Frequently asked questions

Isotonic drinks are most effective when you are engaged in a sporting activity that lasts for longer than 60 minutes or that makes you sweat intensely. They can help by replacing the fluids, electrolytes and carbohydrates that you have lost, which is essential for maintaining your energy levels and improving your hydration during long periods of physical effort. You can best consume your isotonic drink before or during this effort, depending on your needs for hydration and energy.

During preparation for a marathon your body needs the right fuel and support. Runners lose a lot of energy during long-distance runs and afterwards they need optimal recovery. The Green Athlete offers three products that respond specifically to these needs.

After a night’s sleep, you are lightly dehydrated. Electrolytes help you to rehydrate quickly, whilst also supporting mental clarity, reducing energy dips and preparing the body for an active day, even without training

During intensive sporting activity the body loses large quantities of fluids and minerals through sweating. This can lead to reduced performance, muscle cramps and even overheating. Sufficient hydration helps to regulate body temperature, supports the blood circulation and ensures that muscles continue to function effectively.

The most important electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Sodium assists the retention of fluids, potassium supports muscle function, magnesium prevents cramps and calcium contributes to muscle contraction. Together, they ensure the maintenance of a good fluid balance and promote optimal performance.

An isotonic sport drink contains a concentration of carbohydrates and electrolytes that is comparable to the concentration found in body fluids. This mean that the drink is quickly absorbed into the system. As a result, it replenishes the supply of fluids and energy effectively, which helps athletes to retain their levels of endurance and performance during longer and more intensive periods of physical activity.

Artificial sweeteners can mislead your brain and upset your intestinal microbiome. They increase the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic disorders. Natural sweeteners are milder, more easily digested and support long-term health. Consequently, it is wiser to opt for a sport drink without any artificial additives.

During periods of intensive training, you need an average water intake of between 2.5 and 3.5 litres per day. The longer and heavier you train, the more fluid you lose through sweating as a result. By taking regular sips from a large water jug, you will remain better hydrated and in that way support your muscle function, concentration and recovery.

By improving blood circulation (citrulline) and energy supply (creatine), supplements are able to accelerate muscle recovery. Less muscle pain and faster muscle recuperation make possible a higher frequency of training.

The ‘loading phase’ with creatine helps to build up the creatine reserves in your muscles more quickly. This is achieved by ingesting a higher dosage of creatine during the first 5 to 7 days of use (usually 20 grams per day, spread over 4 intakes). This ensures that the muscles rapidly become saturated with creatine, so that you can enjoy its benefits – such as increased strength/power and better performance in short and intensive physical activities – at a faster than normal rate. After the loading phase, the dosage is reduced to 5 grams per day to keep the concentration of creatine at the optimal level. This is known as the ‘maintenance phase’.

Yes, some people experience a tingling or itchy sensation after taking beta-alanine. This is known as paraesthesia and is perfectly normal. The tingling or itchiness is temporary and is caused by the manner in which the beta-alanine acts on the nerves. This is nothing that you should be worried about and the symptoms usually disappear after a short time. To prevent this reaction, we recommend that you split the daily dosage of 6 grams between 4 intakes of 1.5 grams.

Creatine is one of the most widely researched and reliable supplements in sports science. It increases the amount of readily available energy in your muscles, allowing you to develop more strength and explosiveness, so that you are better able to deal with repeated intensive efforts. The effect lies not in a temporary boost, but in the fact that you can train better and therefore get stronger faster.

For mental focus, the Pre-workout from The Green Athlete is an ideal product. It contains ingredients that act on your central nervous system and energy metabolism. Think of caffeine, which increases alertness and concentration, and B vitamins, which help support mental energy. In addition, plant extracts with antioxidant and circulation-supporting properties also play a role in keeping your focus sharp during physical exertion. The Pre-workout combines stimulating and supportive ingredients in a balanced way, so that you not only feel physical energy but also mental clarity. This makes the product interesting when you want to start an activity with a sharp focus.

Betaalanine helps to increase the level of carnosine in the muscles, which slows down the rate of acidification. It works as a buffer against lactic acid, so that acidification occurs more slowly. This enhances both endurance capacity and training intensity.

Supplements like creatine support the rapid production of ATP, which contributes to an increase in muscle power and explosivity. These supplements therefore boost the energy supply during short periods of intense effort, as is the case with sprinting or power training.

The combination of, for example, creatine, beta alanine en citrulline can have a synergistic effect. This will allow you to benefit simultaneously from greater strength, less acidification and improved blood circulation during your training.

Plant-based protein can certainly be sufficient for the needs of top sportsmen and women, providing it is taken in sufficient quantities and with sufficient variety. By combining different plant-based protein sources (such as peas, rice and hemp), it is possible to obtain a complete amino acid profile. However, it is important to ensure that your total protein intake is correctly adjusted to reflect the intensity of your training, your speed of recovery and your body weight.

The ideal moment to ingest proteins is between 30 and 60 minutes following the completion of your training. This is the recovery period during which your muscles are most receptive to the absorption of nutrients. A shake with fast proteins, such as whey or a mix with BCAAs, supports muscle recovery and optimally enhances muscle building.

Yes, whey protein can help to reduce food cravings or binge eating. Protein gives a longer feeling of satiation and stabilises your blood sugar level. Drinking a protein shake at the right moment can help you to control your appetite and eating behaviour, especially if you are following a calorie-restricted diet.

Bone broth protein is derived from the bones of cattle and contains collagen, which is beneficial for your joints, skin and intestines. Whey isolate is derived from milk and contains proteins that are quickly absorbed, which supports muscle growth. Bone broth is allergen-free and milder for your digestion, whereas whey is primarily focused on improving power performance.

Plant-based proteins like pea or rice protein contain all the essential amino acids that are necessary for muscle building and recovery. They are ideal for people with dietary restrictions, for vegans and for anyone who is lactose intolerant. They are a sustainable and effective way to satisfy your protein needs and to support the recovery of muscles after intensive training.

During training, carbohydrates are more effective than BCAAs for a boost of direct energy. Carbohydrates supplement your glycogen supply and provide quick fuel for intensive effort. BCAAs are more focused on supporting the retention of muscle mass during long training sessions or sessions on an empty stomach but actually contribute little to direct energy provision.

The 2:1:1 ratio refers to the ideal proportional balance between leucine, isoleucine and valine. Leucine plays the most important role in the activation of muscle protein synthesis, while isoleucine and valine support energy levels and recovery. This 2:1:1 ratio is regarded as being optimal for good muscle care and performance.

BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) play a crucial role in muscle recovery because they are absorbed directly into the muscle tissue. They help to reduce muscle degradation and support the production of new muscle fibres. A regular intake of BCAAs can also diminish muscle pain and accelerate the recovery process, which is essential for sporting progress.

Bone broth, as well as being rich in protein, is also rich in collagen and the minerals that support healthy joints and improve cartilage recovery. It helps to reduce inflammations and contributes to the repair of connective tissue. Bone broth further provides the body with essential nutrients that are important for the general functioning of the digestive system after hard physical effort.

Bone broth provides collagen and minerals that play a key role in the recovery of connective tissue, like tendons, ligaments and cartilage. It is not a classic source of protein for muscle building, but rather a supportive tool for structural recovery, especially during periods of heavy training blocks or repeated strain.

Athletes often have a preference for whey because of its high level of essential amino acids and the speed at which they are absorbed. Whey contains the perfect amino acid profile that the body needs to repair and build up muscles after intensive physical activity. Whey further supports the immune system and enhances rapid muscle development.

Recovery for active people is first and foremost about sufficient sleep, a balanced diet and the supplementation of the micronutrients that you use up during your physical activities. You do not need to be a top sportsman or sportswoman to take your body seriously and your recovery procedures do not need to be complex. In this respect, sports supplements can offer practical support. Proteins assist the recovery of muscle tissue after an active day, especially if it is not immediately possible for you to eat a full and proper meal. Magnesium supports muscle relaxation and contributes to better sleep quality. Electrolytes help to restore the fluid and mineral balance after sweating, also during longer walks, bike rides or sporting days. The goal of recovery for lifestyle athletes is not maximum performance, but continuing to feel good, recovering faster, and remaining active with sufficient energy. With a simple but carefully considered approach, you can support your body without making things unnecessarily complex.

Whey isolate contains more protein and less fat and carbohydrates than whey concentrate. The isolate is almost entirely lactose-free and is more quickly absorbed. Whey concentrate is slightly less filtered but is still a high-quality source of protein for daily use.

Yes, more is not always better. Especially for beginners, buying too many products can quickly lead to excessive intake. Starting safely means opting for the use of proven dosages and not wanting to do everything all at the same time.

A supplement label tells you exactly what you are ingesting, but only if you know how to find and interpret the information correctly. At TGA, we make a point of displaying the most important information clearly on the front of the packaging. For example, with our protein powders, you can always see how many grams of protein a single portion contains and how many grams of that portion consists of BCAAs, the most important amino acids for muscle building. You can also see what the product is good for (muscle support and fast recovery) and when you should take it (before, during or after training). Our labels also indicate that the product is clean label, bio, vegan and/or allergen-free. Are you already used to reading labels in detail? Be sure to also check the full list of ingredients and verify the presence of any additives.

On our labelling you will always see a clean label – here (points to the pot). If a product is clean label, it means that the product is free from all unnecessary additives and artificial sweeteners. It further means that every ingredient and dosage is reproduced in a fully transparent manner on the packaging, without mention of meaningless E numbers. This is crucial for sportsmen and sportswomen, because trust in a product begins with knowing what you are consuming.

High doses look and sound impressive on the label, but do not automatically lead to better results. The absorbability of the ingredients is much more important, because the beneficial components can only do their work in the body if they are effectively absorbed. What’s more, these ingredients have fewer side effects and provide more predictable results. Sports nutrition is a matter of precision, not excess.

Sports nutrition is not intended exclusively for top sportsmen and sportswomen. The bodies of people with an active lifestyle – such as long-distance walking, mountain trekking or a day’s skiing – are also physically tested over a long period. You use more energy, lose more fluids and minerals, and demand more of your muscles and nervous system than on an average day.  During these lengthy periods of effort an isotonic drink or an electrolyte solution can offer clear benefits. They help your body to absorb new fluids more quickly, put back the minerals you have lost and support a stable energy level. This ensures that you run out of steam more slowly, both physically and mentally.

Sustainable supplements are not only good for your performance and recovery, but are also carefully composed and produced with respect for both people and the environment. At The Green Athlete, this means that our products only contain pure, natural and, where possible, organic ingredients, with no artificial additives, soya or gluten. However, for us sustainability goes further than just the product formula. We strive to achieve full transparency by providing clear information on our packaging, so that you know exactly what you are buying. Our business operations are aimed at minimising our ecological footprint: we therefore operate as a carbon-neutral company and hold B Corp certification, for which quality, social impact and ecological responsibility are all of importance.

As a beginner, it is important to keep things simple and just start with the basics. The first truly beneficial products are a high-quality source of protein, creatine and electrolytes.

• Protein: Protein is the most important building block for your muscles. It assists recovery after training and supports muscle building over the long term. Choose a product that is complete and contains all the essential amino acids, so that your body receives everything it needs.
• Creatine: Creatine is one of the most thoroughly researched and substantiated supplements, which helps your muscles to produce energy more quickly during short and intensive periods of physical effort. It supports strength, explosivity and training performance, also for beginners.
• Electrolytes: Electrolytes help your body to maintain its levels of fluid and minerals, which is important for recovery, muscle function and energy production, even if you do not sweat heavily during your workout.

Start with these basic products and develop a fixed and orderly routine. In this way, you will learn how to support your body in a consistent way, without becoming overwhelmed by a cupboard full of pots and powders.