice that speeds muscle recoveryand increases muscle strength. Sincepurchasing the Compex a year ago,I’ve been able to say good-bye to a two-year long reoccurring calf-crampingproblem that dumbfounded two doc-tors. Their best advice - aspirin andrest - got me nowhere. But withinweeks of using the Compex, the twonearly golf-ball sized cramps startedbreaking up until they vanished com-pletely months ago.

I’ve also used it to treat my other bigproblem area, the high hamstringstrain, first injured as a collegesteeplechaser, which had gotten worsein recent years. While I can’t claimtotal health yet for the hamstring, thetreatments (which I am doing now as Iwrite) are working. The adhesions arebreaking up, and I’m more flexible inthe hamstring and striding more easi-ly than I have since 2003.

While I’d like to say I’m racing as fastas years ago, that’d be a lie. However, Ido have something even better, a veryhealthy and nearly pain-free body.There’s no doubt the Compex is part ofthe reason why. It will be a part of mytraining routine for years to come. Nowif there was only some way to slow downsome of those guys in their 20’s and 30’sjust a bit. Oh well, I’m still beating Jackand Bob, at least for the time being.Hopefully, in another 35 years, I’ll bejust like them.

Tony Schiller, a top endurance athlete since the mid1970’s, has been a Hammer customer since 1988. Inaddition to his work as a corporate motivator, Tonydoes some coaching and is the director of the biggestkids’ triathlon in America. Learn more atwww.miraclekidstriathlon.org

For more information on the Compex Sport MuscleStimulator, visit www.hammernut.com or call 800-366-1977 and talk to one of our expert customerrepresentatives.

5


(e.g., from your diet or a high-sodiumelectrolyte fuel) might temporarilyrelieve symptoms of hyponatremia, butit can also disable the hormoneresponse mechanism, which mediatesblood serum electrolyte concentration.In other words, consuming too muchsodium will effectively hinder, evenneutralize, the very mechanisms thatare in place to help conserve the body’ssodium levels and re-circulate sodiumback in to the blood. When it comes tosodium, “more” is not necessarily “bet-ter”; in fact, you can create just as manyproblems by consuming too much as youcan from consuming too little. This is aprimary reason why we produce a low-sodium electrolyte product(Endurolytes). It helps to replenishdepleted sodium (and other minerals)lost during exercise, but it doesn’t over-whelm the body with so much sodiumthat it interferes with the body’s natu-ral sodium conservation system.

Sodium in the Diet

You’ll hear a lot of so-called expertstelling you that to ensure “best perform-ances in the heat” (or something to thateffect) you’ll want to increase your sodi-um (salt) intake in your diet, especiallyin the days leading up to a hot-weatherevent. Of course, that’s not our position.By consuming a high sodium diet, allyou’ll be doing is increasing the sodiumconcentration in your sweat and impairyour body’s sodium-regulating mecha-nisms. That sure doesn’t sound like aperformance-enhancing strategy to us.

So you may then be asking, “Howmuch sodium do I really need?” Theanswer is probably less than you think.According to Dr. Bill Misner, “Thehuman body needs very minuteamounts of sodium to function normal-ly. We need only 250 mg of sodium eachday, athletes maybe 500 mg., which iseasily supplied by natural, unprocessedfoods.” However, the average Americandiet supplies substantially more thanthat, approximately 6,000-7,000 mg ormore daily. Clearly, taking in moresodium when most-to-all of us arealready way overdoing it in the firstplace is not a wise strategy.

Even more important than the effectson athletic performance are the nega-

tive effects on general health caused byexcess sodium (salt) consumption.When you look at the list of problemsassociated with chronic high sodiumconsumption (high blood pressure, con-gestive heart failure, gastric ulcers,liver disorders, and others), our positionshould come as no surprise. Excessdietary sodium/salt intake compromiseshealth, period. We highly recommend alow-sodium diet.

Where We Stand

In the last issue of Endurance Newswe ran the article “Replace What YouLose, or What You Can Assimilate?” (ifyou missed this important information,you can also find it on our website) thatdiscussed the problems athletesencounter when they try to replace allthe calories, fluids, and electrolytesthey lose during exercise. Our positionon sodium intake is the same that wehave on fluids and calories, and is sum-marized in Dr. Bill’s words: “To suggestthat fluids, sodium, and fuels-inducedglycogen replenishment can happen atthe same rate as it is spent during exer-cise is simply not true. Enduranceexercise beyond 1-2 hours is a deficitspending entity, with proportionatereturn or replenishment always inarrears. The endurance exercise out-come is to postpone fatigue, not toreplace all the fuel, fluids, and elec-trolytes lost during the event. It can’t bedone, though many of us have tried. Thehuman body has so many survival safe-guards by which it regulates living onemore minute, that when we try too hardto fulfill all its needs we interfere, doingmore harm than good. I continue tomarvel that well intended ‘experts’advice’ to endurance athletes is toreplace fluids, fuels, and electrolytes atthe same rate they are lost. If thatadvice had merit, someone would beable to complete the 26th mile at thesame pace as his or her 1st mile in amarathon on a hot and humid day.”

Sodium conservation mechanisms areincredibly complex, and this article justtouches on them. A more detailed expla-nation of our position on a low-sodiumdiet and low-sodium electrolyte replen-ishment product can be found in thefollowing articles on our website:

The Endurolytes Rationale www.hammernut.com/za/ECP?PAGE=

ARTICLE&ARTICLE.ID=770

The Role of Sodium to PreventHyponatremia During EnduranceEvents - A review of low-sodiuminterventionwww.hammernut.com/downloads/JOE/nov05.pdf

Solutions -Fuels, Fluids, &Electrolytes - For EndurancePerformancewww.hammernut.com/downloads/solu-tions_performance.pdf

Oral Sodium Solutions PreventSevere or Critical Hyponatremia www.hammernut.com/za/ECP?PAGE=ARTICLE&ARTICLE.ID=1791

The Endurance Diethammernut.com/downloads/JOE/joe_sep05.pdf

The long wait is over and Phytomaxis back in stock. Be sure to jump backon the green-bandwagon and order acouple of bottles today. Did you knowthat Phytomax contains as muchMagnesium as a cup of lima beans,more Calcium than 7 glasses of milk, asmany B vitamins as a cup of spinach, asmuch Zinc as a cup of green beans, asmuch Beta Carotene as a cup of tomatojuice and as much Chlorophyll as 5tossed salads? Now that’s a lot of veg-etable nutrition!

There’s just no easier way to get thenutrients you need. Order today.

Phytomax : It’s here!!!

(SODIUM from page 1)

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Sodium : Does a high sodium diet inhibit endurance performance and health?

Sodium makes up about 2.6% byweight of the Earth’s crust making it thefourth most abundant element overalland the most abundant alkali metal.Sodium normally comprises 0.15% ofbody weight or a total of 95 grams ofSodium (mainly from Sodium Chloride).Sodium is necessary for regulation ofblood and body fluids, transmission ofnerve impulses, heart activity, and cer-tain metabolic functions. Table salt is40% sodium and 60% chloride mole-cules. Sodium is required for life, butover-consumption can increase the riskof health problems, including high bloodpressure, in those individuals who aregenetically predisposed to hypertension.

Sodium is one of the primary elec-trolytes in the body. Too much or toolittle salt in the diet can lead to an elec-trolyte disturbance, which can causesevere, even fatal, neurological prob-lems. Too little sodium or diluting bloodserum sodium is a life-threateningemergency, while chronic overdoseabove 2300 milligrams per day mayincrease blood pressure. Elevated bloodpressure is regarded as one of the char-acteristics of progressive cardiovasculardisease. Thus, too little sodium or toomuch sodium are mutually harmful toboth heart health/efficiency andendurance performance [1-7].

The human body needs very minuteamounts of sodium to function normal-ly. We need only 250 mg of sodium eachday, athletes maybe 500 mg., which iseasily supplied by natural, unprocessedfoods. Consumption of 12,000 mg (12grams) or more of sodium per day isregarded as toxic. The average westerndiet contains 2.3-20 grams (2300 -20,0000 mg) of sodium per day. In 70diets computer-analyzed from actualfood-intake lists of athletes and non-athletes from 1996-2006, enduranceathletes consumed between 6000-8000mg sodium per day. However, aerobicexercise in the heat may spend whop-ping 2000 milligrams sodium per hourduring evaporative cooling from profusesweating. It is hypothesized that it isthe rapid changes in serum sodium lev-els, which the body is not adapted,

(sodium losses more than suddenincrease), that produce serious perform-ance-inhibiting consequences. Theathlete who is unconditioned and notacclimatized to high fluid & electrolytelosses will predictably suffer perform-ance deterioration due to a low serumsodium or hyponatremic event.Research reports fit-acclimatized ath-letes need only 50% of the sodiumrequired to maintain serum sodium lev-els as do unfit-unacclimatized [8-9]subjects. The more fit and the moretrained & heat-exposed, the less sodiumis required.

There are, however, other factors thatmay influence sodium requirementsbetween subjects, further explainingwhy one person may require 1-3Endurolytes/hour while anotherrequires 6 per hour. Research impliesthat dietary sodium overdose mayincrease the risk of widening individualvariations. A study of 1500 subjectsreported that those who eat the mostsalt tend to have the highest blood pres-sure. The higher the blood pressure, theharder the heart works to sustain bloodflow. The harder the heart works; thesooner onset of fatigue is generated.This study that reported an associationbetween salt overdose and elevatedblood pressure selectively involved menand women aged 16-64. They found thatas daily salt intakes rose from 1600mg/day to 9200 mg/day, so did bloodpressure. A rise in salt consumptionfrom 2300 mg/day to 4600 mg/day led toa whopping 7.1 mmHg rise in systolicblood pressure for women and a 4.9mmHg rise for men [10]! Dietary sodi-um over- or under- dose may alsoexplain why more individuals haveproblems the longer the event. A studywas performed on 36 athletes during athree- to four- hour triathlon and 64athletes at an Ironman race, whichlasts between nine and 15 hours. Noathletes were sodium deficient after theshorter race, but 27% were sodium defi-cient (hyponatremic) following theIronman heat. An average of 17% of theIronman participants required medicalattention, most for hyponatremia (lowor diluted serum sodium) [11].

How the body controls serum sodium

Aldosterone is a hormone that con-trols the rate of sodium circulated in thehuman body. Aldosterone is synthe-sized by the adrenal cortex. Whensodium levels dip too low, aldosterone isreleased stimulating the kidney tubulecells to increase re-absorption of sodiumback into the blood. Normal serum orplasma levels of aldosterone aredependent on the sodium intake andwhether the patient is upright orsupine. For males 6-22 ng/dl is normal,while 4-31 ng/dl is normal for females.High sodium intake will suppressserum aldosterone, whereas low sodiumintake will elevate serum aldosterone.The reference intervals for serum (plas-ma) aldosterone are based on normalsodium intake. High Aldosterone levelsoccur in response to stress, renal dys-function, adrenal cortical over-use, orpregnancy. If aldosterone is excessiveserum and tissue levels of sodium willbe excessive.

Characteristics of reduced performance associated withsodium, fluid & calorie imbalance

Of the endurance athletes reportingsymptoms of severe sodium imbalance(between 1996-2006) following anendurance event, the following individ-ual characteristics were observed:

1. Consumed from diet above 6000 mgsodium/day.2. Consumed above 30 fluid ounces /hour.3. Consumed above 300 calories/ hour.4. Did not train in the same heat or humidity as the event.5. Did not train above 60% of the event distance in hyperthermic conditions.

Characteristics of resolution of symptoms associated with sodium, fluid &calorie imbalance

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

(continued on next page)

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In 100% of those who reported resolutionof performance-inhibiting symptoms, thefollowing individual characteristics wereobserved:

1. Increased electrolyte intake from Endurolytes between 3-6/hour.

2. Consumed between 24-28 fluid ounces/hour

3. Consumed 250-280 calories/hour

4. Trained 2-3 weeks in the same heator humidity as the event.

High sodium health consequences

Limiting sodium is recommendedsince research supports that chronicconsumption of more than 2300 mil-ligrams per day may contribute toCongestive Heart Failure (CHF),Hypertension, Muscle Stiffness, Edema,Irritability, Osteoarthritis,Osteoporosis, Pre-Menstrual Syndrome(PMS), Liver disorders, Ulcers, andCataracts. The American HeartAssociation (AHA) says that healthyAmerican adults should eat no morethan 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day.This is about 1 teaspoon of sodium chlo-ride (salt).

To illustrate, the following are sourcesof sodium in the diet.

1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium1 teaspoon baking soda = 1000 mg sodium

What high-sodium foods shouldbe limited?

The following foods are high in sodi-um and should be limited in the diet:

Meat, Poultry, Fish And Other MeatSubstitutes, Luncheon & Cured Meats,Processed Turkey/Chicken, Ham,Bologna, Salami, Bacon, CanadianBacon, Corned Beef, Pastrami,Liverwurst, Frankfurters, Sausages,Dried Meat, Dried Fish, most Dairy,Processed Grains, Cereals, Soups, SnackFoods, Processed Vegetables, Spices,

Condiments, Sauces, Food Additives, allCanned Meats. It is Prostaglandin E2overproduction from eating too muchsalted animal meat that induces the kid-neys to retain excessive quantities ofsodium. Other dietary manipulations tolower sodium are respectfully listed onthe PAMF website. [13]

Conclusion

Evidence supports limiting sodiumintake during rest and exercise. Theharmful effect of more chronic sodiumover-dose above the body’s daily need isa real and present danger to compro-mise optimal health. Tight chemicalmessengers and hormones help thebody to spare serum sodium loss. It onlytakes a few hundred milligrams every15-20 minutes in the hottest environ-ment to sustain aerobic pace. Thisassumes that fluid intake does notexceed 30-fluid ounces per hour or thatcalorie consumption exceeds 300-calo-ries per hour.

References1.American Heart Association ConsumerPublicationshttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=44232. Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Childrenhttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=45753. High Blood Pressurehttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=46234. High Blood Pressure, Factors That ContributeTohttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=46505. High Blood Pressure, What Can Be Donehttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=46306. Risk Factors and Coronary Heart Diseasehttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=47267. Sodium Guidelines Set by the FDAhttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=47188. Shepherd, R.J., Kavanagh, T., Fluid and MineralNeeds of Middle Aged and Post Coronary DistanceRunners. The Physician And Sports Medicine.May,1978: 90-102.9. Verde, T., et al.,Sweat Composition in Exerciseand Heat. J Appl Phys.1982; 53(6): 1541-1543.10. In Arch Intern Med 1997; 157:234-238.11. Hiller WD et al., Medical and physiological con-siderations in triathlons. Am J Sports Med.2:164-167, 1987.12. AHA Sodium Recommendationhttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=470813. Palo Alto Medical Foundation http://www.pamf.org/heartfailure/lifestyle/diet/foods.html

NOTES FROM BRIAN & STEVE

It’s interesting to note that Dr. Bill’s10-year nutritional analysis of hundredsand hundreds of athletes showed thattheir diets reflected the same high sodi-um consumption as the “typical Westerndiet.” The take-home message here isthat when we talk about someone con-suming a high sodium diet, we are, quitefrankly, talking about all of us: you, me,and virtually every other athlete, activeperson, and sedentary person.

Perhaps an even more interesting tonote is the 100% success rate - that’sright, a 100% success rate - when specif-ic fueling recommendations are applied,recommendations that don’t suggestusing more but amounts that are moreconservative and cooperate with thebody’s hormonal mechanisms. Yes, you’llfind a number of so-called “experts”telling you that more is better, and, as aresult of these experts’ recommenda-tions, chances are you’re going to seemore and more companies that keepjacking up the sodium content as thoughthat’s the answer to the problem.

The bottom line, however, is thatexcess sodium consumption has seriousnegative health implications (I can’tthink of anyone who’d want to deal withany of the problems that Dr. Bill listedin his article), which is the primary rea-son for adopting a low-sodium diet. Inaddition, high sodium intake duringexercise will not improve your chancesfor success and, in fact, may be a pri-mary factor in ruining a race for you.Why? Because it goes against yourbody’s built-in mechanisms for how itmonitors sodium excretion. When itcomes to sodium intake during exercisethe same concept is true as it is for fluidand calorie consumption: Give yourbody a helping hand (the support itneeds) but don’t kill it with kindness.

I know that we’ve got “broken recordsyndrome” in that we’re always recom-mending and repeating the “replenishwhat your body can assimilate, not whatit loses” mantra. Well, I guess we’re justgoing to have to live with that becausewe’re not going to back down from thisposition. We are absolutely convincedthat this is the proper way to fuel and wewill continue to trumpet this message.Why? Because our desire is to help youachieve your health and athletic goals,simple as that.

8


Recent Research : Omega-3 fatty acids have positive effect on heart rateEffects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

[Docosaheaenoic Acid (DHA) andEixosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)] onResting Heart Rate, Heart RateRecovery After Exercise, andHeart Rate Variability inMen With Healed MyocardialInfarctions and DepressedEjection Fractions, O’KeefeJH Jr., Abuissa H, et al, AmJ Cardiol, 2006; 97(8): 1127-1130. (Address: Mid AmericaHeart Institute, 4401Wornall Rd., Saint Luke’sHospital, Kansas City,Missouri, 64111, USA;University of Missouri-Kansas City School ofMedicine, Kansas City,Missouri, 64108-2792, USA).

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,crossover study involving 18white males with a history ofmyocardial infarction and ejection frac-tions less than 40%, treatment withomega-3 fatty acids for a period of fourmonths was found to reduce heart rate(HR), improve 1-minute HR recovery

after exercise, and improve HR variabil-ity in the high-frequency band. Subjectswere divided into two groups. For fourmonths, one group was given an omega-

3 fatty acidsupplement contain-ing 585 mg of DHAand 225 mg of EPAdaily, while the othergroup was given aplacebo. After thisfirst four-month peri-od, the groups werecrossed over foranother four months.Results found thatafter daily supple-mentation with theomega-3 fatty acidsupplement, restingHR decreased from73 beats per minuteafter placebo to 68beats per minute, and1-minute HR recov-

ery after exercise improved, from -27while taking placebo to -32 beats perminute while taking omega-3 fattyacids. While no change was found inoverall HR variability, an increase was

found in HR variability in the high-fre-quency band, indicating improvedparasympathetic activity. No signifi-cant changes were found in bloodpressure, arterial compliance, lipids orinflammatory markers.

The results of this study, suggestingan increase in vagal activity an improve-ment in autonomic balance, may in parthelp to explain the previously observeddecrease in risk of sudden cardiac deathassociated with omega-3 fatty acid sup-plementation. These results suggestthat omega-3 fatty acids, even in thelow-doses used in this study, may bene-fit cardiovascular and overall health bydecreasing resting heart rate and accel-erating the return to normal heart ratefollowing exercise.

53x11 Coffee Company is a new ven-ture created by pro cyclists EvanLawrence and Owen Gue, the same duothat runs the Cycling House WinterTraining Camp (www.thecycling-house.com) in Tucson Arizona. I startedsponsoring them in 2001, and our rela-tionship has grown over the years, dueto their excellent work ethic, loyalty andintegrity. Their passion for riding, goodcoffee, and environmental stewardshipall come together in this new company,and we’re very happy to be among thefirst to sell their wares. The next issueof Endurance News will have moredetails on the two businesses that theseyoung entrepreneurs have created, allwhile racing full time.

Here’s what Evan and Owen have tosay about their coffee:

53x11 coffees are 100% fair trade, cer-tified organic and have the taste ofvictory. The Fair Trade Certified labelguarantees that farmers and workersreceive a fair price for their product, sothat these farmers can feed their fami-

53x11 Coffee : Crank it up!lies and have their children attendschool instead of working in the fields.Certified Organic means that the pro-ducers do not use conventional farmingmethods, such as harmful pesticides orenvironment-damagingdeforestation. This is ofcritical importance sincecoffee is the most heavilysprayed crop in the world.53x11 coffee beans comefrom farmers who userenewable resources,respect soil and waterconservation, and seek toenhance environmentalquality for future generations. Our BigRing coffee is also shade grown under acanopy of diverse species of trees thatprovide a viable habitat for migratorybirds.

We currently offer two amazingbrews to kick start your day. EarlyBreak is a unique blend of beans fromPeru, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra,and El Salvador. It is medium roasted

for a rich body and flavor and mild acid-ity. Big Ring is 100% Sumatran, withsuperb richness, an extraordinary full-body, and low acidity. Both brews comeas whole beans to give you the fullest

flavor possible. They arepriced at $13.95 per 12ounce bag, shippingincluded.

If you enjoy our coffeeas much as we do, you’llwant to sign-up for theCoffee Club. Membersreceive a special price ontheir monthly ship-

ments of fresh roasted, one-way valvesealed beans. Drink 53x11 Coffee andride ready! Check out www.53x11cof-fee.com for more details.

We expect to begin shipping coffee bymid-August. Also, look for 53x11 Coffeeat www.hammernut.com and in the 2007Hammer Nutrition catalog.

Ride ready!

"What is the metabolic donation to energycycle demand if preservative-bound?Preservatives for shelf-lasting are also usedto embalm dead people to prolong their stateon the "Shelf", with no observed benefit forthe living of life in the endurance lane..."

- Bill Misner, Ph.D.

Dr. Bill’s Bits of Wisdom

9


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2006 RAAM : What a rideThe 2006 edition of the Race Across

America (RAAM) is in the books, and weat Hammer Nutrition are pleased to haveonce again sponsored this epic race, con-sidered by many to be the world’s toughestendurance event.

Beginning at a newstarting location inOceanside, CA, thesolo competitors rodeoff to certain pain,but potential glory,on Sunday morning,June 11. The 2-per-son, 4-person, and8-person corporateteams rolled out twodays later, onTuesday afternoon.This year’s 3043-mileroute, containing108,600 feet of climb-ing, went through 13states (California,Arizona, Utah,Colorado, Kansas,Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, WestVirginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, NewJersey) and featured some of the epicsections from past RAAMs, includingthe three major climbs in Colorado -Wolf Creek Pass (10,857’), La Veta Pass(9413’), and Cuchara Pass (9941’).

While continuing to have a traditional“no specific sleep requirements” RAAMformat, which many of the riders optedfor, this year’s RAAM featured a newand exciting category, the Solo Endurodivision, which is described on theRAAM website (www.raceacrossameri-ca.org) thusly: “Slightly more humanethan the Solo Traditional division, itfocuses the contest more on cyclingspeed and less on the ability to surviveon minimal sleep.” Race director JimPitre discussed this new division inRAAM, saying, “Our changes areintended, in part, to place a greateremphasis on cycling ability and increasespeed while the riders are on the bike.By imposing an equal off-the-bike-timefor all riders, some different race strate-gies will be introduced that willchallenge all concerned.”

Unlike the traditional RAAM category,where competitors usually ride for 21 ormore hours non-stop every day, the SoloEnduro division required competitors totake a minimum of 40 hours off their

bikes. As described on the RAAM site,“In total there will be twenty controlpoints across the nation. At five ofthese, Solo Enduro riders will be obligedto stop for a minimum period of twohours. The control points with manda-

tory stops are spacedroughly 500 miles apartfrom each other. At theremaining 15 controlpoints, riders have theoption of stopping to takesleep breaks or pressingon. At the end of the race,up to 40 hours of stoppagetime will be subtractedfrom each rider’s totalelapsed time - but onlystops taken at controlpoints will receive thiscredit.”

Hammer Nutritionwas well represented atthis year’s RAAM withseveral riders using E-CAPS supplements and

Hammer Nutrition fuels. ShannaArmstrong (featured in EnduranceNews #49) was one of two solo women,and the lone finisher, winning theWomen’s division in a time of 11 days,22 hours, 16 minutes. Marko Baloh tooksecond (behind cycling legendJonathan Boyer) in the Men’s SoloEnduro division, with a time of 10 days,9 hours, 28 minutes. In the Men’s SoloTraditional division, David Haase wasthe top American, finishing fourth over-all in a time of 9 days, 21 hours, 41minutes. Guus Moonen, of TheNetherlands, took sixth place with atime of 10 days, 16 hours, 46 minutes. In the 8-person Corporate division,Team Type 1 set a new average speedrecord of 22.36 mph, and a new racerecord of 5 days, 16 hours, 4 minutes,finishing a nearly a full day (22 hours)ahead of the second-place team. PhilSoutherland, the leader of Team Type1, recently wrote me saying, “Thanks toyour products, and your crafty formulafor using them, we had a very success-ful RAAM. I truly believe that it isbecause of E-Caps and HammerNutrition that we were able to not onlyset, but smash the record.”

You can find more information andcomplete race results from this year’sRAAM at www.raceacrossamerica.org

Shanna suits up foranother day of riding

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QUESTION : Why should I add protein topost-exercise carbohydrate meals?What does that do and how does itbenefit recovery and performance?

ANSWER : I am asked often to support thehypothesis that proposes adding proteinto carbohydrates following glycogen-depleting endurance exercise. The actualmechanisms are not (yet) well under-stood nor explained, but we arebeginning to understand partially why itis advantageous to add protein to carbo-hydrates after exercise. Some research(not listed) reports the immune system isbolstered stronger than if no protein isconsumed with carbohydrates. Someresearch (not listed) supports 1:1CHO:PRO, while others argue 3:1 or 4:1CHO:PRO ratio... since glycogen storageis the major endurance-limiting sub-strate, according to graduate-level sportsnutrition texts, there are 5 papers withfindings associated with this hypothesis:

Ivy et al, (1) examined the effect of acarbohydrate-protein supplement onendurance performance during exerciseof varying intensity. Increasing the plas-ma glucose and insulin concentrationsduring prolonged variable intensity exer-cise by supplementing withcarbohydrate has been found to sparemuscle glycogen and increase aerobicendurance. Furthermore, the addition ofprotein to a carbohydrate supplementwill enhance the insulin response of acarbohydrate supplement. The purposeof the present study was to compare theeffects of a carbohydrate and a carbohy-drate-protein supplement on aerobicendurance performance.

Nine trained cyclists exercised on 3separate occasions at intensities thatvaried between 45% and 75% VO2maxfor 3 h and then at 85% VO2max untilfatigued. Supplements (200 ml) wereprovided every 20 min and consisted ofplacebo, a 7.75% carbohydrate solution,and a 7.75% carbohydrate/1.94% pro-

Ask Dr. Bill

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

tein solution. Treatments were admin-istered using a double-blindrandomized design. Carbohydrate sup-plementation significantly increasedtime to exhaustion (carbohydrate 19.7+/- 4.6 min vs. placebo 12.7 +/- 3.1 min),while the addition of protein enhancedthe effect of the carbohydrate supple-ment (carbohydrate-protein 26.9 +/- 4.5min, p < .05). Blood glucose and plasmainsulin levels were elevated aboveplacebo during carbohydrate and carbo-hydrate-protein supplementation, butno differences were found between thecarbohydrate and carbohydrate-proteintreatments. In summary, we found thatthe addition of protein to a carbohy-drate supplement enhanced aerobicendurance performance above thatwhich occurred with carbohydratealone, but the reason for this improve-ment in performance was not evident.

Miller et al., (2) likewise examined themetabolic response to a provision ofmixed protein-carbohydrate supplemen-tation during endurance exercise.

The interaction of substrates and hor-mones in response to ingestion of intactproteins during endurance exercise isunknown. This study characterized sub-strate and hormone responses tosupplementation during endurance exer-cise. Nine male runners participated in 3trials in which a non-fat (MILK), carbo-hydrate (CHO), or placebo (PLA) drinkwas consumed during a 2-hour treadmillrun at 65% VO2max. Circulating levels ofinsulin, glucagon, epinephrine, norepi-nephrine, growth hormone, testosterone,and cortisol were measured. Plasma sub-strates included glucose, lactate, freefatty acids, and select amino acids.Except for insulin and cortisol, hormonesincreased with exercise. While post-exer-cise insulin concentrations declinedsimilarly in all 3 trials, the glucagonincrease was greatest following MILKconsumption. CHO blunted the post-exercise increase in growth hormonecompared to levels in MILK.

Free fatty acids and plasma aminoacids also were responsive to nutritionalsupplementation with both CHO andMILK attenuating the rise in free fattyacids compared to the increase observedin PLA. Correspondingly, respiratoryexchange ratio increased during CHO.

(continued on next page)

11


Essential amino acids increased signifi-cantly only after MILK and were eitherunchanged or decreased in CHO. PLAwas characterized by a decrease inbranched-chain amino acid concentra-tions. Modest nutritionalsupplementation in this study alteredthe endocrine response as well as sub-strate availability and utilizationfollowing and during an endurance run,respectively.

Tarnopolsky et al., (3) reported postexercise protein-carbohydrate and carbo-hydrate supplements increase muscleglycogen in men and women. They previ-ously demonstrated that women did notincrease intramuscular glycogen inresponse to an increased percent ofdietary carbohydrate (CHO) (from 60 to75% of energy intake) (M. A.Tarnopolsky, S. A.Atkinson, S. M.Phillips, and J. D. MacDougall. J. Appl.Physiol. 78:1360-1368, 1995).

CHO and CHO-protein (Pro) supple-mentation post exercise can potentiateglycogen resynthesis compared withplacebo (K. M. Zawadzki, B. B.Yaspelkis, and J. L. Ivy. J. Appl. Physiol.72: 1854-1859, 1992). We studied theeffect of isoenergetic CHO and CHO-Pro-Fat supplements on muscle glycogenresynthesis in the first 4 hours afterendurance exercise (90 min at 65% peakO2 consumption) in trained enduranceathletes (men, n = 8; women, tested inmidfollicular phase, n = 8). Each subjectcompleted three sequential trials sepa-rated by 3 wk; a supplement wasprovided immediately and 1-h postexer-cise: 1) CHO (0.75 g/kg) + Pro (0.1 g/kg) +Fat (0.02 g/kg), 2) CHO (1 g/kg), and 3)placebo (Pl; artificial sweetener).Subjects were given prepackaged, isoen-ergetic, isonitrogenous diets,individualized to their habitual diet, forthe day before and during the exercisetrial. During exercise, women oxidizedmore lipid than did men (P < 0.05). Bothof the supplement trials resulted ingreater post exercise glucose and insulincompared with Pl (P < 0.01), with no gen-der differences. Similarly, both of thesetrials resulted in increased glycogenresynthesis (37.2 vs. 24. 6 mmol . kg drymuscle-1 . h-1, CHO vs. CHO-Pro-Fat,respectively) compared with Pl (7.5mmol . kg dry muscle-1 . h-1; P < 0.001)with no gender differences. They con-cluded that post exercise CHO and

CHO-Pro-Fat nutritional supplementscan increase glycogen resynthesis to agreaterextent than Pl for both men and women.

Zawadzki et al., (4) compared carbohy-drate, protein, and carbohydrate-proteinsupplements to determine their effectson muscle glycogen storage during recov-ery from prolonged exhaustive exercise.Nine male subjects cycled for 2 h onthree separate occasions to deplete theirmuscle glycogen stores. Immediately and2 h after each exercise bout, they ingest-ed 112.0 g carbohydrate (CHO), 40.7 gprotein (PRO), or 112.0 g carbohydrateand 40.7 g protein (CHO-PRO). Bloodsamples were drawn before exercise,immediately after exercise, and through-out recovery. Muscle biopsies were takenfrom the vastus lateralis immediatelyand 4 h after exercise. During recoverythe plasma glucose response of the CHOtreatment was significantly greater thanthat of the CHO-PRO treatment, but theplasma insulin response of the CHO-PRO treatment was significantly greaterthan that of the CHO treatment. Boththe CHO and CHO-PRO treatments pro-duced plasma glucose and insulinresponses that were greater than thoseproduced by the PRO treatment (P lessthan 0.05). The rate of muscle glycogenstorage during the CHO-PRO treatment[35.5 +/- 3.3 (SE) mumol.g protein-1.h-1]was significantly faster than during theCHO treatment (25.6 +/- 2.3 mumol.gprotein-1.h-1), which was significantlyfaster than during the PRO treatment(7.6 +/- 1.4 mumol.g protein-1.h-1). Theresults suggest that post exercise muscleglycogen storage can be enhanced with acarbohydrate-protein supplement as aresult of the interaction of carbohydrateand protein on insulin secretion.

Ivy et al., (5) concluded that early pos-texercise muscle glycogen recovery isenhanced with a carbohydrate-proteinsupplement. They tested the hypothesisthat a carbohydrate-protein (CHO-Pro)supplement would be more effective inthe replenishment of muscle glycogenafter exercise compared with a carbohy-drate supplement of equal carbohydratecontent (LCHO) or caloric equivalency(HCHO). After 2.5 +/- 0.1 h of intensecycling to deplete the muscle glycogenstores, subjects (n = 7) received, using arank-ordered design, a CHO-Pro (80 gCHO, 28 g Pro, 6 g fat), LCHO (80 g

CHO, 6 g fat), or HCHO (108 g CHO, 6 gfat) supplement immediately after exer-cise (10 min) and 2 h post exercise.Before exercise and during 4 h of recov-ery, muscle glycogen of the vastuslateralis was determined periodically bynuclear magnetic resonance spec-troscopy. Exercise significantly reducedthe muscle glycogen stores (final concen-trations: 40.9 +/- 5.9 mmol/l CHO-Pro,41.9 +/- 5.7 mmol/l HCHO, 40.7 +/- 5.0mmol/l LCHO). After 240 min of recov-ery, muscle glycogen was significantlygreater for the CHO-Pro treatment (88.8+/- 4.4 mmol/l) when compared with theLCHO (70.0 +/- 4.0 mmol/l; P = 0.004)and HCHO (75.5 +/- 2.8 mmol/l; P =0.013) treatments. Glycogen storage didnot differ significantly between theLCHO and HCHO treatments. Therewere no significant differences in theplasma insulin responses among treat-ments, although plasma glucose wassignificantly lower during the CHO-Protreatment. These results suggest that aCHO-Pro supplement is more effectivefor the rapid replenishment of muscleglycogen after exercise than a CHO sup-plement of equal CHO or caloric content.

SUMMARY Endurance athletes should experi-

ment with a meal recovery protocol thatcontains carbohydrate and protein, notsimply carbohydrate alone. The besttime to consume this meal is the first 30minutes after exercise to take advantageof the limited post-exercise enzymes &hormonal carrier availability.

References1) Ivy JL, Res PT, Sprague RC, Widzer MO. Effect of acarbohydrate-protein supplement on endurance per-formance during exercise of varying intensity. Int JSport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003 Sep;13(3):382-95. PMID:14669937 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]2) Miller SL, Maresh CM, Armstrong LE, Ebbeling CB,Lennon S, Rodriguez NR. Metabolic response to provi-sion of mixed protein-carbohydrate supplementationduring endurance exercise. Int J Sport Nutr ExercMetab. 2002 Dec;12(4):384-97. PMID: 12500983[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]3) Tarnopolsky MA, Bosman M, Macdonald JR,Vandeputte D, Martin J, Roy BD. Postexercise protein-carbohydrate and carbohydrate supplements increasemuscle glycogen in men and women. J Appl Physiol.1997 Dec;83(6):1877-83. PMID: 9390958 [PubMed -indexed for MEDLINE]4) Zawadzki KM, Yaspelkis BB 3rd, Ivy JL.Carbohydrate-protein complex increases the rate ofmuscle glycogen storage after exercise. J Appl Physiol.1992 May;72(5):1854-9. PMID: 1601794 [PubMed -indexed for MEDLINE]5) Ivy JL, Goforth HW Jr, Damon BM, McCauley TR,Parsons EC, Price TB. Early postexercise muscle glyco-gen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-proteinsupplement. J Appl Physiol. 2002 Oct;93(4):1337-44.PMID: 12235033 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

12


races, so to speak?

Arch: That’s a good question - Jon -what do you think?? We like to makean impact in all the races we enter.We’ve had good luck at Tour de Toonain the past, so that’s obviously a priori-ty race to do well there.

Jon: We’ve also had a lot of bad luck atTour de Toona. One of my riders hascrashed five years in a row there. Inthose same five years we’ve been on thepodium at the stage finishes and havewon the sprint jersey. Definitely Tourde Toona, we’ll be going to make animpact-whether that’s in the GC,stages, or Points jersey we’ll see howthings play out by the end of Stage 3.Pretty much August is our focus. Bankof America in NC, Tour of Elk Grove,IL, and Criterium NationalChampionships all fall in the first threeweeks following Tour de Toona. Wehave a very fast sprinter; those eventscould be very good for the team.

EN: Which team(s) do you see asbeing your toughest competition inyour upcoming races?

Arch: The bigger pro teams, likeHealthnet, Toyota-United, Navigators,Colavita. Usually they set the tone forthe race. It would be easy to say theyare the toughest competition since theyhave the most horsepower. But thenyou have smaller pro teams and strongamateur teams that get their licks in.Going into each race, it helps to knowwho’s going well, and what riders aresuited for that type of race course/condi-tion. So, it can really vary from week toweek.

EN: Can you tell us a little bit abouteach of the riders on the team, howlong they’ve been on the squad,what their strengths are, etc?

Jon: I started the elite team for SnowValley in 1995. Arch recruited me andasked me if I could develop a strongregional Cat 1-2 team. A little history: Istarted racing as a junior 14-15 (differ-ent age breakdown back then) in 1985.I raced three years as a junior with lim-ited racing (20 - 30 races a year andmost of them were club races). In myfirst year I qualified for Nationals andtime trials were clearly my strength. Ico-founded the collegiate cycling teamat Liberty University in 1988-1989, andspent my first season in Pro 1-2 races

ence like for the team, and wereyou pleased with the results theteam achieved?

Arch: It was fascinating for so manyreasons. UCI Pro races are very differ-ent from Pro 1-2 races in the States, tobegin with. But being in China for thefirst time, against unknown riders, wasa big difference. We had an idea whowould be the strong teams prior to dayone, but it took a couple days to reallyfigure out tactics. The teams fromAustralia and South Africa were ridingso strong because they already hadthousands of race miles in their legs forthis season. The Euro guys seem toalways be strong and suited for ridingfor five hours into crosswinds. It took afew days for the jet lag to wear off, andalso for our riders’ legs to get accus-tomed to the rhythm of the race. By daythree (of five) our riders were firing onall cylinders and able to get into breaksand attack and finish solidly in themoney. The food was a challenge -“Chinese food” over here is apparentlyvery different from their food! We raid-ed the local grocery store of all theiryogurt, oatmeal, soymilk, and Cheerios!Fortunately, we came loaded withHammer and E-Caps products. With allthe guys taking Premium InsuranceCaps, Endurolytes, Race CapsSupreme, Perpetuem, Hammer Bars,Hammer Whey, and Anti Fatigue Caps,among other Hammer products, we hada good nutritional foundation, even ifour meals were not what the riderswere used to eating. Our guys would’vebonked everyday if they relied solely onavailable food there, like fried pig’sknuckle and sparrow’s stomach! It wascertainly a learning experience, and ourguys really took a lot of positives awayfrom the trip.

Jon: As well it has generated a largeinterest in our team. I’ve alreadyreceived resumes from some of the rid-ers that were in attendance. We alsoreceived a great deal of interest for the‘07 season in terms of participation. Wehave been asked to return to the Tour ofChongming Island and have been askedif we would participate in the Tour ofTaiwan and the Milk Race.

EN: You’ve got a packed scheduleall the way through the middle/endof September. Obviously, you’d liketo have the team do well in all theraces, but which ones are you real-ly pointing towards... your “A”

Each issue we usually feature a soloathlete in our “Athlete Spotlight” sec-tion. This issue we thought we’d dosomething a little different and featurean entire team. Team Rite Aid (formerlyTeam Snow Valley), based out of Wayne,Pennsylvania, is one of our long-timesponsored professional teams. We’reproud and excited to be sponsoring themagain this year. The team includes:

Jon Wirsing - Sandy Hook, VAJosh Taylor - Alburtis, PARyan DeWald - Intercourse, PAJohn DeLong - Reading, PAZach Bell - Watson Lake, YukonBrad Viera - Lancaster, PARussell Langley - Washington, DCChristoph Herby - Geneva, SwitzerlandPeter Penzell - Annapolis, MDMike Beers - Patterson, JN

So far this year, Team Rite Aid hashad some very impressive results withtop finishes at Spring races such asVirginia’s Hampton Roads CyclingClassic and Tour of Shenandoah, andthe Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas.

I had a chance to catch up with one ofthe Team Directors, Jon Wirsing, andone of the Directing Managers, ArchMcKown.

EN: In mid-April the team was inthe People’s Republic of China, par-ticipating in the Tour ofChongming Island. You were theonly American team invited to par-ticipate in this five-day stage race,and you competed against teamsfrom the United Kingdom, France,Australia, South Africa,Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Thailand,Hong Kong, Taiwan, and six teamsfrom China. What was that experi-

Team Rite Aid presented

by Snow Valley

fantastic future in the sport. He’s so farahead of many others his age and older.

John DeLong - John is in his secondyear with the team. John is a survivor.Make the race hard and long, and Johnwill be there in the end. He will pushhimself to the point of collapsing. You

would never see that in normalconversation; by far he’s thequietest guy on the team. Arecent graduate from VirginiaTech, he also has spent sometime racing in Europe and healso rode with the SaturnDevelopment team.

Christoph Herby - Recentgraduate with a double majorfrom the University ofVirginia. Christoph loves totravel. His Dad lives andworks in Switzerland and hisMom is in Virginia. Christophbroke out of his shell last yearin his first year with the team.When the road went uphill hewas ready to go. He’s one ofour GC contenders for hilly

stage races. This year, he wonthe KOM jersey at the Tour ofShenandoah.

Peter Penzell - Peter is currently theUS Military Champion. This is almostby default, as the Military champi-onships haven’t been held in the lasttwo years and he by default keepsretaining his title. This is Peter’s sec-ond year with the team, but it’s his firstyear as a pro. Peter was brought onbecause of his incredible work ethic andcommitment to the team. He’s foundhis niche in being a crucial part of theteam’s leadout train. In addition toPeter’s current employment as a NavyOfficer, he owns and operates Phat CatCustoms (www.phatcatcustoms.net), ahigh-end custom bicycle designer andfabricator.

Ryan DeWald - This is Ryan’s thirdyear with the team. Ryan is anunknown talent. He can climb, sprint,and ride a good TT. He’s a rider thatlikes to have a good time and canalways lift your spirits with a story.He’s just learning how to tap into hishuge abilities and now has a coach thatwill bring the best out of him in the nextcouple of years.

13

racing with Athletes in Action. I wasgetting pounded by Coors Light, 7-11and a variety of other pros. I kept rac-ing, finished my undergraduate degree,got married and started a graduateassistantship. Graduated with an M.S.in Human Performance and startedteaching Elementary PhysicalEducation. That’s the timethat I joined Snow Valley.The next five years werespent building the pro-gram. By 2001 I had beenon the podium at nationalchampionships, multipleNRC events, and was pret-ty consistent as the topamateur in many of theEast Coast NRC events.

In 2001 Brian Waltoncame on board as ourdirector. I initially left theteam and signed withNoble House (interestingstory there). Continued toride with Snow Valleyuntil Rite Aid Pro Cyclingemerged for 2006. In themidst of all this, we (Karenand I) just celebrated our 14th weddinganniversary and have two awesomekids: Christian,7, and Anna Kate, 4. Istill work in education, but I deal withthe technology side, not the classroom.My strengths have changed over thecourse of time. One strength that hasevolved is race tactics. I’ve always beenan information person. I read it, see it,watch it, research it, evaluate it, andapply it. It also doesn’t hurt now thatI’ve raced close to 1000 races at thispoint. Probably my strongest asset ismy passion for the sport, tenacity, andheart during the races.

Josh Taylor - This is Josh’s secondyear with the team. He came on boardas part of our management team and isa rider/manager. Josh is one of the fewSpinning Master Instructors in thecountry. His legs can be seen on some ofthe sleeves of the spinning videos. He’sa rider that rides off of emotion andputs his heart into his job. He will layit on the line for any of his teammates.He excels in courses that are constantlyup and down. In high school Josh was aJunior Olympic volleyball player. Ibelieve he is also the only rider on oursquad who has been bitten by a rat-tlesnake.

Zach Bell - Zach is new to us this year

and has received a number of nick-names. The first was the CanadianCannon. He is 23 years old and is com-pleting his first full season on the road.He was a high school and collegewrestler with his eyes set on theOlympics. He still has his sights on theOlympics, but via the great oval of the

track. He is the ‘04 and ‘05 Canadiannational champion in the pursuit. Hefirst year racing was 2003! This seasonhe broke Brian Walton’s 13 year-oldCanadian Pursuit record, placed top 10in a World Cup event, took a Bronzemedal at the Pan Am championshipsand 14th at the World championships.He is still feeling out his first full sea-son on the road, but has alreadyclaimed a couple victories and has beenon the podium a number of times.Besides Zach’s strength in the sprint,he has a strong work ethic, and is veryfocused on reaching his goals in thenext couple of years.

Brad Viera - Brad is in his third yearwith the team. He started with us afterfinishing his Junior years with the HotTubes Program. At the young age of 21,he has a great wealth of racing experi-ence. He’s raced more than 50 races inEurope and has raced most of the majorevents in the US. He has spent part ofthe last few years riding part-time withthe US U23 team. Brad is an all-around rider. He can climb, time trial,and sprint. He has great family sup-port and a very solid head on hisshoulders. He’s driven to reach as highas he can, and also is continuing hisschooling during the fall. If he contin-ues down the same path, he will have a


Rite Aid China Squad

(see RITE AID on page 15)

14


Welcome to the mid-summeredition of Endurance News!

I hope that you’re having a greatsummer and your training and racinghas been going according to plan, oreven better.

Every issue of Endurance News fea-tures a number of athlete results, butwe simply don’t have the space to printall the results we receive. However,please know that we do read all athleteupdates (by the way, the new emailaddress is [email protected]), and even if we can’t printeveryone’s successes, we want you toknow how genuinely excited we arewhen we read what you’ve accom-plished. Please, keep those race resultscoming! Also, we can always use goodaction photos of our athletes wearingHammer logo clothing. You can sendthose to [email protected].

Primal Quest Utah

In this issue of EN you’ll find an arti-cle about one of the world’s mostdifficult races, the annual Race AcrossAmerica transcontinental bicycle race.Not as well known, but perhaps evenmore brutal in its own way, is thePrimal Quest adventure race, whichran from June 25 to July 4. Here’s howtheir website describes the race: “Theultimate test of human endurance, self-less teamwork, and relentlessdetermination - Primal Quest® is theworld’s toughest Expedition AdventureRace®. Covering over 800km and last-ing up to 10 days, co-ed teams of fourtravel non-stop using only a map andcompass to navigate this grueling andunforgiving course. Held in a new inter-national location each year,

adventurers from all over the worldrun, bike, paddle and traverse therugged terrain in the quest to reach thefinish line. For all teams, to simply com-plete Primal Quest® is a remarkableachievement and the culmination of anincredible journey. Primal Quest 2006will be an historic moment in the worldof endurance racing. It will be thelargest expedition adventure race everstaged, featuring the best teams in thesport and long-shot amateurs experi-encing a true expedition. Top teams willbe battling for the largest prize purse inthe sport: $250,000 USD. Amateurteams will be battling to finish - itselfan enormous accomplishment. PrimalQuest® is the last remaining majorexpeditionary adventure race, and hasbeen purposefully designed to plumbthe most remote areas of the tracklessAmerican West. From raging riverswims to endless, arid treks and tens ofthousands of feet of vertical gain andloss, the athletes will be challenged ininnumerable ways.”

Eighty-nine teams competed in thisprestigious race and only 28 completedthe course...now that’s one tough race!We’d like to recognize our sponsoredteams for their top 10 finishes: TeamSole (Karen Lundgren, Paul Romero,Aaron Linn, Kris Lausen), 7th place andTeam Spyder (Danelle Ballengee, JohnJacoby, Dave Mackey, Travis Macy),9th. Other top-25 teams using HammerNutrition products were Team 24Seven(Ernie Chilcott, Beth Reyburn, CharlieRoberts, Pete Stilwell), 22nd, and TeamAdventure Pocono (Daphne Hoyt, DerekLawrence, Peter Spagnoli, Brian Reiss),24th. Mega-congratulations to all of you!

Upcoming Events

To say that our calendar of events isfull is an understatement! I think wesponsored over 200 events in June, andwe’re sponsoring even more in July.Here’s a sampling of upcoming events:

Spirit of Racine TriathlonJuly 23 - Racine, WI

(www.spiritofracinetri.com)Kiehl’s Badwater Ultramarathon

July 24-26 - Death Valley, CA(www.badwater.com)

Jay ChallengeJuly 28-30 - North Troy, VT

(www.jaychallenge.com)24 Hours of Booty

July 28-29 - Charlotte, NC(www.24hoursofbooty.com)

24 Hours of 9 Mile- 2006 National 24 Hour

ChampionshipJuly 29-30 - Wausau, WI

(www.24-9.com)Troika 1/2 Iron Triathlon /

Endurance DuathlonAugust 6 - Spokane, WA

(www.racecenter.com/troika)24 Hours of Great Glen

August 12-13Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire (www. 24hoursofgreatglen.com)

Lansing Legislator 1/2 Iron Distance Triathlon

August 13 - Lansing, MI (www.3disciplines.com)

Midnight Rush Adventure RaceAugust 18-20 – Clayton, GA

(midnightrush.trailblazerar.com)Pike’s Peak Ascent,

Pikes Peak MarathonAugust 19, 20 - Manitou Springs, CO

(www.pikespeakmarathon.org)Great Buckeye ChallengeAugust 20 - Waynesville, OH

(www.greatbuckeye.com)The Endurance 100

August 26 - Park City, UT(www.thee100.com)

Green Mountain Stage RaceSept 1-4

Waitsfield, Fayston, Burlington, VT(www.gmsr.info)

We’re continually adding moreevents, so keep checking our website tosee what races we’re sponsoring.

The Importance ofPost-Workout Refueling

Although I’ve written a full-lengtharticle about recovery in TheEndurance Athlete’s Guide to Success(which I very much recommend thatyou read), I want to take a moment toremind you just how important this par-ticular component of your workout is,especially now that peak racing season

From the Saddle of Steve Born

Steve Born : Senior Technical Advisor

(see STEVE BORN on page 15)

15


is here. This advice is worth repeating:how well you perform tomorrowdepends on how well you recover today.I adamantly believe that what you do inthe 60 minutes following your workoutis as important as anything that you doduring your workout. This is the timewhen your body is primed to make themost out of all the hard work you’ve putinto your training. If you give your bodyadequate nutritional support as soon aspossible after your workouts, it willrespond marvelously, storing increasedamounts of muscle glycogen (so you’llhave more ready-to-use fuel available),repairing lean muscle tissue (allowing itto become stronger), and supporting andenhancing the immune system (allow-ing you to increase your trainingvolume without compromising yourhealth).

The best race preparation, at least interms of fueling, comes not in the fewdays preceding the race, but in the manyweeks leading up to the race. Far toomany athletes either forget about orneglect post-workout refueling, and thentry to do the serious “carbo load” for onenight or maybe a few days before theirrace. Of course, it’s too late to influenceglycogen stores at this point, and thosecarbo loading feed-a-thons end up doingnothing more but adding calories to asystem that isn’t equipped to handlethem. Most of that pasta either passesthrough, or gets stored as fat, neither ofwhich will enhance your performance.Look, if you want to do something thatwill really improve your race perform-ance, make sure you put some fuel backinto your body right away after all yourworkouts. This is a vital component ofathletic success and it’s so easy to takecare of. Mix a scoop or two (or more, ifyou’ve had one of those “epic” workouts)of Recoverite in cold water and drink itdown. Isn’t that simple? You’ll put thebest possible finishing touch on yourworkout and ensure that you’ve movedin the right direction towards a betterrace performance.

Enjoy reading this issue of and have agreat rest-of-the-summer!

Steve

Russ Langley - Russ is part of theheart and soul of this team. He’s beenwith the team for five years, and priorto that Russ and I battled many relent-less battles. Russrides with his emo-tions and is a totalfighter. He has nofear and is withoutdoubt one of thetough men in thepeloton. When he isin the race, he raisesthe bar for the boyson the team. He isthe type of rider thatmakes the break andcan ride just aboutany type of course.As Walton once said,“I would rather havea rider with a ton ofheart and good abili-ties than a rider withtons of ability and noheart.” Russ has aton of heart and he’salways got his broth-er’s back.

Mike Beers - “Speedy” has been withthe team for two years. He is a trackspecialist and is the 2005 Master WorldChampion in the pursuit. If you needsomeone to go to the front and go reallyfast, Speedy’s the one to call. In addi-tion, Speedy doubles as our teammechanic and is the best in the busi-ness. He has unbelievable mechanicalengineering skills and equipmentknowledge.

EN: In addition to utilizing highquality equipment along with anintelligent training plan, nutritionis obviously important. Which ofthe E-CAPS supplements andHammer Nutrition fuels is the teamcurrently using? Can you give ussome feedback on how the team isusing them and the effect they’vehad on the team?

Arch: Over the years that we’ve used E-CAPS and Hammer products, it’sbecome more apparent to us that toreap the maximum benefit from theproducts, it’s really best to use them ona daily basis. That means usingPremium Insurance Caps and RaceCaps daily, and Perpetuem/SustainedEnergy/Endurolytes/Whey/HammerGels for training as well as racing.

Each rider uses his own variety of E-Caps products daily. By using thesupplements not just on race day, buteveryday in training and recovery days,it helps tremendously with recoveryand also to enable our riders to dig

deeper in workouts,thus reaping maxi-mum benefits. It’salso important totrain with the sup-plements, becauseevery rider’s metab-olism and energyneeds are different.Each rider respondsdifferently, so heneeds to fine-tunehis supplements andfuels just as he fine-tunes his workouts.Just like you would-n’t race on a newbike you’d never rid-den on, youshouldn’t rely on the“trial and errormethod” in competi-tion!

For races, we usual-ly mix the Perpetuem

a little lighter, like 1.5 scoops per largebottle. Some guys like it thicker, but weneed to appease all the guys whenthey’re getting bottles from the feedzone.

Jon: When feeding 6-8 riders in a stagerace, the feeders have Perpetuem andHEED ready to hand out. If riders liketo mix these a little differently, theysimply make their start bottles. Forexample, I typically will addEndurolytes to my start bottles(Perpetuem). The feeders also haveHammer Gel and Hammer Bars onboard ready to hand up. Quite oftenyou’ll see a single-serve gel with the topthreaded into the top of the bottle. Theriders can grab a bottle and get the gelthey need in one hand-up. One otheritem that we added this year to ourstage race supply is Recoverite. Thefeeders have a variety of Recoveritedrinks, some mixed with water, andsome mixed with soymilk, ready for thedrinking. Did I mention how awesomeour support is?

EN : You guys are great! Thanksfor your time and good luck withthe rest of your season.

Crankin’ it upat the Tour ofShenandoah

(RITE AID from page 13)(STEVE BORN from page 14)


16

Of all the factors that can negativelyaffect the quality of our workouts andrace performances, I’d suggest that hotweather - or, more appropriately said,the inability to deal with hot weather -is at or near the top of the list. Now thatwe’re well into the hot weather season(and knowing that it’s going to be withus for quite a while) it’s the ideal time toincorporate Liquid Endurance into yoursupplement program. Here’s why: Inhot conditions, especially beyond a two-hour effort, your body’s coretemperature can increase dramatically.Your internal cooling system respondsappropriately, producing copious sweat,but unlike your car’s radiator, whichrecycles its coolant, your sweat evapo-rates and drips away, and it’s gone.Obviously, re-hydration is your basicstrategy, but a well-planned dosing ofLiquid Endurance when a hot-weatherrace is on tap can help keep you withinsafe limits.

Unreplenished fluid loss causesendurance athletes several problems:

• Your heart must work harder in orderto pump a decreased, but thickened, blood volume.

• Fluid depletion inside and outside muscle cells may slow down the metabolic reactions necessary for efficient muscle fuel transport.

• Inadequate fluids result in higher celltemperatures altering metabolic rates for less-than-optimal enduranceperformance.

At the very least, excess body fluidloss means premature fatigue anddecreased performance. If the loss goesunchecked during extended exercise,the potential for dehydration and itsserious consequences increases. Onceyou get into the dehydration range,you’re cooked-literally and figuratively-collecting a DNF and possibly an IV,too. Liquid Endurance, along with pru-dent hydration, will address the twoprimary problems-fluid loss and fuelmetabolism decline-that endurance ath-letes face when training or competing inhot conditions.

The Liquid Endurance Formula

Glycerol - Glycerol is a physiologi-cally well-tolerated, naturally producedmetabolite of fatty-acid oxidation. Itabsorbs rapidly when taken with wateror sports drinks, increasing the watercontent in blood, cells, and extracellularspaces. All three of these compartmentscontribute to sweat volume, resulting ina significant increase in cool-ing efficiency duringprolonged exercise. Glycerolis metabolized by the cellsinto a substance called dihy-droxyacetone phosphate,which is a normal metaboliteby-product found in the glu-cose-for-energy pathway.Glycerol also has an impor-tant role in the absorption ofl-carnitine, detailed later.

Glycerol Mechanisms

Glycerol ingestion (GI)resulted in greater fluidretention than the ingestionof water alone (WI; 60 vs. 32%3-h post hyperhydration).This improved fluid retentionwith GI resulted from lowerurine flow rates (peak 6.2 vs.10.5 ml/min) associated withlower free water clearancerates (peak = 1.2 vs. 8.2ml/min). Hyperhydration had no effecton plasma atrial natriuretic peptideconcentrations. Changes in plasmaaldosterone were unrelated to differ-ences in fluid retention. Antidiuretichormone concentrations (ADH) weresignificantly reduced from pre-hyperhy-dration levels during bothhyperhydration trials but tended to riseduring GI compared with WI at the verytime urine flow and free water clear-ance differences were also evident. Thissuggests that ADH may, in part, beresponsible for glycerol’s effectiveness,although differences in ADH concentra-tions were small and near the assay’ssensitivity limits. Alternatively, glyc-erol’s effectiveness may result from itsdirectly increasing the kidneys’medullary concentration gradient, andhence, water reabsorption.

[REFERENCE SEE: J Appl Physiol 1995Dec;79(6):2069-77.]

Product Spotlight : Liquid Endurance Steve Born

L-carnitine - L-carnitine is a vita-min-like nutrient essential for theutilization of fatty acids for fuel. Onenutrition scientist writes, “Carnitineabsolutely controls fat use because itforms the transport system that movesthe fatty acid molecules into the mito-chondria (furnaces) of the cell where they

are burned for energy.”Inadequate l-carnitineinhibits your body’s abilityto convert fats into fuels.

Unfortunately, theabsorption of l-carnitineis poor, at between 15-20%, because the kidneysrapidly filter and remove80-85% of the oral dose.Fortunately, glycerolreduces kidney filtrationby redirecting fluids con-sumed into extracellularspaces. This allows thecarnitine to circulatelonger and thereforeabsorb better, so you getmore of it to help convertfats to fuels.

The fats-to-fuel fea-ture is especiallyimportant because dur-ing long, aerobic-paced

endurance exercise, fatty acids fulfillthe majority of energy requirements (inthe first hour of aerobic exercise 30-35%of your energy comes from fat mobilizedinto the energy cycle. During the secondhour the contribution of fat to energy isdoubled). The ability to efficiently usefats for fuel cannot be underestimated,and being able to access those fatty acidstores will help extend precious muscleglycogen as well as body fluids.Glycogen metabolism releases a sub-stantial amount of water. Increasingthe efficiency of fatty-acid metabolismwill both decrease water release andincrease the amount of naturally pro-duced glycerol. All of these factors helpprolong endurance.

Pyridoxine HCL (Vitamin B-6) -Vitamin B-6, an active compound inover 60 enzyme systems, plays a majorrole in the metabolism of all fuels,including fatty acids. Additionally,without sufficient supplies of vitamin


17

B-6, the body cannot make l-carnitineand therefore it cannot access fattyacids efficiently, thus depleting theamount of glycerol produced.

Dr. Bill Misner writes, “A deficiency [ofvitamin B-6] created during prolongedexercise may directly translate into poorutilization of glycogen, amino acids, andfatty acids for producing continuousmuscular energy. A trace amount ofpyridoxine HCL keeps the energy pumpprimed with all the substrates and fuelsneeded for a prolonged enduranceevent.”

Chromium polynicotinate -Chromium plays an essential role inenergy production and the synthesis ofglucose, fatty acids, and amino acids.However, this trace mineral is rapidlydepleted via perspiration, urination,and extreme temperatures, which iswhy we’ve included it (in the highlybioavailable polynicotinate form) inLiquid Endurance.

Liquid Endurance Dosing Protocols

Our general recommendations are touse one tablespoon of Liquid Enduranceper 100 lbs body weight, mixed in 24fluid ounces water. Drink this at three-hour intervals hours four times daily forthree consecutive days prior to a hot-weather event.

A more precise loading dose, based onbody weight:

WEIGHT AMOUNT OF LE100 lbs 1 TBSP 110 lbs 1 TBSP + 1/4 TSP 120 lbs 1 TBSP + 1/2 TSP 130 lbs 1 TBSP + 3/4 TSP 140 lbs 1 TBSP + 1-1/4 TSP 150 lbs 1 TBSP + 1-1/2 TSP 160 lbs 1 TBSP + 1-3/4 TSP 170 lbs 1 TBSP + 2 1/4 TSP 180 lbs 1 TBSP + 2 1/2 TSP 190 lbs 1 TBSP + 2 3/4 TSP 200 lbs 2 TBSP

Again, you’d use this amount ofLiquid Endurance in 24 ounces ofwater, sipped slowly. Drink a bottle fourtimes daily (approximately every threehours) for three days prior to the event.

NOTE: It is VERY IMPORTANT to

weigh yourself each day. If you gain 3%of your body weight before the three-dayloading is finished, stop loading.Beyond 3%, body extracellular water-weight gain will inhibit, not enhance,performance. Most people gain 1-2%,which is ideal.

Some of the Science BehindLiquid Endurance

Subjects performed moderate exer-cise (equivalent to 60% VO2max in acomfortable environment) in a hot dryenvironment. The exercise started 2.5hrs after the fluids were ingested. Theurine volume prior to exercise wasdecreased when glycerol was ingested,thus resulting in glycerol-inducedhyper-hydration. During the exercisefollowing the glycerol-induced hyper-hydration, there was elevated sweatrate and lower rectal temperature dur-ing the moderate exercise in the heat.There were no changes in hemoglobin,hematocrit, or serum electrolyte con-centrations following glycerol intake.These data support the hypothesis thatglycerol-induced hyper-hydrationreduces the thermal burden of moder-ate exercise in the heat.

[REFERENCE SEE: Med Sci Sports Exerc1990 Aug;22(4):477-83.]

Eight competitive cyclists [meanpeak oxygen consumption, (VO2(peak))= 65 ml x min(-1) x kg(-1)] undertooktwo 60-min cycle ergometer time trialsat 32 degrees C and 60% relativehumidity. The time trials were splitinto two 30-min phases: a fixed-work-load phase and a variable-workloadphase. Each trial was preceded byingestion of either a glycerol solution [1g x kg (-1) body mass (BM) in a dilutedcarbohydrate (CHO)-electrolyte drink]or a placebo of equal volume (the dilut-ed CHO-electrolyte drink). The totalfluid intake in each trial was 22 ml x kg(-1) BM. A repeated-measures, doubleblind, cross-over design with respect toglycerol was employed. Glycerol inges-tion expanded body water byapproximately 600 ml over the placebotreatment. Glycerol treatment signifi-cantly increased performance by 5%compared with the placebo group, asassessed by total work in the variable-workload phase. There were nosignificant differences in rectal temper-

ature, sweat rate, or cardiac frequencybetween trials. Data indicate that theglycerol-induced performance increasedid not result from plasma volumeexpansion and subsequently lower coretemperature or lower cardiac frequen-cies at a given power output aspreviously proposed. However, duringthe glycerol trial, subjects maintained ahigher power output without increasedperception of effort or thermal strain. REFERENCE SEE: [Eur J Appl PhysiolOccup Physiol 1999 Oct;80(5):494-501.]FROM J.O.E.[THE JOURNAL OFENDURANCE:2001:#[10]

Summary

With Liquid Endurance, you get somuch more than a “heat tolerance”product. You’ll appreciate its benefitsany time, but especially during hotweather races, when your cooling sys-tem is pushed to its limits.

Heat, moisture, light, and circulatingair properties from the environment ini-tiate microbial deterioration potencyloss in supplements and fuels. A fewyears ago I (Dr. Bill) measured room airversus refrigerator humidity. Inside therefrigerator the humidity was usually30-60% less than the room humidity.

I read that 17% is the average conven-tional fridge humidity, though it mayvary by unit and area. Keeping supple-ments, powder/gel fuels in lowtemperature & humidity (in the fridge)is the best environment for preservingproduct integrity. However, all E-CAPSsupplements and Hammer Nutritionfuels generate a 1-year up to 2-yearsshelf life potency left unopened. Oncethey are opened, they are exposed to nat-ural air born microbes and a token influxof humidity. Add to that summer’s heatincrease, the reactions leading to deteri-oration also increase reducing shelf lifepotency to 40-50% time of the unopenedproduct. Under 40F in the fridge is ideal,when a product is opened and not fin-ished within 3-6 months.

Storage Suggestions : Keep your product fresh


18

Knowing power and heart rate levelsat lactate threshold may help you trainand race effectively, and knowing howthe body uses lactate may be an incen-tive to train with a bit more intention.

Pedaling into the wind at the ACAstate time trial, my legs were starting tofeel that slow burn. I looked down at mypower meter and I was over my lactatethreshold. I backed it off 10 watts, andwithin a minute the burning disap-peared and my speed increased. Imentally took note to pace a bit moreconservatively, and continued on. Laterin the time trial, as I began to suffer abit more, I kept it dialed to the wattageI knew I could produce and hold, andtried to ignore the fatigue creeping intovarious parts of my body.

Lactate is produced in our muscles atlow exercise intensities, and at muchhigher ones. In fact, it’s present in thebody at rest. Lactate is created duringthe breakdown of glucose (glycolysis)which is one chemical process thathelps our body create energy. Pyruvicacid is produced through this process,and as it accumulates, it is converted tolactate. Under moderate-to-high exer-cise intensities (tempo, for instance)lactate is converted back to pyruvic acidand re-used for energy production.

In terms of improving the use and re-use of lactate in our muscles, lactatethreshold (LT) intervals encouragefast-twitch muscles to produce anenzyme (MCT-1) which is important totransport lactate into muscle cellswhere it is converted into pyruvic acidfor further exercise. The more MCT-1you have, the greater the rate of lactateconversion and the greater the muscleendurance. LT intervals also increasethe number of mitochondria (cellularenergy power plants) and capillaries(blood highways).

Despite their benefits, LT intervalshave earned a bad reputation due tothe discomfort associated with theefforts that are required to producemore energy. Actually, lactate doesn’tcause the discomfort. If it did, my fin-

The Training Express : The latest on lactategers would be in pain from typing (onemight say I type at a “painfully” slowrate, but I digress...). Lactic acid isformed from pyruvic acid as a result ofinsufficient oxygen at the muscle cellsduring high rates of exercise. It thenconverts back into lactate once in theblood stream, in the presence of moreoxygen. Once the lactic acid is convert-ed back to lactate, the lactate in turn isconverted and re-used as pyruvic acid.Lactic acid, however, may cause loss ofmuscle power and pain in the workingmuscles if it builds-up past the pointthat the muscles can clear it into theblood stream for conversion back toLactate. The latest (but unproven) the-ory on this is that the changed pH fromaccumulated and un-cleared lactic acidcauses the discomfort and slows musclecontractions.

So, what about that NY Times (NYT)article that people have been callingand e-mailing about? On May 16th theNYT ran an article titled “Lactic Acid isnot Muscles’ Foe, it’s Fuel”. As I illus-trated above, it’s lactate that is the fuel,and lactic acid that is a by-product.Neither is a waste product, as we mayhave come to believe. Both are essentialfor producing the results that you want,both during exertion and for recovery.In fact, fifty-percent of the lactate pro-duced during a moderate-to-high levelworkout is used for replenishing muscleglycogen stores during recovery. (In thiscase, I’m talking about lying on thecouch eating chips, and I’m referring torecovery from higher intensity work-loads). When lactate is released into theblood stream, the liver uses it to pro-duce glucose and glycogen, which arethen used by the working muscles.

What is the big deal about testingthen? If lactate is a fuel then why carehow much is in the bloodstream at anygiven time? The value of a test is to dis-cover at what workload (watts and/orheart rate) your body is accumulatinglactate to the extent that glycolysis isproceeding with less oxygen and muscleaction becomes inhibited. By identifyingthis level, one can target training zonesspecifically to facilitate the muscle

adaptations (more MCT-1, mitochodriaand capillaries) that are required toproduce more energy at this level. LTtesting doesn’t predict performance, butif the LT test protocol includes a sectionwhere the rate of lactate clearing isdetermined, then one can also adjusttraining to maximize clearing as well aspower production at higher levels.

The bottom line is that lactate is aproduct of carbohydrate metabolismduring exercise, and is valuable part ofthe body’s energy production. Ratherthan dreading the “burn”, know thatyour muscles are working hard to pro-duce power, and that you are benefitingyour recovery as well. One final note, aslactate is processed rather quickly, itdoesn’t cause that lingering sorenessseveral days later. More on that in afuture article...

Jonathan Siegel, CSCS is the director of coachingat JDS Sportcoaching,LLC. If you’d like to schedulea lactate test, or if you have a comment or a train-ing question, you can email jonathan at : [email protected]

Jonathan Siegel, CSCS

FlexFit™ baseball hat.Black with red and whiteembroidered logo.

Stand onthe podium

in style!

$14.95

Sometimes life throwsbarriers up in our waythat we run smack into. We fall down andmaybe at first we canpick ourselves rightback up. But some-times we can’t or

sometimes it seems liketoo much effort to even try. So, how dowe stay motivated when things startgoing south?

Maybe the barrier is repeated or pro-longed sickness that derails yourtraining. Or maybe your job is taking uptoo much time and energy, so the lastthing you feel like doing is training. Ormaybe you’re hit with an injury. Ormaybe you’re hitting some speed bumpsin your personal life. Etc., etc., etc. . .How do we handle all of this?

First, don’t let the wheels come off.While it might seem that all is lost,don’t believe it for a second. It is not dif-ficult to fall of the edge and into theabyss of depression about your waningfitness, your inability to train/race, andso on. We are used to pushing ourselveshard and training day in/day out. So,when this freedom is taken away fromus, it’s hard not to let it get us down.The best thing you can do here is focuson what you CAN do rather than whatyou can’t do.

Let’s say you’re a cyclist, but an injuryis keeping you from biking. You have achoice to make - and, believe me, youalways have a choice. You can either: 1)do nothing since you cannot do your pri-mary sport. This is what starts you

down the slippery slope of losing moti-vation, getting depressed, gainingweight - you name it; or 2) you can finda way to exercise to maintain your fit-ness or at least minimize the loss offitness so that when you are back on thebike, you are ready to get back at it. Thisapproach can leave you excited to final-ly get back on the bike. And, yourday-to-day routine is minimally disrupt-ed, so you won’t feel like you’re floatingout in space. Instead of cycling, you cantry swimming or water running or theStairMaster or the elliptical trainer orthe rowing machine - whatever does notaggravate the injury further.

Doing something, even at a very base-line, recovery level of effort, is betterthan doing nothing. Any of the aboveexamples are great ways to keep theheart pumping and your fitness grow-ing. And, since you would be exercisingin a way you are unaccustomed to,when you do get back to cycling youmight find your fitness is actually bet-ter than before. The short rest fromcycling and the use of your body in acompletely different way can help torejuvenate you and build you up in newways, effectively making you strongerall-around.

This is just one simple example. Asathletes, we are creatures of habit. Weare used to juggling many responsibili-ties and being in certain places atcertain times. Our training, work andfamily require this so that we can prop-erly attend to each facet of our livesappropriately. So, when one of thesefacets falls out of whack, it can send ourentire lives into tailspins...if we allow

that to happen. But we don’t have to!We CAN stay in control.

And that’s the crux of it all. As I stat-ed earlier, we always have a choice tomake. We are in charge of what wedecide to do or not to do. So, if you endup gaining 10-20lbs while you are nurs-ing an injury, you have to ask yourselfwhether it is because the injury com-pletely took you out (like getting hit bya car while biking) or if you simplydecided to wallow in the misery that canaccompany a niggling injury (such as anachilles tendon strain or patellar ten-donitis). In the former case, there isnothing you can do about your inactivi-ty. Yes, you can fight to rehab ASAP,but the road to recovery is long. So, yourmotivation should be to get back in thesaddle more quickly than any doctortells you is possible. In the latter exam-ple, your blinders and lack of flexibilityare what is keeping you from looking atalternatives to stay fit.

Hopefully this article had been insight-ful to you. Each one of us hits bothexpected and unexpected roadblocksalong the road of Fitness Improvement. Itis how we handle these roadblocks - emo-tionally, mentally, and physically - thatwill help shape the athletes we are andthe athletes we are becoming.

Happy Training, Nate Llerandi

Nate Llerandi is a former national champion classswimmer/world class triathlete. He has been coach-ing since 1990 and creates programs for athletes ofall sports and ability levels. You can contact him [email protected]


19

Nate’s Corner : Staying motivated

Although you won’t see any majorgraphical changes in the next threemonths, you will certainly begin tonotice that we are migrating away fromE-CAPS and embracing HammerNutrition as the parent company andcore branding for our products and serv-ices. Since we all have some difficultytyping “nutrition” from time to time,we’ve elected to adopt www.hammer-nut.com as our primary web site URL.

Website Update : We’ve changed our addressPlease update your bookmarks according-ly. Even our email addresses will beupdated to reflect the changes. Don’tworry, though, we aren’t going to simplyabandon E-CAPS. Our plan is to migrateeverything over to Hammer Nutritionslowly, one step at a time, and we hope tobe fully cleansed of E-CAPS (and www.e-caps.com) by the summer of 2007. Staytuned for more updates and announce-ments regarding these changes.

www.hammernut.com

20


Throughout the years we have support-ed the sport of road cycling via oursponsorships - both athlete/team andevents - and that support has increasedannually. One of the teams we’ve sup-ported the longest is Tieni Duro (Italianphrase meaning “stick to your guns,”“hang in there,” or similar), a juniordevelopment team based inLafayette, California.

As mentioned on their web site,Tieni Duro “is a non-profit organi-zation focused on developingyoung cyclists into capable, safe,competitive racers. Our mission isto create an environment whereboys and girls reach to achievetheir personal best through cyclingand competitive sportsmanship.Tieni Duro is a Junior ONLY pro-gram. As the cyclist turns 19, it istime to move on to a different teamto continue their growth. Some riderswill go on to ride for their collegiateteam, while some will look for placementon a U23 Development team. Tieni Durois constantly keeping in touch with var-ious Pro and Development teams. Forthose that are capable of moving up torace competitively at the U23 level, wewill provide recommendations to thevarious U23 Development teams.”

Currently, there are 17 cyclists on theClub team and 7 cyclists on the Elite team.

We recently received a team updatefrom Jason Kent, the Director Sportif ofTieni Duro...

As the top Junior Development Teamin California, Tieni Duro continues itsassault on the racing scene whilepreparing to take on the best in the coun-try at the Worlds Qualifiers at Longsjoin Fitchburg, MA, as well as Nationalsin Seven Springs, PA in the comingweeks. Immediately following that, wewill have at least one rider (confirmed),and possibly two more, attending the

Tieni Duro : Junior Development TeamTour de l’Abitibi, as part of USAC com-posite teams.

The Tieni Duro Juniors have been tak-ing California by storm in 2006, earningthe top spot on the podium almost everyweekend since 1/28/06. It is with great

anticipation and excitement that weprepare to take on the best in thecountry at Fitchburg and SevenSprings in the coming weeks. Tophighlights so far include:

1st - 17/18 at McLane Pacific Crit(NRC Race)1st - 13/14 at the CVC Crit andCircuit race - winning the Omnium1st - 17/18 at the Sea Otter RoadRace4th - P/1/2 in Stage 4 (Road Race)of the Madera Stage Race.1st - NCNCA Junior Points Series in

17/18.1st - NCNCA Junior District TTChampionship

Hammer Nutrition congratulates theTieni Duro squad on their great raceresults and wishes all the riders contin-ued success in 2006!

Since 1987, long before CoenzymeQ10 (a.k.a. CoQ10) became the well-known nutrient that it is today, athleteshad access to this amazing nutrient viathe E-CAPS supplement Race Caps(now Race Caps Supreme). CoQ10 is afat-soluble nutrient found in every cellof the human body, and it plays animportant role in the energy productionprocess known as the mitochondrialelectron transport chain. In addition,CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant, help-ing to protect the body by neutralizingspecific free radicals. These are the twoprimary reasons why you’ll find CoQ10in Race Caps Supreme:

• It prolongs endurance by supportingthe optimal conversion of your food andoxygen consumption into energy• It enhances recovery by neutralizingfat-soluble free radicals, which supportsthe immune system and minimizesmuscle soreness

CoQ10’s benefits certainly don’t stop

at athletic performance, however, andits known general health benefits aremany, which is why Race Caps Supremeis considered a “Daily Essential” supple-ment. For example, science has shownthat CoQ10 is a superb “heart health”nutrient (CoQ10 can increase energyproduction in the cells of the heart mus-cle, it helps to normalize high bloodpressure, and may aid heart-specificconditions such as angina, arrhythmia,and others) [1, 2], it helps guard againstperiodontal disease [1, 2], it aids in pre-serving healthy vision [3, 4], it helpsprevent migraine headaches [5, 6], andit helps slow the progression ofParkinson’s disease [7, 8].

Research continues to reveal evenmore benefits for CoQ10. Italianresearch in early 2006 suggests thatCoQ10 may play a role in helping toprevent skin cancer [9]. CoQ10 hasshown promise as a powerful aid in theprevention of prostate cancer [10] andbreast cancer [1]. In two studies, CoQ10

was shown to support healthy bloodsugar levels in diabetics [11, 12]. Andone of the most exciting new studiessuggests that CoQ10 may aid in the pre-vention of a primary culprit of heartdisease, a condition known as endothe-lial dysfunction, which is described asinability of the blood vessels and arter-ies to dilate fully in response toincreased blood flow demand [13].

With the number of benefits of CoQ10being uncovered on an ever-increasingbasis, chances are there will be evenmore to talk about shortly after thisissue of Endurance News is pub-lished! Needless to say, CoQ10 is a vitalnutrient - both for athletic performanceand even more so for a variety of gener-al health issues - and taking Race CapsSupreme daily, all year round, is cer-tainly a strategy we think you’ll agree isvery wise indeed.

References [1-13]Available upon request

CoQ10 : More benefits attributed to this ‘wonder’ nutrient Steve Born

Steve Born

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4,364 Miles : Fast friends at the 2005 HighlineBrian’s note:

A funny thing, or two, happened dur-ing the Highline Hammer ride lastAugust. Since a back injury preventedme from riding the 136 mile loop, I vol-unteered to drive the broom wagon (thelast vehicle on the road responsible formaking sure that no riders get leftbehind) with my Mom riding shotgun.

After a brief stop in St. Mary’s, 50miles in, for more water and calories,we sent the last of the riders outtowards the lunch stop in East Glacier.Mom and I decided to stop at the ParkCafé for a bison burger and a piece ofhome made pie before resuming thesweeping duties. As we were leaving thecafé, a large bicycle tour group waspulling in and several riders comment-ed on the Hammer van, saying thatthey loved our

products andasked the almost rhetorical question ifwe worked for Hammer. Then one of theriders from Texas explained that theyhad tried to stock up on Endurolytes forthis tour, but their local shop had beenout and asked if we might have some.Of course we did and gave them somewith our compliments. They werestoked and we enjoyed being theEndurolytes fairies.

Ok, back to the main story. About 15miles out of St. Mary’s, just before CutBank creek (that’s the town in Montanathat regularly records the coldest tem-

journey. It also made a good storyfor the barbeque that evening.

Months passed and I’d forgotten aboutthe encounter until this May when wereceived this nice letter and these picsfrom our Cut Bank friends.

Now, here’s the rest of the story......

Dear Brian,

We made it! After 72 days, 4,364miles, and a few saddle sores we arrivedat our final destination in Rialto Beach,WA. The trip was absolutely amazing,one I am sure we will never forget. Theenergy fuels you gave us were awesomeand they came at a perfect time in ourtrip. From Glacier on we found our-selves on big climbs, climaxing at a7,500 ft day on Route 99 in BritishColumbia. The HEED was by far ourfavorite drink, and the Endurolytes andthe Perpetuem were exactly what weneeded on the big days. We all noticeddifferences in energy levels and recoverytimes of our muscles. Thanks so muchfor your generosity and kindness. It wasmuch appreciated!

Sincerely, Colin, Eric, Adam and Adam

peratures in the coun-try in the winter, buton this day it wasalmost 90) weencountered fourcyclists who wereobviously ridingcross country andlooked like theycould use somehelp. They were inthe process ofchanging a tire,and eating lunch.Still having time to kill,I decided to stop and visit with them fora few minutes.

I pulled the van over and noticedthat they all seemed a little dazed and

confused. A lot of bicycletour company vans fol-low this route, but theydon’t stop to offer helpunless you’re on theirtour. Perhaps that wasthe reason for the look.I greeted them andthey told me that theywere heading East toWest across the coun-try and so were abouttwo thirds of the wayinto their journey.

When theytold me that they had been

living on pb&j’s and sports drinks forover a month, I cringed at the thought.Their look changed from dazed toshear disbelief when I told them that Ihad a van full of cold water, energydrinks and electrolytes and they werewelcome to help themselves. At firstthey just wanted water, but after a bitof explaining, they were game foreverything.

So, I loaded them up with as muchEndurolytes, HEED and Perpetuem asthey could carry and bid them farewell.We left them with the satisfaction ofhelping out four strangers on an epic

We’ve moved to www.hammernut.com

Brian Frank

22


Race ReportGetting His Kicks On Route 66 : Scott SpringerDear Hammer Nutrition,

On April 16th, 2006 I set out on thelongest bike ride of my life; the 80thanniversary of Route 66. We began inSanta Monica, CA and rode over 2500miles of old road, which we expected, toChicago, IL. The longest ride I had donebefore this was 800 miles in one week sothis was a big undertaking for me. Theday after day of 40+mph winds we experi-enced was more than I could imagine butPAC Tour, which has done a number ofcrossings of America, knows what it takesto pull off a ride like this and they did.

To keep up a pace of 90-125 miles a day for

a month was a big undertaking even withideal conditions. PAC Tour had an abun-dance of Sustained Energy and Perpetuemfor us each day and in the evenings we hadRecoverite along with Endurolytes.

I began using the products religiouslyfrom day one. The first week I expectedto be fresh and ready for the task. Itwent well. The second week I wasstrong and was able to be positive evenwith the wind conditions each day. Thethird week, with rain thrown in alongwith the wonderful headwind, was achallenge but we made it. The last weekwe began to fatigue and become bur-dened with the rain and stormyconditions but on May 14th we pulled into our final destination - Chicago.

I feel I was able to do the 8-10 hoursa day for 29 days because of theHammer products. They were the

means for me to get up every morningand hit the road even when the ele-ments were overwhelming. Having oneelement to face, like rough roads, head-winds, rain or mountains to climb istough, but when they’re thrown at yousimultaneously it’s mind boggling. Wewere able to keep going not just becauseof the months of training that we haddone or the bike equipment or the mealswe ate. I honestly believe we gotthrough the the last 2 weeks because ofyour products. When I use your prod-ucts I am able to keep a mind set andstrength to endure the next hill ormountain, the rain or road condition. Ihave a positive feeling about my experi-ence because of your help. I feel itpulled me over the edge when I wasalmost to the end of my road. I believein Hammer products.

Scott Springer

Checking in with some Hammer athletes

Just wanted to report that I had agreat marathon at GrandfatherMountain in NC over the weekend. Itturned out to be a 27 mile marathon asthey had to reroute us due to construc-tion on the Blueridge Parkway. Ifinished 4th Woman Overall and 1stMaster and won my age group. I spreadthe word about why an old lady cantake on the endless string of hills andnot grow weary. I really felt great anddid it on only one 20 miler. SustainedEnergy, Race Caps Supreme andHammer Gel. I actually regretted atMile 21 that the run would be over insix more miles....! I am doing amarathon every month on my quest torun one in all 50 states. Will keepwearing the Hammer inside and out!

Thanks again for all your support.Cheryl Hart

50 months, 50 states, 50 marathons : Cheryl HartUSA Triathlon Age Group Nationals

Smithville, Missouri, July 8, 2006S 1.5k/ B 40k/ R 10k

We’d like to congratulate the follow-ing Hammer Nutrition athletes for theiroutstanding podium results...great job!

Scott Myers - 3rd place Men’s 30-34 - 2:01:30

Donny Forsyth - 2nd place Men’s 40-44 - 2:06:06

Kyle Welch - 1st place Men’s 45-49 - 2:07:06

Jay Marshall - 2nd place Men’s 45-49 - 2:07:23Tim Kerr - 2nd place Men’s 55-59 - 2:20:41

Jon Adamson - 3rd place Men’s 65-69 - 2:38:56

Stacey Richardson - 3rd placeWomen’s 30-34 - 2:15:23

Pippa Michaels - 2nd place Women’s 45-49 - 2:24:19

Laura Sophiea - 1st place Women’s 50-54 - 2:20:59

Trish Kimper - 1st place Women’s 60-64 - 2:50:37

USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals : Way to go!

23


Bridger Ski Foundation DuathlonBozeman, Montana5K Run / 20K Bike / 5K Run1st 70-79 in 2:03

Way to go Molly!!!!

The Unbeatable Molly HayesTexas Water SafariWilliam Russell & Andrew B. Stephens

Thank you a million for supporting usduring the Texas Water Safari, "TheWorld's Toughest Canoe Race". Thisyear was perhaps, historically one of themost difficult Safaris yet, the water wasalmost the lowest it has ever been andas a result everyone's times increaseddramatically. The heat was blazing andcompetitors were dropping out of therace constantly.

Your Hammer products truly are thebest for events such as this one. I stom-ached everything pretty well. The onlyproblems that I faced were extremeback pain, a butt that I could hardly siton, and a sunburn that made me feellike I was melting. I was able to over-come these pains and various otherproblems because your Hammer prod-ucts made me feel strong throughoutthe race.

We took 3rd place Tandem Unlimited,which is the most competitive two mandivision in the race. Our competitionwas stiff, one team broke their boat andseveral others dropped out. We got tonsof pictures of us sporting our Hammergear and some were taken professional-ly that can be found on the internet.Many people asked us about HammerNutrition along the way and we wereproud to tell them about our sponsor-ship and all of the great products thatyou have to offer.

Thank you very much for your gen-erosity and support. - William Russell

Just a quick report on last weekend’s24 Hours of Orange County mountainbike race...

This was the inaugural race for theWarriors’ Society in southern Californiaand was held in the Santa AnaMountains, right in my backyard. Thecourse was 5.6 miles of mainly single-track with about 1,300 feet of elevationgain per lap. I rode solo in the 46-and-over Expert class.

A Real WarriorRandy Profeta

First, I want to thank Brian on this listbecause he recommended the fueling strat-egy that I modified briefly and crushed thefield. This was my experience:

- 300 calories of Perpetuem for pre-race meal

- 3 Endurolytes 45 min before race - 1 Hammer Gel 10 min. before race- 2 scoops HEED with 32oz water for

use on paddle and bike- 24 oz water for hydration on hike bike- Endurolytes throughout race.

This is was a short sprint in which Ifinished 6th male out of 45 teams and9th overall out of 90 teams. This is thebest I’ve done in a sprint race and I owea lot of my success in this race to thisforum (The Endurance List) andHammer’s products. Without theEndurolytes I would have DNF’d due toelectrolyte loss. Without the HEED Iprobably would have been drinkingGatorade and bonked ‘cause of thesugar. Because of the Hammer productsI was able to stay at 180 BPM for 2 hrsat max effort!!

Thanks - Jason Willis

Fueling SuccessJason Willis

Congratulations to Team SOLE(headed by Paul Lundgren, KarenRomero) on their victory in the gruelingMichigan Coast to Coast AdventureRace. The race began on June 3rd inFrankfort, Michigan and, after 62hours, 9 minutes, they reached the fin-ish line in Alpena, Michigan. TeamSOLE battled the entire way with TeamEastern Mountain Sports but prevailedin the end, finishing slightly over threehours ahead. An email that Paul sentout (subject line simply read: “SOLEWINS”) highlighted the difficulty of theeffort: “500km. June 2006. Cold, hot,swamps, sinkholes, bush, mosquitoes.Michigan holds a special place in myheart now (not).”

Congratulations to Team WeCeFAR/E-CAPS Florida who finished in anoutstanding 5th place!

Coast to Coast WinnersTeam SOLE

Race day was sunny and hot, with theemphasis on “hot”. Daytime tempera-tures broke 100 degrees in the canyonsand passes. We did not get much of abreak in the evening as temperaturesbarely dipped below 80.

I fueled with a SE, Hammer Gel andHEED combination, supplementing with2-4 Endurolytes per lap and 1-2 Anti-Fatigue Caps. I never had any issueswith cramps, although I had to come offthe bike at about 2:30 AM because I waslosing my appetite and was having a dif-ficult time swallowing anything. I restedfor about 2 hours, sipping HEED andslowly taking in some SE paste mixedwith Tropical and Raspberry until myenergy came back up.

The heat came back with a vengeanceon Sunday morning. Quite a few of theriders were cramping. I never cameclose to cramping and continued tomake forward progress.

End result - first place in my class anda top-10 GC finish with 12 laps. Thanksto Hammer Gel and E-CAPS for gettingme on the top box again!

Randy Profeta

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGREAT FALLS, MT

PERMIT #151

24

The Back Page

Inside This Issue

- 50th Giro LaveneseSummer riding in Italy

- Salmon OilNew research on Omega 3’s

- 53x11Ride ready with organic coffee

- 2006 RAAMWhat a ride

-Athlete SpotlightGet to know Team Rite Aid

- Product SpotlightLiquid Endurance

- CoQ10 UpdateExciting news about Race Caps Supreme

...and so much more!!!!

E-CAPS / Hammer Nutrition 4952 Whitefish Stage Rd., Whitefish, MT 599371.800.336.1977 / www.hammernut.com

NEWSENDURANCE

Unusual For Her Age Group : Laura SophieaHere’s an email we recently received

from USA Triathlon Age Group NationalChampionships Women’s 50-54 champi-on, Laura Sophiea...

Hi Steve,

I wanted to take a minute and letyou know how I did this pastSaturday at USAT National TriathlonChampionships in Kansas City, MO,and to let you know how I fueled forthe Olympic distance event.

I won my age group and am theNational Champion for the 50-54 agegroup, winning by 3 1/2 minutes. Iactually finished as the 19th womanoverall which they mentioned at theawards was unusual for that age group!I guess getting older has it perks!

For the race I used a Hammer Gel 30minutes before the swim. During thebike I drank water and one 24 oz. bottle

of HEED. That is the first Olympic dis-tance race I have done that for and itworked beautifully! I also had 2Endurolytes mixed into my water bottle.I then took another Hammer Gel at 22miles on the bike, which set me up wellfor the run! They had Hammer Gel onthe run course as well. Then the recoverydrink (Recoverite) at the end...!

I just wanted to thank you again foryour sponsorship and I truly believeyour products have helped me to a newlevel this year. I never really think ofmyself as an Olympic distance athlete,more of an Ironman athlete, but withyour products that I am using this yearI am an Olympic distance athlete!!!

I am beginning to start my long train-ing for Hawaii and know that I will beusing many more products.

Sincerely,Laura Sophiea

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The Newsletter For Endurance Athletes