Originally Posted by Goatman

Notwithstanding ...... Nice to see the 'all you need is testosterone and a positive mental attitude ' brigade having their two pennyworth....they'll be the ones climbing on the biff wagon half way round
( and going down with heat stroke on Ops and short-touring because they are A) legendary hardmen B) haven't taken onboard what they've been told....)

Really? Oddly enough, when we did the 'Marches in the 80's, we did it without the benefit of modern science. The only energy bars were Kendal Mint Cake, and only anoraks had them. Porridge wasn't often on the menu, normally just the fried-in-grease and/or cereal cookhouse breakfast. The closest 'science' came to being involved was a 'barley sugar' sweetie issued to each man - and that was before a parade, not a tab.

Oddly enough, bereft of science, gait-analysis, hydrating fluids, hi-energy nutritional bars, creatine powders, and god knows what other aids (which oddly enough, don't come free..) we managed all right. In fact, we won the HSM NATO Patrol competition after having had a continental breakfast - two funny 'bread' rolls and some kraut sausage with optional herring. And if I remember rightly, Wedge's team came in the Top 5 too. Ok, one of us (um was dehydrated and fell into a plate of chips after two or three small beers - but that was hours after and cos he'd biffed it and not drunk anything before the pissup.

The only people I ever saw climbing on the wagon on a CFT were those who were wholly unfit, or were known "wimps" - and there were precious few in either category.

I don't dispute re fast-burn sugars and slow-release foods, even back in the late 70's we knew that sucrose was an 'instant' energy source, and glucose was a slow release source, and later that carbs were essentially a source of glucose. BUT, sometimes I wonder if too much is read into the science of athletics (where an athlete is training day in day out, and whose body becomes conditioned) and an average soldier.

Anyway, a good dose of testosterone and positive attitude is still required...

Just did an eight miler last Saturday, Sausage and Bacon sandwich, followed by a CNP Professional High Protein Oat Bar from Holland and Barrett = No dramas! Enough to get through but not too much.

Some of my colleagues had pizza at midnight before the CFT, not something I'd want to do personally but it worked for them!

Pasta and loads of carbs the two days prior, pizza the night before isn't a bad idea (blokes ate Dominos out of product night before 50miler) lots of fluids, in the morning cereal and a bine, if you think you'll run out of energy halfway round, a jelly block in top flap.

WHen the fuck did "having a drink" become "Hydration"?

Originally Posted by llech

WHen the fuck did "having a drink" become "Hydration"?

Since it became commonly acknowledged that the two terms were neither synonymous nor interchangeable. For example, sinking a few pints of Stella the night before is not the same as hydrating yourself and neither is washing the fur off your tongue with a can of Coke in the morning.

Originally Posted by Mr_Deputy

Anyone got any good healthy ideas?


Yes! Don't eat.

Just drink some tea, fruit juice, water or milk. I often avoided any serious food before a proper run etc. Worked well for me. Was never stuck for energy. Stick some of those ceral bars in your Bergen for mornings with PT early doors. Or just have small amount of ceral or beans on toast.

Alot of people used to hack up the canteen breakfast stuff. Dont see how a belly full of hastily chewed heavy food could help at all if you are doing bends and stretches and sprinting. If you have the constitution/size of a horse or plan to do nothing more than shuffle about as slowly as possible then go ahead!

Agreed mate, I never eat before morning PT, feel worse for it, just sink a couple of brews & that's me good to go.

It's an 8mile CFT not a marathon, just make sure you're hydrated.

Originally Posted by RP578

Since it became commonly acknowledged that the two terms were neither synonymous nor interchangeable. For example, sinking a few pints of Stella the night before is not the same as hydrating yourself and neither is washing the fur off your tongue with a can of Coke in the morning.

Didn't a two year scientific study debunk the ludicrous idea that drinking water 'hydrated' you?

Originally Posted by Chef

Didn't a two year scientific study debunk the ludicrous idea that drinking water 'hydrated' you?

Water, flavoured or otherwise, is still the best source for hydration although fruit juices can also be good (if high in sugar). I think you may be referring to 'dilutional hyponatremia'; a dilution of blood sodium levels sometimes called water-intoxication. The key here is how you drink your water i.e. not just necking your daily ration in a oner, which at best will just make you feel bloated before you end up pissing most of it away. The main drinks to avoid are anything with caffeine due to their diuretic nature.

You don't have to only drink to hydrate either. A healthy, balanced diet can go a long way to keep you properly hydrated. Not just the obvious like fruit either; shockingly meats like chicken breast and hamburgers can contain as much as 60% water. I'm not a nutritionist, but a colleague of mine is (as well as being a former pro-athlete) and he never tire of bombarding me with this stuff regularly.

Originally Posted by RP578

Water, flavoured or otherwise, is still the best source for hydration although fruit juices can also be good (if high in sugar). I think you may be referring to 'dilutional hyponatremia'; a dilution of blood sodium levels sometimes called water-intoxication. The key here is how you drink your water i.e. not just necking your daily ration in a oner, which at best will just make you feel bloated before you end up pissing most of it away. The main drinks to avoid are anything with caffeine due to their diuretic nature.

You don't have to only drink to hydrate either. A healthy, balanced diet can go a long way to keep you properly hydrated. Not just the obvious like fruit either; shockingly meats like chicken breast and hamburgers can contain as much as 60% water. I'm not a nutritionist, but a colleague of mine is (as well as being a former pro-athlete) and he never tire of bombarding me with this stuff regularly.

I thought it was commonly accepted now that the old "dont drink coffee before exercise it deyhrates you" myth was bollocks. A diuretic it may be but youre still putting in more fluid than youre going to lose due to the diuretic effect.

Originally Posted by sundance

I thought it was commonly accepted now that the old "dont drink coffee before exercise it deyhrates you" myth was bollocks. A diuretic it may be but youre still putting in more fluid than youre going to lose due to the diuretic effect.

Marathon runners have been drinking black coffee before running a race for at least 30 years (it's said to delay hitting the wall by making the utilisation of fat for energy more efficient), so, yes, it's bollocks.

If you're on a CFT in the morning, the less you eat for breakfast the better. It's only 8 miles. If you want to eat, go for simple stuff like toast or porridge and avoid fatty foods. Why divert blood to your stomach when you need it in your legs?

The important food is the stuff you eat in the 2 days before, that's what you will be drawing on.