Fuelling British Cycling

Protein supplements to give GB Cycling Team the edge

Winning is all about having the ‘edge’, according to Nigel Mitchell, Head of Nutrition at British Cycling. In recent years the team has pedalled to the top of the sport and they want to keep it that way.

Over the past 18 months British Cycling has been working with Manchester-based sports nutrition specialist CNP Professional, developing diets and products designed to fuel the Great Britain Cycling Team’s continuing success. Now British Cycling has appointed CNP as its official supplier.

Mitchell describes working with CNP as “a really successful partnership”. The first products they have developed are two energy supplements, Pro-Energy Max Gel and its caffeine-free sibling Pro Energy Gel, both of which are formulated to deliver not just an initial kick but a sustained boost to riders’ energy levels.

The gels are just the start. “We are already planning exciting future projects that we believe will help give us a competitive edge,” says Mitchell.

One of the key areas that cyclists need to understand more is protein, according to Kerry Kayes, founder of CNP. “Protein supplements can have a huge impact in the sport,” he explains. “They protect, rebuild and repair muscles during and after intensive exercise. This helps prevent long term injury and means cyclists recover more quickly, can train harder and thus improve performance.”

Mitchell agrees. “In the past, cycling focussed on energy. But when you exercise, there are changes in the body: muscle is broken and rebuilt. Supplements can be a very useful and convenient way of supplying the protein the athlete requires. In order to minimise exercise stress, the supplements need to contain quality protein.”

Quality was a key reason for selecting CNP. The company’s premier proteins are ‘undenatured’ which means they are made using a low temperature processing method that preserves their integrity, so they are more easily absorbed into the body. Most manufacturers use ‘denatured’ proteins, made with a heat processing method. "Undenatured protein supplements cost more to produce but, because they work better, they give our athletes an advantage,” says Mitchell.

As official supplier to British Cycling, CNP is already providing a range of protein supplements to the team including Pro Energy, a time-released energy bar, Pro Flapjack, for energy and muscle repair and Pro Peptide, an advanced protein supplement.

Two of Mitchell’s favourites are Pro Recover, a post-race recovery supplement, and Pro MR, an advanced meal replacement, which he describes enthusiastically as “five products in one.” He explains: “For example, as well as a variety of proteins, Pro MR’s ingredients include probiotics. They help promote and preserve a healthy gut which is vital in cycling.”

CNP Professional is one of the UK’s leading sports nutrition specialist companies. For more information visit www.cnpprofessional.co.uk, or call +44 (0) 161 368 0942 for sports nutrition advice and +44 (0) 161 368 3850 for sales.