Five times Cape Argus Cycle Tour winner, Willie Engelbrecht, visited the Powerade Performance Stand at the Cape Argus Lifestyle Expo today to experience the Vacusport Lower Body Negative Pressure Compression Chamber.
Engelbrecht also spoke to some of his fans who were keen to find out more about training for a race such as the Cape Argus Cycle Tour. “The best advice I can give you is not to make any changes to your diet the day before the race, specifically when it comes to the energy boosters. Stick to Powerade, Coca-Cola and water.”
This was endorsed by sports scientist, Ross Tucker. “But, what all cyclists need to be aware of is over hydration. You need to listen to our bodies. If you feel thirsty then drink, but do not think that you need to take in liquids at every watering point. It is normal to lost up to 2kg during the race. This you can pick up again after a Powerade at the finish. What we scientists fear the most is when an athlete picks up weight during a race. This is a sure indication that something is wrong which could lead to water on the brain and the athlete can go into a coma.”
Tucker advised cyclists to eat foods such as banana and potato just before the race. “Food that converts to energy is what is needed prior to the race and not carbo loading.”
The principle of the Vacusport Lower Body Negative Pressure Compression Chamber lies in space medicine. The device was designed to help astronauts keep fit in the weightlessness of space and maintain the arterial blood supply of the lower extremities.
“Powerade is an endurance performance sports drink, and as such, everything we do around our sporting assets ties back to a scientific approach to hydration and exercise,” says Craig van Niekerk, Coca-Cola South Africa Marketing Assets Manager.
Vacusport Lower Body Negative Pressure Compression Chamber was conceptualized in the 1960’s by the German Institute for Space Medicine at the German Aerospace Centre in Cologne. Since its introduction, many papers have been written on the device, including one published by the American Journal of Physiology in 2001.
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| Ross Tucker talking about various aspects of training on the Powerade Performance Stand |
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| Willie Engelbrecht trying out the Vacusport Lower Body Negative Pressure Chamber |
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| Gustav Obermeyer tells Willie Engelbrecht trying how the Vacusport Lower Body Negative Pressure Chamber works |
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