How to know if a nutrition product works

How to know if a nutrition product works

In this article I want to touch upon how to know if a nutrition product works for you.

In particular I want to talk about hydration and electrolyte products as I live in a hilly, hot, humid area where long rides really drain you.

As cyclists, many of us are really focused on our health (more reading at the end of this article).

We are also usually pretty conscious of what we eat and drink, even if we do slip every now and then (I just ate a Tim Tam and Butternut Snap for morning tea).

Most of us are pretty aware of the types of performance enhancing or endurance-supporting supplements on the market like recovery gels and powders, re-hydration products, energy bars and much more.

Most of the time, the difference between products is quite marginal, meaning that we make our buying decisions on one or some of:

• The product’s marketing
• Previous experience with that product (if any)
• Friend’s recommendations
• Product reviews
• Desperation (bad cramping, current product not working, try something else)

Hydration and electrolyte products

A really good example of knowing what to look for (i.e. cutting through marketing) is hydration or electrolyte products.

There are lots and lots of products on the market with very slick marketing. There is a lot of money spent on marketing products to us and we spend a lot of money chasing good performance (or protection against cramps).

I will be the first to say I used to fall prey to marketing efforts by these companies even though I'm basically a marketer/in marketing.

Knowing what works or doesn't work is important so that can be sure you’re not wasting money on supplements.

However, good nutrition and recovery is generally very simple so it's important to know what is hype and what is not.

For those of us doing lots of training (especially in the heat), or long rides and especially those doing Etape du Tour or other sportifs, having a reliable hydration product with electrolytes is extremely important to keep you hydrated and prevent cramping.

Cramping is a really important aspect to consider, especially during big sportifs like Etape.

Knowing how to fuel for Etape will help mitigate cramping; a bout of cramping can ruin your entire day.

My 2010 Etape is a good example. I started cramping on the first climb.

So, how do we know what to look for?

After all, we all like to avoid spending money on things that don’t work (hence the importance of independent reviews).

How I review and test

I run through a few things when assessing products.

• What’s in the product
• What reviews say about it
• What is my practical experience in using it
• If applicable, what the AIS says about ingredients – the Australian Institute of Support is pretty clear on what it thinks works or not. I wrote about this in the article Are You Wasting Money on Supplements.

In addition to taste, a really important part of the review is how well it quenches your thirst. I find a lot of products taste great but I’m still thirsty right after having half a litre after a ride/run, or else I’m thirsty right away during a ride.

Ingredients

Being able to assess ingredients in a product is critically important.

Apart from the basics, I'm pretty much oblivious to what goes into products like energy gels, bars and the like, so we either have to investigate ourselves or rely on reviews or the marketing of the company itself.

And often, most product groups have the same core ingredients (e.g. energy gels will be sugars, fillers and whatever else) and then rely on the marketing to get the product sold. What I mean here is that there is no real differentiation aside from marketing.

Additionally there are lots of ingredients with long, chemical-sounding names. Given most of us are not food scientists, how can we know what is useful, what is harmful (carcinogens) and what actually works.

In most cases, apart from lots of research, we can’t know, and have to trust the manufacturer.

So, I usually look for products with ingredients whose names I recognise.

And importantly, I don’t want something with lots of sugar and acid in it. There is a lot of evidence to suggest hydration products rot the teeth enamel. I am obsessed with looking after my teeth so for me this is a big consideration.

How I test

When I review a product for you guys, foremost in my mind, aside from making a credible, transparent review, is making sure I know what I am talking about. With hydration products, here’s how I test and what I consider.

1. I will test a product on a hot humid day. These conditions ensure I am likely to physiologically go into a state where the product should benefit me.
2. I will ride hard (go for KOMs) but not necessarily long (2-5 hours will be enough).
3. The ride will be something I have ridden many times so have a good baseline for performance.
4. The ride will not be after another hard ride the day before (i.e. I will be rested).
5. I won’t have had significant alcohol intake the night before.
6. I will consume the product on the ride.
7. I will consume the product post ride.
8. The next day I will go for a light ride and include a climb – I will push up the climb to see how I feel.

This protocol usually will show up how my body is travelling and give me a really good idea of how the product works. I will usually use the product a few times to make sure that I have a baseline of results upon which to base my review.

I know it's not scientific or perfect but it works for me.

You can extend this protocol to anything you want to test.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you test products. So have at it in the comments below.

More reading

Here’s some more reading on nutrition and fuelling.

• Nutrition for Cyclists
• Nutrition myths (interview with a dietician)
• Are you wasting money on supplements
• How to Fuel for Etape