Optimum Nutrition 4 Sport

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Barry Murray, Performance Nutritionist, who runs Optimum Nutrition 4 Sport. Barry had agreed to answer a few questions I’d gathered from some of the followers of this blog. Barry was very eager to share some of his knowledge and has answered the questions in a very straight forward no BS way.

Barry works with some top athletes including Steve Cummings, Gavin Noble and Dan Fleeman, to name just a few. When I asked Barry if he only works with Pro’s, he said, I do work with all types of cyclists, not just pro’s… here is what I offer http://www.optimumnutrition4sport.com/?page_id=6

Any way here are some of your questions and Barry’s answers. You’ll see that he gets straight to the point so if you want to work with someone who knows his stuff and gets to the point then he’s your man.

What’s the best recovery meal/snack with 5 mins prep?

This all depends on the duration/intensity of the ride. A 1hr easy spin does not require any specific recovery. However, a hard 3hr ride will have caused glycogen depletion, protein degradation and immuno suppression. In addition to this, the physiological stress endured will have triggered adaptations to occur which is how the body essentially gets fitter. The recovery needed after this type of session is protein and HighGI carbohydrates. The protein and carbohydrate sources need to be easily digested and quickly absorbed. The amounts then need to be based on the individual’s weight, as an 80Kg person will need more than a 50Kg person. The type of protein I recommend would be Whey due to its amino acid profile and biological value. Basically this means that it has all the necessary bits and pieces to help the muscle repair and adapt as well as being easily digestible. The type of carbohydrate I would recommend would be fruits, dried fruit, fruit juices, honeys, jam or even plain glucose/dextrose powder. This is the one time where quick sugars are actually beneficial for the body and help to rapidly replenish glycogen depletion as well as raising insulin which is necessary for recovery. Fruits are probably the best recommendation since they are a natural food and are nutrient dense as well as having a combination of glucose and fructose which aids rates of absorption. For more info see my articles on Recovery and Protein Shakes on my site here www.optimumnutrition4sport.com

Is there anything in the world better for cyclists than Malt loaf?

In terms of nutrition and health – Yes, lots of things. First look at the ingredients in Malt Loaf. It consists of wheat, inverted sugar syrup, vegetable fat and E numbers, oh, and some raisins. Now, without making this a thesis, wheat and vegetable fat are not healthy, neither are E numbers. A thick slice will give you about 30g of carbs and not much else. This amount of carbs though is fine if out on the bike and is typically what would be contained in a standard sports bar. However, like I said, it’s not particularly healthy. What is a healthier choice would be foods like banana’s, dried apricots/raisins, and natural energy bars such as Nakd bars and Pulsin bars. Or ideally, make your own bars with things oats, honey, molasses and peanut butter. All of these foods provide carbs (with a blend of glucose and fructose), some protein, minerals, vitamins and no crap.

Which is best Carrot cake or Coffee and walnut?

That’s kind of like asking “What’s better, a Heineken or a Budweiser” … so I’m not going to answer that one. It’s absolutely pointless to try and choose a cake based on its nutritional value, they’re all full of sugar, margarine and flour so if you’re having one, have what you feel like on the day !

What to eat on the cafe run and is Latte or Espresso better?

The café run advice is similar to the response I gave above. To elaborate a bit more on that, a natural home made cake with no added crap, made with quality ingredients like real butter and not margarine, good quality cocoa powder, maybe gluten free would be a better all round choice. It should also depend on the ride you are doing. If it’s an easy 2hr spin, then ideally should not be having anything. Whereas I recently rode 6hrs with Steve Cummings and Max Sciandri and after 4hrs at the top of a 10Km climb, we stopped in a café and had 2 cakes each ! On the coffee subject, there is not a huge difference. The latte comes with about 200ml of milk which is something that doesn’t easily pass through the stomach for some. So an espresso would be better in this case.

Is Beetroot Juice all it’s made out to be?

The research behind Beetroot Juice is strong with some good studies done by Andy Jones research group in Exeter. It works by reducing the oxygen cost which improves efficiency and reduces time to fatigue. It has also been shown to slightly reduce VO2max though so it may not work for some depending on the length/intensity of the race.

Is Marzipan a good on Bike food?

It consists of sugar and almond flour. So not the worst. A 50g piece will give you roughly 30g of sugar, 5g of fat and 3 g of protein. Some marzipans have other ingredients so like everything its best to get the most natural pure version (to use one of my very scientific recommendations – no added crap!)

There are a lot of articles around recovery and how important it is to recover properly, what real food can help? Also what performance products are the best to aid recovery? What else can aid recovery i.e. activities, stretching etc.

I have written a pretty extensive article on this already so I will just direct you to the link http://www.optimumnutrition4sport.com/?page_id=348

I’ve heard the saying train low race high, what’s your thoughts?

I agree with this in general. It’s all about putting things in context though. What type of training is being done, what time to the season is it, what are the rider’s goals etc. But in general, training more in a depleted state can lead to greater adaptations. Again, this is a general statement and what that involves depends on many variables.

What to eat on a club run, approx. 50 miles?

All depends yet again – how hard are you going, how rested/fresh/fuelled are you. What are your goals/aims ? If it was a standard hardish group ride then the typical recommendation is to consume 1g/Kg of carbs per hour. For a 75Kg rider that would equate to a cereal bar and 300ml of an energy drink. However, by choosing to eat less you can improve your fuel efficiency and potentially gain better adaptations. I know many riders (including myself!) that ride 50-60 miles with no food, just water. How fit the person is obviously dictates your requirements too. A relative new comer doing his or her first 50 mile group ride would be advised to eat every 30-60mins at the recommended quantities. However, the experienced fitter rider can easily complete the same ride by eating once or twice. So like everything, it all depends. On the subject, I think this is a very important message that everyone needs to realise when it comes to nutrition recommendations. There really are no blanket recommendations that applies to every single individual. It needs to be a “no one dress size fits all approach”. Individual recommendations need to be based on the individual. Several factors need to be taken into account so the appropriate and relevant advice can be given. That’s what I do with all my athletes.

What sports bars/gels and drinks do you think are best ?

I’ve spent the past few years learning about and examining practically every sports product out there on the market. My conclusion is this: they supply nothing that you can’t get from natural foods. Let me give you a few examples:

Sports Gel = water + sugar + some salts

Natural Food Version = water + honey + pinch of salt

Sports Bar = sugar + flour/oats + vegetable oils + sweeteners + artificial crap

Natural Food Version = oats + honey + peanut butter

Sports Drink = water + sugar + salts + sweeteners + artificial crap

Natural Food Version = water + fruit juice + sea salt

Case closed !