CoachJen_Kurtz

Check out my latest paper here: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/2/224

✨This study aimed to evaluate the combined and independent effects of QCT and CIT supplementation on NO metabolites and antioxidant biomarkers in 50 trained cyclists undergoing a 20 km cycling time trial (TT).

✨These findings suggest that combined and independent QCT and CIT supplementation did not significantly improve these biomarkers, suggesting that baseline training adaptations, supplementation timing, and individual variability may influence the efficacy of these compounds in enhancing exercise performance and oxidative stress markers.

✨The ergogenic efficacy of QCT + CIT on antioxidant-related markers remains inconclusive.

First ever study to investigate the combined effects of quercetin and citrulline, quercetin and citrulline on 20-km time trial performance and performance measures (RER, RPE, VO2, average power, and peak power) in trained cyclists (n = 48). However, there was an improvement in VO2 in the quercetin and Citrulline groups. Woo! Check out the full article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15502783.2024.2416909?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

✨Looking for trail runners that are planning on racing at one of these Tanawha Adventure events.

💥Purpose: To study the effects of creatinine of limitation on endurance, post race, cognition, and recovery.
Creatine is one of the most widely used supplements to increase muscular power, endurance, and strength.

What will I be asked to do?
✨Consume creatine 5 days prior to the race and track your heart rate variability for 3 nights leading up to the race
✨Complete 3 dietary recalls, leading up to the race
✨ Run 3, 12- minutes runs at maximal effort at 48-, 72-, and 96- hours after the race

How might this benefit my running?
✨ Creatine may help with stamina on multiple terrain and elevation changes, post-race memory and performance recovery.

What’s in it for me?
✨ You will get personalized nutritional recommendations leading up to the race
✨Dietary analysis
✨ Heart rate variability interpretation
✨ Body composition, cognitive and recovery data

Interested?
Contact the primary researcher, Jennifer A. Kurtz, PhD @ [email protected]

My latest research area of focus. There is mixed research that quercetin (Q) improves endurance and anaerobic performance and
expedites the recovery of DOMS or markers of muscle damage.
—
Chronic Q ingestion (> 14 days in athletes) shows more promising results in reducing
muscle damage and aerobic events, likely conferring to its role in neuromuscular and
mitochondrial function.
—
The physiological mechanism that Q targets during exercise in skeletal muscle is
warranted.

Limited and varied findings prohibit definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy of taurine on aerobic and anaerobic performance and metabolic outcomes. There are mixed findings for the effect of taurine consumption on improving recovery from training bouts and/or mitigating muscle damage. The timing of taurine ingestion as well as the type of exercise protocol performed may contribute to the effectiveness of taurine as an ergogenic aid.

As I look back on the past five years of graduate school (4 years PhD work and 1 year Masters) and three years of undergraduate studies, I can say that successfully acquiring my PhD has been one the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.
—

I like to state that tiredly earning my PhD has only been possible without the Lords favor, guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, relationships, and friendships that I had/have throughout the process, support from my loving family, incredible mentors, and of course, my relationship with the Lord. I feel like through this process and bear-crawling in exhaustion to the finish line, it is a testament to the Lord‘s glory, and how he wants to use us with the gifts that He has uniquely crafted in us.
—
Through this process, I found myself more alive than ever because it’s truly been a long process, a journey of becoming more like Jesus, and trusting in Him every step along the way. My life laid down for Him. Our preferences don’t matter, what matters though, is for us to become more like Him that is His ultimate desire and for us to love Him and others more. This process was just a glimpse of that. So praise be to God and All glory to Him that I successfully finished my PhD at age 26.

I’ve become pretty fond of gummies and the carbohydrate dosage. 38 g carbs + 35 mg of sodium per package . Easily digestible, doesn’t cause GI distress, they taste really good, and they are not super sugary. Highly recommend if you need something to chew. My favorite is orange :-)

Super grateful for the nutritional support and sponsorship through this past season.

The EFS Hydration mix (52 g) is a must try. It’s truly helped me delay fatigue, cramping and provided me with easily digested carbs during Nationals and through other challenging marathon races I’ve done. The formulation is quite impressive and research driven.

Also, shout out to for capturing these awesome photos. 📸

Athletes have a complicated relationship with sugar. Our relationship with sugar is complicated is because it’s essentially a balancing act, athletes need glucose to fuel muscles, but burning glucose at a high rate can also get us into trouble. While many of us love hating it, many of us hate how much we love it. Climbers need carbohydrates (sugar) in their diet for recovery and pre-training fuel, and sugars are the base of carbohydrates. The optimal amounts of the right kinds of sugar can fuel you for a rigorous training session and help to increase recovery.

Glucose is a simple sugar and the preferred energy source, which the body breaks down for energy during exercise, in the form of ATP (through a series of reactions known as glycolysis). Glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles. During exercise, the body uses the available glucose for energy, once this has been tapped it starts breaking down glycogen into glucose for energy (through a series of reactions known as glycogenolysis). It’s critical for climbers to replenish their glycogen stores within the first 30-45 minutes after training as depleted glycogen stores can cause the body to seek out glucose from other sources.

Refueling, intentionally, with glucose after training helps to restore glycogen levels, however sometimes the foods and drinks we use to refuel can have hidden sugar that’s been snuck in to sweeten them. Processed and added sugar can be problematic as some of the foods we assume are healthy can contain additional unwanted calories and wreak havoc on our blood sugar levels, especially if we underestimate the amount of sugar we’re consuming. These added sugars can turn a well-intentioned recovery snack into a dreaded sugar crash.

Too much sugar, or badly timed sugar intake, can sabotage your success and negatively impact your performance

* Sugar is not bad if consumed at an appropriate time
* There's no need for athletes to avoid sugar but pay attention to the type of sugar that is consumed. Athletes can be strategic with their nutrient timing. When consumed before exercise, sugar offers fast-access fuel for working muscles.

* Recovery starts the minute you stop training. During prolonged activity, muscle breakdown and glycogen depletion occurs. Knowing what to eat while recovering can have a significant impact on performance. When in the recovery phase, the body replenishes glycogen stores and repairs and rebuilds muscle—if you provide the necessary nutrients.
* Within 30 minutes after training, refuel with a carbohydrate and protein snack. Minimize fat intake to less than five grams; eating more than that will interfere with protein absorption and can slow digestion. Pairing .2 to.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight with .8 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight will help you recover faster.
* Stay hydrated at all times, especially in the recovery phase. This is as important as the nutrients provided. Take your body weight in pounds and cut it in half; that’s how many ounces of water you should have per day, plus an additional cup for every hour of physical activity, cup of coffee, or alcoholic beverage. To make sure electrolytes are replenished as well, add an electrolyte powder to water or simply add salt to your recovery meal. Athletes can exceed the recommended daily sodium intake (1500-2400mg) because of the large amount of fluid and salt lost through sweating. Symptoms of electrolyte deficiencies and dehydration include cramping, muscle weakness, bloating, fatigue, and headaches.  #

Nutrition Tip #6 Mid-Climb Fuel

* For boulderers and single-pitch sport routes, aim to replenish glycogen stores, where your body gets quick energy, every 75 to 90 minutes with 30 to 60 grams of carbs. If you have trouble keeping blood sugar stable, and going longer than an hour makes you feel irritated, fatigued, or weak, then aim to refuel every 60 minutes. Going any longer without replenishing increases the risk of muscle breakdown, fatigue, and a lower performance threshold. For short, high-intensity activities like these, high-quality carbohydrates provide excellent fuel. Choose carb sources that are slower to digest, and thus won’t cause the afternoon crash. Think berries, buckwheat, wild rice, leafy greens, quinoa, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, legumes like lentils and beans, steel-cut oats, and honey or maple syrup as a sweetener. These foods are packed with vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber, which can reduce inflammation, promote recovery, and support energy production.
* For multi-pitch climbing, consume 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrates every 60 minutes. This is important for long routes that also include hard approaches. Plan to snack at belays with dehydrated fruit like mango, apricots, or apples, nut butter packets with honey or maple syrup, jerky, trail mix, and gels.
* Remember to drink water or electrolytes every 15-30 minutes, especially when consuming concentrated snacks (gels).

* Figure out the intensity and duration of the session. You don’t want to feel deprived or too full while climbing. With shorter and higher intensity climbing like bouldering, fuel up with easy-to-digest carbohydrates (dried fruit, bananas, quick oats, rice milk, or sweet potatoes). With longer and lower intensity climbing sessions like sport climbing, include slower digesting carbohydrates (brown rice, quinoa, or beans) for sustained energy.
* Consider the timing of the meal. Aim to get 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrates (a banana contains approximately 27 grams) 30 minutes before a climb. Include 20 grams of protein within 30 minutes of training or climbing to ensure that there are enough amino acids in the blood stream to prevent muscle breakdown and improve strength. Three ounces of turkey breast contains about 22 grams of protein, a ½ cup of tofu has about 20 grams, or you can get 14 grams of protein from two eggs.
* Avoid fats pre-workout. They are slower to digest and could cause stomach problems while working hard.
* If you eat a meal with a good balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates one to two hours before training, you won’t need to supplement with pre-workout fuel. Have a carb-protein snack 30 minutes before if it’s been more than two hours since you’ve had a meal, or if you are putting in extra training hours. The more you train, the more nutrients you’ll need to sustain energy levels.