fun facts

As I've started my training, I've been reading articles everywhere on training, nutrition, recovery, race strategies, etc. I'm not sure I'm at the level where I need to apply everything that I've read, but it's interesting nonetheless! Here are a few facts I found interesting from "Frequently Asked Sports Nutrition Questions" found on beginnertriathlete.com.

- Sodium increases water retention, so eating salty foods prior to your workout, and drinking sports drinks (like Gatorade) that have sodium in them helps prevent dehydration.

- A 12 oz cup of coffee about an hour before you work out can actually boost your workout and improve your performance! More caffeine than that doesn't keep helping you. Instead, it prevents you from getting good sleep to adequately rest for your next day.

- Moderate exercise boosts your immune system! It's only when you begin pushing your body strenuously should you start taking immune supplements to help fight the sickness that can come from your body being too fatigued to fight off bacteria.
(http://beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1793)

Most people think salt dehydrates you, when actually it helps you keep water in your body as you work out! This is in moderation, of course. My daily vitamin (One-a-day Active for Women) has the caffeine equivalence to a cup of coffee, so I probably won't be adding that to my regimen since I'm already getting it.

The boosted immune system is always a plus, though! I work at a doctor's office and get exposed to everything the patients come in with. The only thing I want to be taking home from work is my paycheck.