Live Well 365

16/07/2025

Carbs and calories are where it’s at. The days of less is more are over when it comes to fuelling endurance sports.
More in means more out.

Managing to get the volume in is the ticky bit.

The Athletic spent stage six of this year's race with the EF Education-Easypost team — this is how they fuelled Ben Healy's solo win

13/07/2025

Sodium bicarbonate can be a game changer for athletes, helping to buffer lactic acid and delay fatigue. However, some experience gastrointestinal discomfort when using it.

That’s where hydrogel comes in! By encapsulating sodium bicarbonate in hydrogel, we can improve its delivery and absorption, potentially reducing those side effects while still reaping the benefits.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/athletics/2025/07/13/ian-oriordan-how-old-fashioned-baking-soda-became-the-new-running-superdrug/

Sodium bicarb is a fast-trending and perfectly legal performance enhancer - but beware of the side effects

07/07/2025

MIND your diet. We know that what we eat and how we eat can have an impact on our physical health. It can impact the brain aswell.

Research shows the ‘Mind’ diet may help slow cognitive decline.

04/03/2025

Hydration plays a crucial role in muscle recovery after exercise. When you work out, your body loses fluids through sweat, and dehydration can lead to a range of issues, including muscle cramps, fatigue, and decreased performance. Here’s how staying hydrated helps with recovery:

1. Nutrient Transport :Water helps transport essential nutrients to your muscles, aiding in recovery and repair.

2. Temperature Regulation: Proper hydration helps regulate your body temperature, preventing overheating during exercise and allowing your muscles to function optimally.

3. Muscle Function: Dehydrated muscles are more prone to cramps and strains. Staying hydrated helps maintain muscle elasticity and function. Dehydration is also linked to increases in fuel consumption which speeds up fatigue leading to cramping.

4. Reduced Inflammation: Adequate fluid intake can help reduce inflammation and soreness after workouts, making recovery faster.

5. Overall Performance : Good hydration levels improve overall performance, allowing you to push yourself more during workouts and recover faster.

To optimize muscle recovery, drink water before, during, and after exercise, and consider electrolyte-rich drinks if you’ve had a particularly intense session. Other drinks such a soup, milk and fruits can add to the fluid intakes for the day.

04/02/2025

🌟 Support Your Immune System with Nutrition!

what you eat (or don’t) can have a profound impact on your immune health? 🍏🥦 A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins provides essential vitamins and minerals that help your body fend off illness.

Key nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and antioxidants play a crucial role in strengthening your immune response. Foods like citrus fruits, spinach, nuts, and seeds are fantastic choices!

Remember, hydration is also vital—water helps your body function optimally. Dry airways are more likely to catch bugs so drinking sufficiently will help with hydration.

They not to have long gaps through the day and if you’re training you need to ensure that you have enough fuel to cover the cost.
Remember carbohydrates are an important fuel source for your immune system so ensure you consume enough to meet your needs.

03/02/2025

🌊 Omega-3: Your Body’s Secret Superhero! 💪

Unlock the power of these incredible fatty acids that your body needs but can’t produce! Omega-3s are your ticket to:

- 💓 Heart health protection
- 🧠 Brain function boost
- 👀 Eye health support

tip: Aim for fatty fish twice a week or explore seed mixes to get your omega-3 fix. Some eggs are fortified and this is a great option to add in especially as it’s an easy option.

15/01/2025

This is the time of year where we are making changes but what is driving them? If it’s a healthy approach to things then great but if it’s driven by something like unhappiness with how we look this can cause further unhappiness and pressure.

Shut down comparison with others, positive self talk on what your body can do and trying to focus on other things all help significantly.

If you’re feeling less than stellar about your body image, you’re not alone. But you don’t have to go through life battling your body. Instead, here’s how you can show gratitude and find peace with your body.

09/01/2025

How does our mood affect what we eat and our relationship with food?

Quite a lot.

Some people eat all round when mood is poor and others struggle to eat. So it’s a very individual thing.

Awareness of some of the triggers for some people is very important.

Here are three common-sense tips to help you feed your hunger, not your emotions, from dietician Eve Lahijani.

16/11/2024

Endurance events and training cost the body a lot. It’s often one of the main reasons people don’t or can’t get it right.

Think about what happens if it’s not enough, not if it’s too much.

A study of runners in the Boston Marathon found that those with low energy availability had slower times and more medical encounters.

14/11/2024

Cortisol & Your Gut: The Stress Connection

Did you know that stress can affect your gut health? 🤔 Here’s how cortisol, the stress hormone, plays a role:

1. **Increased Gut Permeability**: High cortisol levels can make your gut lining more permeable and potential inflammation.

2. **Altered Gut Microbiota**: Stress-induced cortisol can disrupt the balance of good bacteria in your gut, impacting digestion and immunity.

3. **Digestive Issues**: Elevated cortisol can slow down digestion, causing bloating, discomfort, pain, and irregular / frequent bowel movements.

🧘‍♀️ **Tip**: Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques to manage stress and support gut health.
Remind yourself that some foods can impact symptoms and what suits you might be different to the messages for others.

12/11/2024

The benefits of creatine may go far beyond the muscle and recovery picture. The potential for cognitive performance and reducing decline with aging could be a significant part of supporting individuals through aging.

Long favoured by bodybuilders and other athletes, this supplement is breaking out into the mainstream, as study after study suggests a host of benefits for our minds as well as our bodies. Are there any caveats?

18/09/2024

Flavonoids are compounds found widely in colourful foods especially fruits, berries and veg. New research supports other work to show that these compounds can help promote brain health by avoiding the build up of plaque which can cause blockages and enhance blood flow.

We know that heart health is closely associated with brain health and guess what they help do the same things for the heart as the head.

Get those colours in every day.

Researchers say six additional servings of foods such as berries, tea and red wine daily could lower the risk by 28%