Articles

One of the most frequent questions we get is: How many carbs do I need to take during my long-duration events, races or training lasting more than three hours? The prevailing wisdom has long been set at 30-60 grams per hour (120-240 calories/hour), and usage directions for EFS & EFS-PRO are based on this time-tested range. But emerging research suggests athletes can ingest more and more carbs per hour: 90-140 grams or 360-560 Calories. That’s 1.5 to 19 times MORE carbs than the endurance experts have agreed upon for years!

The idea that habituation reduces caffeine’s effect on exercise performance is a myth that has been perpetrated by years of investigator reporting bias, unsupported anecdotal comments, and ambivalent study designs in many peer-reviewed articles over the years.

The real story is that no matter how much caffeine you normally ingest daily, taking it before and during exercise will still produce tangible performance benefits – or, in scientific terms, it’ll still be ergogenic. You will still run faster, farther, longer, burn more fat, spare more glycogen, and perform better physically if you ingest caffeine before exercise. Your physiology and biochemistry still respond favorably to caffeine and always have. So keep it up!

By Matt Hanson, EdD

The use of caffeine has become common practice among endurance athletes. It’s well accepted that caffeine can not only improve performance, but it can also reduce the perceived exertion during an endurance event as well as possibly masking some of the pain involved with strenuous exercise. However, one thing that does not seem to be fully clear among endurance athletes is the dosage of caffeine which is necessary to give us the desired outcome.

Is caffeine a nootropic? 

Short answer: YES! Calling caffeine a nootropic is a no-brainer; it’s the poster child, most prolific, and – arguably – best nootropic.

By Josiah Middaugh

Every triathlete was a beginner at some point, picking up one, two, or possibly three completely new sports. With huge variations in the training history, skill, and fitness levels of new triathletes, it makes finding sound training advice even more difficult.

To help any aspiring triathletes and provide a refresher to vets looking to refine their game (these comments don’t only apply to beginners), I’ve written down some of the most common mistakes I see triathletes make – or that I’ve made myself!

For years, First Endurance had PreRace in capsule and powder form. The formula was well-loved, but advancements in sports nutrition research opened new vistas for using a streamlined new formula with each ingredient clinically studied for performance benefits.

The new PreRace provides multiple, complementary benefits for long-duration, intense endurance exercise and recovery, pushing every crucial button for mental and physical performance. As always, we’re not just guessing or puffing a product up with marketing hyperbole – the formula is built on a comprehensive review of scientific literature, clinical research, and our know-how from real-life field testing.

Research shows the brain plays a significant role in fatigue and exercise tolerance. Our latest formulations of EFS and EFS-PRO expand the focus beyond simply supporting your body to buttressing up mental toughness—often the final hurdle an athlete has to overcome whether they’re training alone or competing.

By Matt Hanson, EdD

The Ironman World Championships are finally going to happen and I couldn’t be more excited. I have had a fantastic build, am healthy, and eager to toe the line – It is officially taper time.

I’ve been asked quite a few times recently by the athletes I coach about how they should change their diet when they are leading into a high priority race, so I thought I’d throw a few of my thoughts on the matter together since I’m sure others have similar questions.