How Seasonal Training Should Change Your Nutrition Strategy

You’ve probably heard the expression “winter miles make summer smiles” - meaning the hard work you put into training over the cold dark winter months will pay off when it comes to summer events - but have you considered how your nutrition needs shift across the various seasons? From winter base training to spring build phases; from summer racing to autumn recovery, here at Active Root we have a full range of nutrition and hydration products to suit the requirements of each season.

All of our nutrition products are made with natural root ginger, a scientifically proven solution to combat bloating, nausea, and stomach discomfort during exercise. Including ginger into a fuelling strategy for athletes can shift their focus from digestive issues to optimal performance.

We also only use simple, high-quality natural ingredients in all our products. It is our belief that natural ingredients contribute to a settled stomach, ensuring more consistent performance outcomes and avoiding gastrointestinal distress during training and races.

Ginger is well-known for its ability to soothe the stomach. Ginger contains the compound Gingerol, which can help contribute to soothing the stomach by relaxing the muscles in the gut. It also can have a calming effect, reducing bloating and stomach discomfort. The ginger in Active Root has been specially used because of the high gingerol ratio!

Winter Base Training

Ginger also is a great source of vital vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B6 and C, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Combined with its high antioxidant content, ginger can help strengthen your immune system. This is particularly important for athletes who are training and racing through the colder winter months when colds and winter bugs are more prevalent.

Adding Active Root to your daily routine can pay dividends when it comes to maintaining energy levels and staying healthy during winter training. Our Energy Chews for example are packed with the potent power of crystallized ginger, electrolytes, and a tantalizing flavour coating, giving you a natural pick-me-up throughout the day. They’ve recently been highly commended by Runner’s World UK as one of the best energy chews.

Our Sports Drink Mix, Electrolite Drink Mix and Recovery Drink Mix can also be added to your daily routine to provide a boost of energy. All deliver natural hydration while helping reduce nausea and bloating, ensuring you feel your best during and after a workout.

Electrolytes are essential for maintaining hydration and overall health, especially in cold weather. It may be easy to neglect the importance of electrolytes when running on colder days, however the need to maintain fluid balance, muscle function and hydration continues regardless of the weather. There’s also the risk of a dip in immune function during winter, and electrolytes play a part in the body’s overall balance.

When exercising outdoors in winter we are more likely to wear multiple layers of clothing, resulting in an increase in sweat under layers due to the body’s natural response to heart and exercise. Prevent overheating by considering wicking materials to move sweat away from the skin, adjusting layers according to effort, avoiding moisture-absorbing cotton, and managing electrolyte levels.

Spring Build Phases

As the days slowly start to get longer, spring can bring a much needed tonic to winter’s darkness. Training may reach its peak during these months, and the importance of fuelling and hydration cannot be underestimated. Spring days can often be cold (and even snowy!) and during colder weather our bodies have to work harder to maintain their core temperatures, so it’s important to keep fuelled and hydrated even when it’s cold outside.

Hydration is an often overlooked aspect when it comes to endurance sports. The longer you exercise, the higher the risk of dehydration which can significantly impair performance, increase fatigue, and even pose serious health risks. At Active Root, our products are designed with a focus on optimal hydration, combining natural ingredients to ensure you stay hydrated and energised.

Unlike the short-lived bursts of energy from traditional sports drinks, Active Root features a carefully formulated blend of slow-burning cane sugar, providing a steady stream of fuel to power you through extended periods of physical exertion. Our Sports Drink Mix includes 567mg sea salt, helping to replace vital electrolytes lost through sweat.

This is also a great time to fine tune your race fuelling strategy. Our range of Energy Gels are perfect for mid-run fuelling whether it’s a long run in training, a marathon, or an ultra. Our gels are designed to enhance your performance and provide reliable support during your active lifestyle. Crafted with quality and convenience in mind, as well as being gluten free, vegan and all natural, this product is ideal for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.

Proper nutrition and hydration is crucial for marathon runners, triathletes and ultra runners to maintain energy levels and support recovery. Test your fuelling strategies during training to find what works best for you and to prevent digestive issues.

Summer Racing

Now it’s time to put all your training to work as you head closer to race day! Active Root’s range of stomach-friendly sports nutrition and hydration products are there to help power your performance and achieve your goals. The golden rule when it comes to sports nutrition is 'try before race day', multiple times if you can. It is essential to practice your fuelling strategies prior to your event, so you can arrive on the start line feeling confident in your fuelling and focusing all your energy on enjoying the journey to the finish!

As summer brings warmer days (generally!), it’s even more important to focus on hydration and ensuring we replace electrolytes lost during exercise. Active Root is your go-to option for easy, on the move electrolyte replenishment and optimal hydration with our range of products using natural ingredients to ensure you stay hydrated and energised.

Electrolytes are crucial for maintaining fluid balance, muscle function, and overall hydration. When you sweat, you lose essential electrolytes such as sodium. Our products are formulated to replenish these vital electrolytes, ensuring that your body's hydration levels remain balanced. This helps prevent cramping, fatigue, and dehydration, allowing you to maintain peak performance.

The Telegraph featured our Electrolite Drink Mix, naming it "Best Electrolytes for Sensitive Insides." In the words of journalist Eleanor Ross, “It was pleasant to sip on... I didn’t get any cramps and the headache that had been threatening actually alleviated.”  Eleanor summed it up well: "Great for endurance athletes prone to nausea as the ginger helps."

Energy Gels (or Gel Mix), Energy Chews, and drink mixes are popular options for quick and convenient fuelling on the go. Our Sports Drink Mix and Electrolite Drink Mix contain carbohydrate and electrolyte sources, with single serve sachets that mix into a 500ml flask, easy at aid stations and will fuel you for up to an hour with a single serving.

Autumn Recovery

Recovery is an essential part of the process - you’ve put in the hard work during training and racing, and now it’s time to focus on recovery and repair. This is essential to reduce the likelihood of injury and fatigue.

Our Recovery Drink Mix is the perfect post-workout companion, and also the perfect hydration solution for recovery in cooler weather. Containing 199mg of ginger to help reduce inflammation and soothe muscles, up to 32g carbs to replenish energy stores, and up to 132 calories per serving, our range of warming, ginger-infused drinks provide an ideal balance of warmth, hydration, and recovery benefits.

Our hot Recovery Drinks offer a delightfully invigorating blend of essential electrolytes, natural ginger, and warm seasonal spices, and we’d recommend adding them to your recovery nutrition plan. This nourishing drink mix is specially formulated to help you rehydrate, restore vital nutrients, and revitalize your muscles, so you can bounce back stronger than ever.

Studies have shown that ginger can help reduce intense muscle pain and soreness. For athletes dealing with chronic injuries or those who are prone to muscle pain after workouts, having nutrition that features ginger can help with these issues and support their bodies with recovery.

Incorporating ginger into your nutrition daily can pay dividends for everyday life, not just during training and racing. The health benefits of ginger are multiple, and as part of your daily routine can help with stomach discomfort, strengthening your immune system, reducing inflammation, and improving blood flow.