Fueled by Hammer

One of the key components of training and recovering well is nutrition. Of course, everyone knows a balanced diet rich in whole grains, vitamins, and minerals is undeniable. But athletes have specific nutritional needs to get the most out of training and recover quickly.

I've been keeping my engine running smoothly and have been absorbing my highest training load ever in the past year with the help of Hammer Nutrition. Here are a few of my fueling essentials:

During training sessions up to 2 hours: HEED, the "High Energy Electrolyte Drink", is the drink of choice. It's a complex carbohydrate sports drink that's loaded with electrolytes and is easily digestible. I've found that this is a "don't leave the house without" type of drink to have in my water bottle for any type of intensity workout.

After high intensity and over-distance sessionsRecoverite! I think most athletes will see considerable benefits if they meet their fueling needs within a 30 minute period after a challenging session. Glutamine is an extremely important amino acid that becomes depleted during intense exercise. Whey protein is LOADED with glutamine, so a Recoverite drink or Hammer Whey smoothie immediately after training is super helpful.

I am also a fan of having solid food immediately after training. Fruit and a Hammer Bar is a good way to go. The Cashew Coconut Chocolate Chip bar is my all time favorite.

During very long training sessions and events Perpetuem or Sustained Energy are ideal for over-distance workouts, since they contain both complex carbs and soy protein. Your body will automatically go through "gluconeogenesis" in over-distance workouts, so you will need to take in some protein if you want to prevent your body from cannibalizing its own muscle tissue for energy. A little soy protein is ideal for during workouts, because it is a type of protein that doesn't readily produce ammonia. These drinks can also be ideal for in between sprint heats, if there's not enough time to digest a full solid meal. I definitely need more than just carbohydrates to last through a challenging day of racing.

Before races: Quite often, I like to take a swig of Hammer gel moments before starting a distance race. The little plastic flasks make this convenient prior to race time because you are not committed to having an entire pre-packaged gel, and you can mix it with a little water to make it go down smoothly.

If you would like to check out Hammer products for yourself, you can enter in my promotional code (64109) and receive a 15% discount. Hammer on!