Ask the Experts - Nutrition

Questions for Andrew Hamilton

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1. After eating a protein containing meal, how long does it take for that protein to become available for muscle intake? My understanding is that the muscles have maximum intake capacity while they are stressed with exercise. (Refer to answer here)

2. I have a query concerning my energy levels. I will be moving out to America in two weeks for intensive tennis training. I will playing first thing in the morning, coming home to do schoolwork and then going back to the tennis centre later on to play again. I find that doing this much in one day, my energy levels drop and I cannot concentrate, especially whilst doing my studies. I get extremely tired and find it difficult to continue. I recently went to a health shop to ask them for any advice. They suggested that I used 'Super Guarana - 1200mg per tablet' whenever I felt tired. I asked whether this was a banned substance for athletes in Britain and America and she said that it was not banned. However, I wanted to check with you if this was in fact true. Or is there something better that you could recommend. I already take omega-3 supplements and this does not seem to help. (Refer to answer here)

3. I’m 5ft 5ins and weigh just under 10 stones. I’ve recently taken up running and try to eat healthily. While I’ve lost a bit of weight already (6lbs in 2 months), I am thinking of going on a low carbohydrate, high protein diet to accelerate fat loss, in order to improve my 10K run time. Can you advise me the best way to go about this and how long should I follow this diet? I would appreciate any advice you can give me. (Refer to answer here)

4. I’m a rugby player and am trying to build muscle and lose some body fat. I’m considering using a creatine supplement and was wondering how effective it would be in helping me achieve my goals? Also, what’s the best way to use it? (Refer to answer here)

5. I am very keen to improve my 10km time. I am 28 years old and my time for 10km is 30 minutes. I have found that when I eat meat and chicken my 10km time seems to slow to 32 minutes, but when I stop eating meat my time drops again to 30 minutes. My coach had advised me to eat meat for strength, but I find it makes me feel slow and feel heavy. Can you please advise me why this is and what’s the best thing to do? (Refer to answer here)
   

6. I am a coach and I am coaching and developing a great 12-year old runner who is constantly improving every year at 800m and 1500m. I would like some nutritional tips to help her recover faster and perform better; at the end of the summer it seems as though she starts to wear down and doesn't look as strong as she did at the beginning of the season even though her times show she is getting faster. I would like to get her 800m-time under 2:20 and her 1500m-time at 4:30 or faster (her present PBs are 2:28 and 4:59). What should be done to ensure that she continues to improve the times all the way until she is 18? (Refer to answer here)

7. I’m a 33-year old male and am training for Mumbai marathon in India. I do my training in Chennai, where the weather is very humid. During my long runs, I begin to feel very hungry after a couple of hours. I normally eat a peanut butter sandwich half hour before running and drink Gatorade and water for hydration. I drag my body around my long run, but I find it very difficult during the end. I run around 30 miles per week including interval training (6 X 800 with 400m recovery jog). My diet is primarily rice based. What would you recommend to increase my performance? (Refer to answer here)

8. I’ve never really seen a good answer for what exactly constitutes a low or high-carbohydrate diet for runners. Also, how does your carbohydrate intake affect the burning of muscle protein for fuel when running? Many thanks (Refer to answer here)

9. I am a racing cyclist and I find I really lack an explosive kick for attacking in races. I lost a lot of weight last year and I feel I’ve lost a lot of muscle mass, which I would like to regain, particularly in the legs. My endurance is excellent (I can ride 200 kilometres without any problems), but I struggle to go with attacks in races and my thighs feel like they are burning. Should I be doing weight training, or are there any specific intervals I should do? Do I need creatine or whey protein maybe? My diet is very low fat – is this a cause?(Refer to answer here)

10. I would like to know how many grams of carbs (p/kilo of bodyweight) we require for weight/fat loss. Correct me if I'm wrong but I understand the equations are:
    • To gain mass, 1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight per day and 3grams of carbohydrate per kilo of bodyweight per day
    • To maintain lean mass, 1 gram protein per kilo of bodyweight and 2 grams of carbohydrate per kilo of bodyweight per day .
    Can you please confirm that these equations are correct? (Refer to answer here)