Manna and Sport
ENDURANCE SPORT
Running a marathon, competing in a long-distance cycle race or doing an extended workout can stress out your immune system enough to make you ill.
In fact, research suggests that marathoners are six times more likely to become ill following their 26-mile races than the average person in the street or the runner who puts in an easy three-miler.
This strong link between illness and strenuous training explains why recurrent infections, especially in the upper-respiratory system, represent one of the key indicators of over training in athletes.
The three corners of the exercise and health triangle include:
• Blood glucose
• Hormone levels
• Immune System
The interactions between the three sides of the triangle occur in the following way.
If you go for a long run (probably longer than an hour or so) without taking in adequate quantities of carbohydrate, your blood-glucose levels begin to drop.
Your body then wants to consume blood sugar at high rates.
To keep the carbohydrates coming, the brain initiates processes, which raise blood levels of two key hormones - cortisol and epinephrine.
They in turn have a pronounced effect on the third side of the triangle - white blood cells, the result being an over-stressed immune system.
Why Manna?
How does Manna work?
Glucose retardation / Blood Sugar Control
The active ingredients in Manna are a combination of different fibres, nutrients and sugars of which Galactose and Mannose are very important.
These 2 unique sugars combined, are called Galactomannan. When taken with food it has a gelling effect in the stomach, causing a slow release of sugar (glucose) into the bloodstream, levelling out the blood sugar curve.
Manna, taken with any energy drink, will retard the absorption of glucose from the drink, causing a slow release of energy, which are very beneficial for any endurance athlete.
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