5 Essentials All SUP Racers Need Daily

COCOA BEACH, Florida - Shelby Rose Taylor, the rising SUP race and surf star from Kentucky, is currently in Cocoa Beach for the summer, where she'll be training and competing, getting ready for a busy travel season through the fall. To maximize her time, she has started a blog to keep friends, family and fans updated on her movements. Today we've got one of her recent posts for you, on five things SUP Racers Need On A Daily Basis.

Article by Shelby Rose Taylor

1. Water

Water! Water and more Water- before you eat or drink anything in the morning, before you workout, during your workout, after your workout an intense water replenish, with all your meals instead of sweetened beverages, before you sleep, when you wake up at night….. basically I live off water because it is what keeps you going and keeps your body from wasting away.

2. Electrolytes

I use products like OX Endurance formula (15 minutes before workout or competition) which supplies me with salts and electrolytes my body needs when doing intense exercises and sweating a lot. I also drink Gatorade the night before a big race to make sure my system is filled with these before I take off. They can also be chewed on like Cliff-Blocks or shot down in gel form, normally 15 minutes before an event.

3. BCAA (Amino Acids)

Taken before and after extreme training or exertion. There are three BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine. The BCAAs are among the nine essential amino acids for humans, accounting for 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins and 40% of the preformed amino acids required by mammals. These amino acids promote workout recovery, encourage muscle growth, and support strength and power- they also help to reduce muscle cramps and increase endurance based performance.

4. Protein

I load up on Whey based protein every morning and after any exercise lasting longer than 2 hours. I use a powder that has 30 grams of protein per scoop but only 2 grams of fat and 0 grams of sugar. Some bodies need a soy based or even egg white based protein, but my body thrives off of whey. It is light in my stomach and helps my body replenish its power and get the essential protein I need for lean muscle building and long lasting energy during training. Without this load up of protein, since doing such intense exertion, would start to pull fuel from my muscles and breakdown the foundation I have built up- so this assures that my body is running off of healthy protein and not my laid muscle.

5. Bananas

Bananas should become your new best friend if committing to a strict training regime. Bananas are a good source of potassium, to help with muscle cramps, but also are filling and have healthy fats that aid in long lasting energy. I eat about a dozen bananas every 2-3 days.