Activator

Thermogenesis

These SPONSER products support thermogenesis

Thermogenesis refers to the heat-generating effect of burning calories, which is known especially from spicy meals. This excess heat results from increased calorie burning and can be used as part of nutritional and training measures for weight reduction. Specific metabolically activating foods such as green tea, caffeine and hot spices can increase thermogenesis. Schedule specific fasting times of 5 to 6 hours duration and experiment with moderately intensive training in a fasted stated, and high intensity training carried out when satiated. Find out what works best for you personally in terms of maximum fat burning and ultimately weight reduction.

SPORTS WATER BURNER
Suitable as a low-calorie sports drink or to accompany weight control in everyday life.
• Low-calorie sports drink
• Liquorice flavonoids activate thermogenesis
• Prickly pear extract with dehydrating properties to promote a firmer skin texture

CARNITINE 1000
Intake before and after physical activity or to accompany diets.
• Ready-to-drink flask
• 1000 mg L-carnitine, plays a role in the oxidation of fatty acids
• Zinc contributes to a normal fatty acid metabolism

ACTIVATOR
To be taken before training.
• 200 mg caffeine
• Caffeine activates thermogenesis
• Caffeine promotes the formation of ketone bodies
• Caffeine increases fat oxidation

Author: Remo Jutzeler
Head R&D SPONSER SPORT FOOD
Ing. Applied Food Sciences UAS
MAS Nutrition & Health ETHZ

Spengler Cup Davos

SPONSER is the official sports nutrition partner of the Spengler Cup Davos for over 10 years

The oldest ice hockey club tournament in the world is coming up. At the 93rd Spengler Cup Davos 2019, from 26th to 31st December, you can experience top-class ice hockey in a rousing atmosphere and unique location.

Since 2009 SPONSER has been the official sports nutrition partner of the traditional tournament in the Landwasser Valley. It provides the athletes of all teams before and after the match with high-quality sports drinks, tasty energy bars and indispensable energy gels. Many of the athletes have felt new power for another match after an ACTIVATOR caffeine shot. Or pulled greedily on the red and white SPONSER drinking bottle filled with refreshing ISOTONIC Red Orange during a 2-minute penalty. It won't be any different this year. A rich food buffet with POWER GUMS, LIQUID ENERGY GELS, bars and ACTIVATOR ensures that all athletes are perfectly catered for and full of energy storm over the ice.

Six teams - one goal
The schedule of the 93rd Spengler Cup Davos shows that ice hockey fans can look forward to exciting fights on the ice, which will sweeten the days between St. Stephen's Day and New Year's Eve. Besides the host HC Davos and Team Canada, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, a top team from the Continental Hockey League, will travel to Davos. The cult club HC Ambri-Piotta from Ticino will be the second Swiss team to participate for the first time. From the Czech Republic comes none other than reigning champion Ocelari Trinec. In addition, the traditional Finnish club TPS Turku will be curving across the ice from the country of the world champion.

SPONSER is proud to enjoy the trust of the players and the organisers for more than ten years and wishes everyone involved six exciting and thrilling days around the ice in Davos.

Ice Hockey Nutrition

Nutrition in ice hockey: what ice hockey players should be aware of

Ice hockey is a fascinating sport: fast-paced, physical and in some cases highly dramatic. Although the regular match time is usually three times 20 minutes with breaks of 15 minutes, the effective play time is much longer. Depending on the interruptions during the game, the five field players and the goalie can spend up to two and a half hours on ice. It is obvious that a competition of over two hours requires a targeted and carefully balanced nutritional strategy if an athlete is to fully exploit his performance potential on the ice. We explain in the following what ice hockey players nutrition-wise need to consider before, during and after the competition and make recommendations for product selection from the SPONSER range.

BEFORE COMPETITION

Filling glycogen stores
Full energy reservoirs are the be-all and end-all in a sport with long performing times such as ice hockey. Studies confirm that glycogen supercompensation (carboloading) with a concentrated, carbohydrate-containing drink provides a considerable energy advantage on the day before the competition. Suitable products:

• CARBO LOADER: High energy sports drink for replenishing glycogen stores, contains Vitargo®, a barley starch hydrolysate specially developed for this purpose.
• LIQUID ENERGY GELS: Those who prefer it quick and comfortable can take carbohydrates directly from the tube with these gels. They deliver easily tolerable energy, which is available within a few minutes after ingestion.
• HIGH ENERGY BAR: Competition bars for long-lasting energy. Ideal up to one hour before use.

Increased lactate tolerance
The relatively short, but high-intensity blocks, with sprints and hardly any breathers, as they occur again and again in ice hockey, result in high lactate accumulation. Beta-alanine and soda loading (sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate) in advance increase the extracellular buffer capacity, which in turn delays the muscle acidosis and fatigue. Athletes benefit also from creatine supplementation, especially when it comes to speed and interval performance - two factors that play a central role in ice hockey. Suitable products:

• LACTAT BUFFER: For professional soda loading during 4-5 days before important games.
• BETA ALANINE: In contrast to soda loading, it does not increase the extracellular but the intracellular buffer capacity and thus ideally complements the LACTATE BUFFER. Loading is necessary for approx. 8 weeks and should be paused after approx. 12 weeks for several weeks.
• CREATINE MONOHYDRATE: Loading phase during 1-2 weeks, but can also be used throughout the entire season. For even better absorption, a combination with CREATINE PYRUMAX is also possible.

DURING THE GAME

Ensure regular liquid supply
Despite the obviously cool temperatures on the ice field, the loss of liquid is significantly higher than one would expect, due to high-intensity performance and the hindered thermoregulation by full-body clothing and protection gear. For this reason, professional athletes make sure to drink 0.5 to 1 litres of an energy- and electrolyte-containing sports drink per hour during a match. Suitable products:

• ISOTONIC: The classic sports drink with 5 fruity flavours.
• COMPETITION: The less sweet, less intensively flavoured and acid-free alternative and therefore the first choice in elite sports.

Avoiding blood sugar fluctuations and muscle cramps
In competitive sports, energy supply plays a central role because the body's fuel stores are not sufficient for a duration of more than approx. 90 to 120 minutes. LIQUID ENERGY Gels can therefore also be used in addition to carbohydrate-electrolytes drinks. They provide fast energy, can be taken easily and do not strain the digestion. Players with high sweat losses and/or cramp tendency may benefit from our MUSCLE RELAX Shot. Suitable products:

• LIQUID ENERGY GELS: Best tolerated liquid energy concentrate from quick and slow available carbohydrates. The energy kick par excellence! With or without caffeine.
• MUSCLE RELAX: 30 ml bottles of cucumber juice and vinegar. At first signs or acute muscle cramps, rinse your mouth briefly with it and drink afterwards.

EXPERT ADVICE

Keeping coordination and concentration high
Reaction time, attention, coordination, concentration and a high focus are elementary performance components in a technical and fast discipline like ice hockey. Suitable products for increased cognitive performance and delayed fatigue:

• ACTIVATOR: Ready-to-drink flask with 200 mg caffeine from guarana, mate and green tea. Ideal from the second third or to manage mental fatigue. To be taken approx. 30-60 min before the desired time of effect. Take in two portions depending on tolerance.
• MENTAL FOCUS: Caffeine-free formulation with green tea active ingredients and Rhodiola Rosea. Promotes focusing without increasing anxiety.

AFTER COMPETITION

Ensure fast recovery
«After the match is before the match» is a bon mot in ice hockey. It is therefore crucial to take care of regeneration immediately after a match. A high-quality regeneration supplement supplies the body with fluid and electrolytes, fills the glycogen stores and repairs endured muscle damage. Suitable products:

• RECOVERY DRINK: Fruity regeneration drink, lactose-free. Preparation with water.
• PRO RECOVERY: Efficient, highly professional protein-based regeneration product to balance muscle stress. Lactose-free and without artificial sweeteners. Preparation with water.
• NITROFLOW PERFORMANCE²: The professional tip! Its vasodilatory effect enables better nutrient supply and reduction of metabolic end products (e.g. lactate). Ideal for supporting regeneration.

Author: Remo Jutzeler
Head R&D SPONSER SPORT FOOD
Ing. Applied Food Sciences UAS
MAS Nutrition & Health ETHZ

Fat metabolism

How ultra endurance athletes should optimise their fat metabolism

Because the energy requirement at ultra endurance events amounts to 7000 kcal per day and more, studies advise ultra endurance athletes to optimise their fat metabolism within their training protocol. (Nikolaidis et al., 2018: Nutrition in Ultra-Endurance: State of the Art. Nutrients 10(12):1995).

SPONSER recommends to activate the fat metabolism with regular low-glycogen trainings and to support those with LOW CARB BURNER, ACTIVATOR or ELECTROLYTES TABS. During ultra-endurance competitions paying attention to energy density, including fat- and protein-containing food, is important. Ideal for this: LIQUID ENERGY ULTRA Gel and ULTRA PRO as well as the sports drink ULTRA COMPETITION and - in high heat - SALT CAPS.

Author: Remo Jutzeler

Road Cycling World Champs

Swiss Cycling has nominated 21 athletes for the World Championships

Swiss Cycling will compete in the 2019 UCI Road World Championships with a contingent consisting of 21 athletes. As an official sponsor of Swiss Cycling, SPONSER supports the athletes with high-quality sports nutrition and keeps its fingers crossed for the entire Swiss Cycling team.

Extremely long course
Swiss cyclists have the best prospects at the Road World Championships in the time trial. On the 54 km long course in Yorkshire, Stefan Küng will try to have a say in the battle for the medals. Marlen Reusser, gold medallist at the European Games in Minsk, will also try to prove her qualities against the world's best. The same applies to the U23 athlete Stefan Bissegger, bronze medallist at the European Championships in Alkmaar.

In the men's road race, which is extremely long with a distance of 285 km, Swiss Cycling mainly competes with experienced professionals. The exception is last year's U23 World Champion Marc Hirschi, who immediately put himself in the limelight in the World Tour. The 21-year-old from Berne will again compete in the time trial in the U23 category.

First mixed team time trial
The World Championships will open with the first ever mixed team time trial, which will be contested by national teams. For Switzerland Marlen Reusser, Elise Chabbey and Kathrin Stirnemann as well as Robin Froidevaux, Claudio Imhof and Joel Suter will be at the start. The aim of this premiere is not least to gather experience in view of the World Championships 2020 in Aigle/Martigny, says Beat Müller, Head of Competitive Sports. The aim is to analyse the new competition format and create a corresponding requirement profile.

Interview Tadesse Abraham

Marathon runner Tadesse Abraham on his way to the World Athletics Championships in Doha

You hardly have to present Tadesse Abraham to marathon runners anymore. Since the European Marathon Championships in Berlin 2018, where he won the silver medal, he is well known all over Europe. In March 2016, the athlete from LC Uster set up a new Swiss marathon record (2:06:40). And only a few months later, Tadesse Abraham became European Champion in the half marathon in Amsterdam with a time of 1:02:03. No wonder that the athlete has set himself ambitious goals for the 2019 World Championships in Athletics in Doha.

Tadesse, what are your personal plans for the World Championships in the Qatari capital?

I'm already really looking forward to my start in the marathon, and the preparations are going very well. My goal at the World Championship in Doha is to run as fast as I do in training. Then one of the three medals should be within reach.

What role do you think the warm, relatively humid climate of Doha will play on competition day?

The weather is an important factor. I will take certain precautions against the heat and be strategic in the competition so that I can play to my advantage. In any case, the marathon will not be a fast marathon because of the heat.

How do you plan your meals during the marathon in Doha? Again with the 21 small, accurately labelled SPONSER bottles as we know them from you?

Yes, of course. As always, I will have many small bottles provided for me. That way I'll get enough fluid during the race. Furthermore, my nutrition strategy in Doha is no different from the one I use in other marathons: In the three or four days before the start I use the CARBO LOADER.

Do you also take gels during the marathon or do you consume only liquids?

During the race I only drink. One hour before the start of the marathon I take an ACTIVATOR to feel awake and ready. Shortly before the start I take a LIQUID ENERGY GEL.