Are you eating enough? Are you overtraining or exercising too much? Either of these factors, or a combination, can lead to a lack of energy availability. Over a prolonged period of time this can have a large adverse impact on your health, as well as on performance.

Before I started MNU I frequently used sodium bicarbonate… in baking! I had no idea it is also used as a performance supplement! The stuff you get in the supermarket is the same, so don’t worry about buying fancy branded versions. Following on from Beta-Alanine, this works in a similar way. However while that is...

We’re back on performance supplements, with Beta-Alanine. Those of you using pre-workout might know this as the ingredient which gives you that tingling sensation, AKA paraesthesia. This is a common side effect, and while unpleasant won’t do any harm. Beta-alanine works by increasing the muscle stores of carnosine, which acts as an intracellular buffer of...

Just finished training? Quick, get some carbs in! You need to replenish the glycogen you used. Hmmm, do you though? The answer is, in most circumstances, no. For a 45-60 minute session or class, it’s unlikely you’ve tapped into your stores that much. If you stick to your usual eating pattern over the following 24...

Cherries are often touted as a superfoods due to their high polyphenol content. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds are why tart cherry juice is used as a performance supplement.

Glycogen has come up in a few posts recently, so a little recap for reference. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy, as they are easily stored & used. Glycogen is important as it is a readily mobilized storage form of glucose. When carbohydrates are consumed they are broken down into their simplest form,...