The top 10 Questions that beginners always ask about sports nutrition

Last weekend saw Busselton come alive with thousands of runners and swimmers in town for the annual Fun Run and Jetty Swim.  It is an absolute buzz and one of our favourite events of the year.  Setting up our Bindi stall on the foreshore at the finish line of the fun run meant that we served 1500 runners with sports drink as they crossed the line, and we loved helping and hearing their race stories.

There were so may personal bests and incredible times, but one lady really stood out for me.  She had just completed her first half marathon in about 2.5 hours and was exhausted (and elated too of course).  I asked her if she had some Bindi at the aid station along the way (we provided it out on course for the runners) and she replied “Oh no, I didn’t bother, I was just plodding along. I saw all the fast guys used that stuff, but I didn’t worry. I’m not really at that level!”. 

My heart sank for her – all that work she had put in, yet with a few tweaks to her nutrition her day could have been sooo much easier!

I am so passionate about people of all ages, stages and abilities getting the most out of their bodies – whether it is in performance or just in every day life!

So with that in mind, I had a fabulous nutrition chat with her (and plenty of other runners on the day) and so in case anyone else thinks that sports nutrition isn’t for them, these are by far the most common questions I got!

But I’m not an athlete, doesn’t that mean I don’t need a sports drink? Any time you are sweating or doing any intense exercise for more than an hour, you can benefit from the effects of a sports drink.  It will hydrate you and maintain your energy throughout the session.  We have farmers, gardeners, yoga instructors and elite athletes all benefiting from our natural sports hydration.

I’m trying to cut down on sugar, aren’t sports drinks unhealthy? All sports drinks are not the same!  Some will have 9 teaspoons of sugar with them plus artificial colours and preservatives.  These will do you more harm than good!  If you are doing intense exercise for over an hour, a lower sugar sports drink like Bindi will give you sustained energy (avoid the sugar spike and crash!) and you will end up training better than if you just use water.

My friend swears by XYZ brand, should I use the same? By all means, listen to your experienced friend and give it a try.  But, nutrition can be a very individual thing, and if you are training for a big race consider consulting a sports dietitian.  Make sure you try a sample of anything before you buy a big tub, and see if it works well for YOU. Our sample packs are so popular for this reason, grab yours here.

How much should I drink in training? For every hour of intense exercise, you should be consuming at least 750ml of fluid.  This can vary depending on weather conditions, your size and sweat rates, but it is a good starting point.

I have a sensitive tummy and have been told to avoid sports drinks, is this true? I get asked this one all the time… basically if you use a traditional high sugar and low salt sports drink while you are exercising at high intensity, there is a good chance your gut will complain!  But, if the sugar is lower, the salt is high enough to draw the drink into your body, and the balance of electrolytes is right, then there is a good chance that your body will cope really well.  We know this, because we have created Bindi from scratch to do exactly that, and the feedback is undeniable – Bindi is really easy on your gut and many athletes can tolerate it, when they couldn’t use other products.  Of course, Bindi won’t be perfect for every athlete, so we suggest you start with a sample pack and try it for yourself.

Now I am training regularly, I am always hungry! How do I stop eating EVERYTHING?! Remember your body is an incredible machine that needs fuel, and the best type it can get.  Preloading your food is a great way to avoid the ‘hangries’, which means planning your sessions and ensuring you have eaten well prior to them.  Include more carbohydrates for dinner the night before a long ride or run, and then get your recovery right by including protein and carbs within the first hour after training. (Need a nutrition training guide? Click here

Are your products gluten free? Yes, our products are gluten, dairy and nut free.

What’s the Supergreens stuff, is that just for your elite athletes? Nope… Supergreens are the one product that we can all benefit from, especially if it becomes a once daily ritual. They provide the vital nutrients and antioxidants for recovery and will fight illness and fatigue.  Keeping healthy is the best thing we can do for our bodies and Supergreens are the natural powerhouse to do that for you, whether you are exercising regularly or not.

Do I have to be a gym junkie to use a protein powder?  No! Most people will actually get enough protein through their diet, but if you get the timing and type of protein right you can really improve your recovery and the muscle gains you get from the training. Using protein in the first hour after training will kick-start lean muscle development, and a powder is a quick and convenient way to make sure you tick the recovery box every day.

My kids are swimming/running/training a lot, can they use Bindi too? Bindi is safe for kids to use as it has less sugar than your average sports drink.  It is also free of artificial colours and flavours which is also important for them.  They don’t need sports drink regularly, but it can be perfect for long competition days and big training sessions, particularly in hot weather.

If you are a beginner in sport, or just haven’t tried sports nutrition before… don’t be put off!  There are some fabulous products out there that can really help with your training, your recovery and your general well-being.  Don’t ever think that you must be an elite athlete to use them! 

As always, if you are not sure we are always here to help answer questions and guide you…we basically spend every weekend at events doing this, so no question is off limits and we love to help  – we’ve all been a beginner, right?!

If you are ready for action and want to fuel your training right this year, grab our sample pack here.

Happy training!

Belinda x

STILL Not COnvinced?

Try Our Sample Packs

Taste our clean & natural, Australian nutrition products and you won’t look
back! All the energy you need to achieve peak performance is right here.

STILL Not
COnvinced?

Try Our
Sample Packs

Taste our clean & natural, Australian nutrition products and you won’t look back! All the energy you need to achieve peak performance is right here.

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