RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED HOW YOU
CAN SUPPLY YOUR BODY MORE EFFICIENTLY
WITH CARBOHYDRATES.
The latest findings could provide endurance athletes like you with extra energy – just when you need it the most.
As an athlete you know that carbohydrates are the body's main source of fuel when it comes to endurance activities – and
that you can perform at a higher level for longer if you consume carbohydrates while training or competing.
Unfortunately the body can only absorb carbohydrates and process them as "muscle fuel" at a limited speed.
Until recently scientists agreed that this limit was around 1 g per minute. The American College of Sports Medicine therefore
recommended in 2000 that endurance athletes should take in around 30–60 g of carbohydrates per hour of training or competing,
depending on their body weight.
This upper limit for the capacity to absorb carbohydrates has now been redefined.
Researchers began to debunk conventional wisdom in 2004. They experimented with the carbohydrates that athletes take in,
mixed glucose and fructose in a specific ratio and were then able to increase the maximum resorption rate for consumed
carbohydrates by a staggering 20–55%. This could provide that crucial bit of extra energy at a critical point during protracted
endurance performances. What causes this increase of 20–55%?
Researchers have developed a fuel mixture with increased octane; the Super Plus version of carbohydrate mixtures.
They have discovered how to make full use of the capacities of the metabolic system by utilising the different transport
mechanisms for glucose and fructose. Today we know that these two mechanisms act as two bridges connecting the intestine
to the bloodstream. One bridge only carries glucose, at a rate of around 1 g per minute. Even if you ingest more glucose, it
will provide your body with little extra energy – because the glucose transporter is already at full capacity.
If you take in fructose as well as glucose, then you are using both bridges.
Striking the right balance between both energy suppliers means you can use both transport mechanisms to their full potential.
Your body takes in more carbohydrates, uses them more quickly and thus supplies more fuel to your muscles, so that you
can avoid hitting the "wall".
PowerBar C2MAX provides a perfect combination of
glucose and fructose.
The latest research is based on the assumption that a specific
glucose-fructose ratio allows the maximum amount of energy to
be provided during sporting activity. This is the premise on which
PowerBar C2MAX was developed – a carbohydrate mixture
that you can only get from POWERBAR Performance bars,
POWERBAR gels and POWERBAR Energize drinks.
GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS
If you play sports and train, then your body adapts to these stimuli and increased requirements. Your body needs energy to
deliver a high level of performance, and protein to rebuild and repair the musculature that has been used.
When you start flagging, it means your tank is empty.
The more intensive an activity, the more carbohydrates your body uses as an energy source.
This is where the problem lies for endurance athletes.
The body can only store a limited amount of the carbohydrate fuel glycogen. If you don't "top up" your carbohydrates while
you are active, then your glycogen stores are depleted. Then you get what cyclists call bonking and runners refer to as the
wall: the glycogen tanks are empty and you have to slow down or even stop. You can only delay getting to this point by
supplying your body with enough carbohydrates. The right balance of carbohydrate types can help.
PowerBar C2MAX is the Super Plus version of carbohydrate mixtures, giving your body a turbo boost.
Scientific studies have shown that the body can take in and burn a 2:1 mixture of glucose and fructose 20–55% more quickly
than glucose alone. Consuming the C2MAX 2:1 mixture during an endurance sport could provide you with additional energy
at the critical point.
You get an extra push to maintain your performance.
See the results of two current clinical studies for yourself. The first study asked eight trained cyclists to pedal consistently and
powerfully for five hours. Half of them were given a drink containing only glucose, whilst the other half drank a solution containing a
2:1 mixture of glucose and fructose. The cyclists who drank the 2:1 mixture were able to complete the full five hours at 87–92 rpm.
The ones who only drank glucose, however, could only manage an average of 78 rpm for the final hour.
A second study that has just been published examined the effect of the "Super Plus" carbohydrate mixture
on athletes' endurance.
In this test researchers asked cyclists to warm up for two hours before completing a one-hour time trial. Again, some of the
cyclists were given a drink that only contained glucose, while the others were given one containing the specific mixture.
The result showed that the 2:1 mixture helped the athletes in this study to increase their performance
by an average of 8%.
There is no definite way of predicting how C2MAX will affect your individual performance. But if you are working hard to push
yourself to the limits, then C2MAX could offer an advantage that you don't want to miss out on.
