Natalie Coghlan

Here is my latest nutrition post for Boutique Sport. Healthy and delicious caribbean recipes: http://blog.boutiquesport.com/post/29897273621/carribean-recipes

A new 'global fat scale' has been created for the BBC by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. As well as comparing your BMI to the rest of the nation, it will also highlight whether your BMI is above or below the average of 177 global countries (for your age & gender). It is yet to be disclosed how this research will be fully used and appart from telling me that ' i am most like a 15-29 year old female from native Angola', does this really mean anything? Will it encourage people with a high BMI to lose weight?

Carrying on the patriotic events of the past few weeks, a budding group of triathlete friends and I, are heading over to another of the Queen’s official residence’s ‘Windsor Castle’ to compete in the annual Windsor Triathlon on Sunday 17th June.

My normal ‘new event’ nerves are ever present, but this time they are coupled with the logistical pre-event nutrition nightmare, of a ridiculously early start time of 6.12AM!!! Considering I need to allow plenty of time to winch myself into my wetsuit and endless checks that my bike still has two hard tyres, my wake up time of 3.30am is going to be a serious shock to the stomach.

Event nutrition checklist:

Fully hydrate during the week

Large evening meal the day before: balanced with carbohydrates, and protein. My choice: Salmon & mixed vegetable tagliatelle

Palatable breakfast 2 hours before the event. My choice: porridge with honey & a large mug of coffee!

Any food that you can stomach before the event is going to top up energy stores and help you feel energised on the start line. This can be in the form of your favourite cereal, energy bar or even a liquid sports drinks. It’s always important to remember that taking on some energy, even at this time of the day, is always better than nothing at all.

Have you ever considered experimenting with caffeine to give you an added boost for a fast event like a one mile all-out event?

Caffeine is considered a stimulant, and studies have shown that it can improve performance by reducing your perception of effort. Sounds like a winning formula, being able to sustain a high-intense pace, with a reduced feeling of pain and tiredness. Required intakes will vary per person, especially if you already consume high levels of caffeinated drinks. However, try consuming a regular cup of filter coffee (approximately 100mg caffeine), 1-2 hours before the event and take note of any improvements in your perceived effort and overall time.

Good luck to everyone taking part in the 26.2 Running Club one mile grand prix event tonight!

Supermarket shelves are bursting with Jubilee treats, and we are faced with the temptation to purchase from an endless rangeof cakes, chocolates and sweets, all adorned with the national colours, red, white and blue, of the Union Jack. Whether you are patriotic or just fully intent on making the most of the upcoming celebrations, how do we resist all the temptations and remain in control of what we eat and drink?  

CONSCIOUS EATING is the key! We all know that we shouldn’t eat a couple of cupcakes and a slice of Victoria sponge, followed by a handful of sausage rolls all washed down with alcohol and fizzy drinks, but when faced with a variety of food and drink options, it’s easy to want to try all the different flavours that are laid out in front of you without realising how much you’ve mindlessly consumed.

Tell yourself before the party that you dont want to eat too much and feel sluggish or guilty for overeating. Then during the party, remind yourself why you are not going to have that second slice of cake or another handful of crisps. It may seem like a simple approach, but if you being to take control of what you eat and drink and start to recognise how you feel when you have eaten enough to feel satiated and content, you can enjoy all social occasions without overindulging.

Give a go this weekend! Let me know how you get on.........

My open water swim training had gotten off to a delayed start this year, due to the late opening of the lakes, as the water temperature stayed below an already fresh 12 degrees. Desperate to try out my new wetsuit, it had to remain unused for a few more weeks until I finally took the plunge on a chilly Sunday morning, in preparation for my first Aquathlon race (pronounced aqua-th-lon) which was only 2 days away.  Race day was surprisingly warm and sunny, so what better way to spend a Tuesday evening than a refreshing 750m open water swim followed by a 5k run along the magnificent Thames path. On top of bracing myself for the cold swim, I had first-time nerves for an event that I’d never competed at before. The location at Ham Lake was perfect but my nerves of getting lost on the run soon surfaced. I knew the area well but I’d taken a wrong turn on this exact route during a previous running race and was worried I’d miss the course markers again. A certain level of nerves and adrenaline is a regular occurrence when competing, so I stayed calmed and set out to enjoy the event. With a 7pm start time, I planned my race-day nutrition to ensure I had enough energy and was properly hydrated to perform at my best for this evening race (see my food diary below).   

I have experimented widely over the past 5 years to get my pre-event nutrition to work for me. Having experienced nausea, low energy levels and GI distress during events, I have finally found an eating plan that works for me over the distances and events that I currently compete in. From my food diary you can see that I eat every 2-3 hours, with some eating points as snacks and some as larger meals. This regular eating pattern helps to keep my blood sugar level constant and ensures that I avoid my body entering ‘starvation mode’ which can increase fat deposition and lead to cravings for high fat-high sugar food causing over-consumption of calories. My energy intake during the event was low due to the ‘sprint’ nature of the race, but I still took on a small amount of energy to give me a perceived intake of sugar and caffeine boost as I started the run. For shorter events I also aim to start fully hydrated, as I personally find that unless I start to become de-hydrated (during longer events), taking on liquids can cause a painful stitch which impairs my form leading to a slower run pace.

Special thanks to RG Active who organised the event! I look forward to taking part in race 2 of the series of 4 Aquathlon’s.

Breakfast: 7.30am

2x Weetabix

2x Handfuls fruit & nut muesli (no added sugar)

250ml Skimmed Milk

  Mid-Morning Snack: 11.10am

2x Rice Cakes

4x tsp Low-Fat Cottage Cheese

1x Peppermint Tea

  Lunch: 12.50pm

1x Wholemeal Pitta Bread

4x Cherry Tomatoes

3x Thick Cucumber slices

½ Tin Tuna- mixed with Sweetcorn and Light Mayo (1x tbsp)

1x Handful Spinach

1x tsp Salad Cream

1x Large Orange

  Mid-Afternoon Snack: 3.30pm

1x Apple

  Pre-Event Snack: 4.30pm

3x Handfuls Fruit & Fibre Cereal

4x tbsp Low-Fat Natural Yoghurt

1x Instant Coffee & Slimmed Milk

  During Event: 7.13pm

2x PowerBar Cola Caffeine Shots

  Post Event: 8.30pm

150ml For Goodness Shakes (Banana Flavour)

  Evening Meal: 9.30pm

2x Medium Slices Wholemeal Bread

2x Medium eggs (scrambled)

2x tbsp Skimmed Milk

2x tsp Bertolli Light Spread