How Xtratus Works on the Body?
Understand how Xtratus works in your body during physical exercise and discover why it is the best supplement in the world.
Firstly, it is necessary to take into account that Xtratus Endurance is a compound of two multiple 100% clean and natural carbohydrates, where glucose and fructose have the ideal ratio between them.
In addition, it contains the necessary dose of sodium for glucose absorption, blocking the overload of intestinal transporters.
Xtratus Endurance has been developed to provide energy and electrolyte replenishment, improving performance, increasing the oxidation rate, delivering energy to muscles, and enhancing athletes' gastrointestinal tolerance to carbohydrates. It aids in hydration and replenishes electrolytes lost through sweat.
It's a completely natural and vegan product. Free of allergens, preservatives, artificial colors, and flavors. It has a light, natural taste.
Extremely effective for replenishing energy and hydration, before, during and after training and competitions.
The Importance of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are essential nutrients in the diet of athletes. amateurs or professionals, as they generate energy for maintenance and intensity throughout the exercise.
When performing moderate-intensity or prolonged exercise, fatigue may occur due to the depletion of muscle and liver glycogen. The more you train, the more glycogen is used to maintain energy.
Therefore, the energy demand in long workouts is made available through the breakdown of carbohydrates present in the body.
What happens in the body?
In recent decades, sports nutrition has evolved with studies in animals and humans and has demonstrated the importance of pre-training nutrition and carbohydrate intake throughout the day, before, during and after training.
After the intake of carbohydrates and the process of digestion and absorption, two important substrates are formed to be used during training: muscle glycogen and liver glycogen.
Liver glycogen (produced in the liver) is the immediate source for maintaining blood glucose levels during training. However, this stock is limited.
Around 40 to 60 minutes after the start of activity, these stores that maintain glucose in the blood are reduced and new glucose replacements are needed through supplementation.
If carbohydrate supplementation is not carried out, another metabolic pathway for the production of blood glucose is activated: gluconeogenesis.
Gluconeogenesis produces glucose through three sources: lactate, glycerol, and amino acids.
Lactate is produced through energy metabolism and is transported to the liver (Cori cycle), forming glucose and releasing it into the bloodstream.
Lipolysis, that is, the breakdown of body fat from the oxidation of triacylglycerols, releases glycerol into the bloodstream, which in the liver is transformed into glucose and helps to maintain blood glucose levels.
Amino acids, however, are available through the breakdown of muscle protein for glucose formation. This mechanism allows muscle mass to be used as an energy source during prolonged workouts.
To prevent this from happening, it is essential to maintain carbohydrate supplementation throughout the entire workout, especially those that last longer than 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The Importance of Liver and Muscle Glycogen
Just as liver glycogen is important for maintaining energy during workouts, muscle glycogen is essential for maintaining the intensity of your training.
Muscle is a selfish tissue. The substrates stored within it are used only for energy maintenance, and these reserves are also limited.
After the reduction and total depletion of muscle glycogen, supplementation is important to maintain this energy supply to the muscles, and this is the goal of Xtratus Endurance.
Carbohydrate intake during longer workouts increases capacity and performance by reducing the cost of oxygen production.
The energy produced through carbohydrate metabolism is greater due to the availability of substrates and simpler due to its metabolic pathways compared to fat substrates.
The energy yield through the volume of oxygen from the carbohydrate is therefore greater and easier for the body than when compared to fatty substrates.
In addition, another key role of carbohydrates during these times of intense training is that these nutrients are important vehicles for the absorption of micronutrients and electrolytes.
Learn about the Types of Carbohydrates and Intestinal Absorption
Carbohydrates are molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They can be classified according to their degree of polymerization and can initially be divided into three groups:
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Oligosaccharides
Glucose, fructose, and galactose are the monosaccharides present in the diet. Glucose is the only one that can be oxidized in muscle to produce energy. Fructose and galactose must be converted to glucose in the liver and then oxidized. The most important disaccharides in the diet are sucrose, which is a combination of glucose and fructose, lactose, and maltose.
In addition to the amounts, the type of carbohydrate is important for adequate performance in endurance training.
Different carbohydrate drinks and placebos were tested on cyclists who pedaled for 2 hours on a cycle ergometer at 54% of their maximum oxygen consumption. The researchers used three drinks throughout the test: water (placebo), a glucose drink (1.8 g/min), and a combined glucose:fructose drink (2:1 with the same oxidation rate of 1.8 g/min).
The cyclists who drank the beverage with the carbohydrate combination performed better, averaging 275W compared to the group that consumed the beverage with glucose, averaging 254W.
Furthermore, other studies have demonstrated a reduction in gastrointestinal cramps in cyclists. In this study, the authors used a maltodextrin:fructose solution.
The explanation for these positive effects on the carbohydrate mixture is related to the gut.
Glucose is absorbed via SGLT1 (Sodium-dependent glucose transporter), a transporter located in the intestinal membrane. This transporter has a strong affinity for glucose and galactose.
Fructose is absorbed through another transporter, called GLUT 5. When this combination of carbohydrates occurs, the transporters do not become saturated and therefore oxidize more glucose, generating more energy.
Another benefit of its consumption is the reduction of gastrointestinal symptoms that affect runners and triathletes.
It's important to remember that SGLT1 transports glucose via a secondary active transport mechanism that is sodium-dependent. Without sodium in the carbohydrate mixture, this absorption does not occur.
That's why Xtratus Endurance was made with different carbohydrates, with an ideal ratio between glucose and fructose, in addition to having the necessary sodium and other minerals that are responsible for restoring your energy levels and minerals lost in sweat during activities.
In addition, it stimulates glucose absorption; sodium also helps in the absorption of water in the intestinal lumen for rehydration during training.
Recommendations for carbohydrate consumption
According to the latest recommendations from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics of Canada and the North American College of Sports Medicine, the intake and type of carbohydrates should adjust according to the intensity and duration of exercise.
It is recommended to use a mix of carbohydrates multiple after 1 time intense exercise so that the rate of glucose oxidation is maintained and energy generation occurs throughout the training.
The recommended amount of carbohydrates ranges from 30g to 120g/hour depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise. Furthermore, Sodium and mineral salts are necessary to maintain hydration.
1 to 1.5 hours of exercise: 30g to 60g in 700ml of water.
1.5 to 2 hours of exercise: 60 to 120g in 700ml of water.
2 to 3 hours of exercise: 1 to 2 bottles with approximately 90g and 700ml of water in each.
More than 3 hours of exercise: 2 to 3 bottles with approximately 90g and 700ml of water in each one.
If necessary, consult your nutritionist.