Fuel up! Check out 6 of the best nutritional products from NamedSport

Although NamedSport is a relatively new name in the world of sports supplements, its history – and wide range of endorsements – means it is a brand that athletes of all levels can trust with their nutrition and hydration requirements. 

NamedSports is the sister brand to Named – which stands for NAtural MEDicine – an Italian company with two decades of experience as a supplier of health food supplements to the pharmacy industry. With such a distinguished background, it’s no surprise that NamedSports has quickly become Italy’s leading brand of sports nutrition products. 

However, slightly more noteworthy is the almost instant effect and reaction that NamedSports has enjoyed beyond its motherland. 

The brand has an exclusive five-year sponsorship programme with all three Grand Tours and will be an official partner and supplier at the Tour de France this year. NamedSport also works closely with many other iconic races – such as the Strade Bianchi and Paris-Roubaix – as well as being the official nutrition partner to World Tour teams: Astana, Cofidis, AG2R and Team Bike Exchange.

The reason for this range of ringing endorsements is the standard of NamedSport’s products. The brand’s background in the health food sector means that it places an absolute focus on ingredient purity and quality. Each product has specially-selected active ingredients – such as innovative slow-release carbohydrates like Cluster Dextrin or Palatinose – to ensure athletes perform at their highest possible level.

To find out more visit the NamedSport website. Or to try NamedSports products for yourself, you can find them in local bike stores or selected branches of Evans Cycles, Sigma Sports and Halfords.

5 nutritional tips you need to know (and 5 you need to avoid)

Do…

✔ Eat or drink before you need it. Refuelling or hydrating once you’ve started to feel the effects of depletion is too late. Generally speaking during endurance exercise, you’ll want to be consuming 30 to 60g of carbohydrates of energy every hour and slowly but regularly hydrating even before you start a ride.

✔ Test any supplements before your goal ride. Taste is important but far more crucial is how your body reacts to performance foods – check you’re comfortable consuming them before the big day.

✔ Understand your hydration requirements. As you become more experienced, you’ll be better able to read your body and satisfy it accordingly – for example, a long mid-summer challenge ride will require more hydration than a winter training ride.

✔ Keep eating even after your ride. Proper nutrition involves pre, mid and post-event consideration, so consume protein to repair muscles when you’ve finished.

✔ Work out your supplement storage system. As you’ll be refuelling on the go, know exactly where all your foods are and how you can access them – and open them – easily. If necessary, ready-tear packets before you set off so that they’re easy to fully undo when riding.

Don’t…

✘ Think superfoods are an alternative to training. Supplements are not performance-enhancing substances, they’re more like performance-maintaining substances – you’ve still got to do the training to feel the benefits.

✘ Think water alone will keep you hydrated. For water to be absorbed by the body, it needs to be combined with essential salts called electrolytes. And don’t drink too much in one go – a stomach that is sloshing around is not a good feeling – regularly sip instead.

✘ Go big on caffeine. Caffeine can help to give you a boost for the final push to the line but it’s not a good idea to be consuming high levels of it from early on in a ride – you’ll just feel flatter when its effects wear off.

✘ Eat high fat or protein products during a ride. There is room for fat in an athlete’s diet, but fat and protein won’t do much to help performance mid-ride. Save high-protein foods for immediately post-ride.

✘ Shirk on the sugar. Sugar might be seen as the modern evil, but that’s for sedentary people – carbohydrates are what’s going to keep you pedalling, so don’t think you can avoid it on rides of an hour-plus. 

Veggie or vegan? It’s no problem

Being vegetarian or vegan doesn’t mean you need to compromise your performance: elite sports stars such as Serena and Venus Williams, Carl Lewis and Sergio Aguero all thrive on a vegan diet. Protein, for example, can be found in nuts, pulses and oily seeds, as well as grains such as quinoa. 

However, it is important to increase the consumption of certain nutrients – such as iron, calcium and vitamins D and B12 – that are either found in smaller amounts or which are less easily absorbed by the body in vegetarian sources than in meat or fish. This is where NamedSport can help, as a huge number of its nutritional products are vegetarian and vegan-friendly, and will help to support your diet and sporting performance without resorting to animal products.

Electrolytes, isotonic, hypertonic and hypotonic

It’s easy to get confused when it comes to the science behind hydration, so here’s a quick guide to the four terms you’re most likely to encounter.

Electrolytes: the body’s natural salts that are necessary for muscles to react to electrical impulses and function properly.

Isotonic: drinks that contain a similar concentration of salts and sugar levels to those found in the human body.

Hypertonic: drinks that contain a higher concentration of salts and sugars levels than those found the human body.

Hypotonic: drinks that contain a lower concentration of salts and sugars levels than those found the human body.

So what should you use to stay fuelled and hydrated while pushing yourself to the limit? Here are some of the best options – click on the product name to find out more on NamedSport's website.  

HydraFit £7.00

HydraFit is a hypotonic powdered drink mix with mineral salts, carbohydrates and nine vitamins, that helps to support energy needs during exercise and which is also extremely useful at rebalancing fluid-electrolyte losses during intense physical activity. Although not as concentrated as isotonic or hypertonic solutions, the hypotonic formula with its sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium provides better hydration than just water alone and the carbohydrate and electrolyte solution helps to support resistance performance during prolonged physical training sessions. 

Product size: 400g tub (with free sports biodegradable bottle)
Flavours: Orange
When to use: Before and during exercise
Perfect for: Riders wanting their first taste of electrolyte drinks
Available from your local bike shop, Evans Cycles, Sigma Sports or Halfords.

Isonam Energy £12.40

Isonam Energy is a powdered isotonic drink featuring magnesium and potassium for optimal muscle functionality. Magnesium also contributes to normal electrolyte balance and, together with vitamin C, contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Added ginseng has a tonic effect and is recommended for physical and mental fatigue, while the 3g per serving of creatine improves physical performance during repetitive, highly intensive and short burst exercises. Thanks to its special blend of carbohydrates – maltodextrin and dextrose – which are assimilated by the body at different speeds, Isonam Energy also provides a reliable and lasting source of energy.

Product size: 480g (6 servings per tub)
Flavours: Lemon or orange
When to use: Before and during training
Perfect for: Riders taking on intense endurance challenges looking for a one-stop solution
Available from your local bike shop, Evans Cycles, Sigma Sports or Halfords.

Isotonic Power Gel £12.40

Sometimes it seems like you need to consume a lot of carbohydrate drink to access the kind of energy you need – but there is a more efficient way. NamedSport’s Isotonic Power Gel is ready to consume direct from its easy-to-use 60ml pouch and is made with Cluster Dextrin, which has a faster absorption rate than many carbohydrates, as well as a positive effect on extending endurance and promoting faster recovery times. It’s also sugar-free and vegetarian and vegan friendly. 

Product size: 6 x 60ml 
Flavours: Grapefruit-lemon, orange, cola-raspberry, mixed
When to use: During exercise
Perfect for: Keeping you powered on a long ride
Available from your local bike shop, Evans Cycles, Sigma Sports or Halfords.

Sport Gel £1.30

Available in three different formulae, NamedSport’s Sport Gel is the perfect product when you can really pinpoint your energy needs. The Pure Energy Formula is just simple, pure energy. The Hydration Formula features 56mg of magnesium and 300mg of potassium to assist hydration. And, when you’re really flagging, there’s just one last hill to go and you need something to help you get over the line, the Sport Gel Caffeine Formula will give you the instant lift you need to power on and 17g of multiple carbohydrates with different absorption rates to stage-release energy and support your efforts all the way to the line.

Product size: 25ml
Flavours: Orange, tropical, cola-lime
When to use: During an event
Perfect for: An efficient hit of long-lasting energy 
Available from your local bike shop, Evans Cycles, Sigma Sports or Halfords.

Energybar £1.55

For riders who want something to really get their teeth into, NamedSport has its awesome Energybar. In truth, consuming lots of gels and liquid can leave you feeling a bit bloated and having something solid to chew on can make a welcome change. With the NamedSport Energybar, you can do that without requiring any compromises. The ingredients of puffed rice, fruit juice, pureed fruit and honey provide rapid and sustainable energy replenishment, with 30g of carbohydrate per bar. It’s also great for restoring glycogen levels after a ride and is easy to digest while on the go.

Product size: 35g
Flavours: Apricot, banana, strawberry
When to use: Before, during or after training (or simply whenever you fancy!)
Perfect for: Riders who want something a little more substantial but just as effective as a gel
Available from your local bike shop, Evans Cycles, Sigma Sports or Halfords.

Total Energy Recovery Drink Mix £3.10

Never forget about maintaining your nutritional focus right the way through your ride and even into the post-ride period. NamedSport’s Total Recovery Energy Drink Mix is a powdered formula that comes supplied in ready-to-mix sachets and has been specially formulated with innovative ingredients such as Cluster Dextrin to refuel the body when you’ve stopped pedalling; prevent fatigue thanks to branched-chain amino acids; and – with L-Glutamine and vitamin C - also support the immune system and provide antioxidant protection. 

Product size: 40g sachet
Flavours: Orange or red fruits
When to use: After exercise
Perfect for: Your post-ride recovery wind-down
Available from your local bike shop, Evans Cycles, Sigma Sports or Halfords.

Highlights of the NamedSport range