Growing awareness of supplementary aid

A SPORTS nutrition expert has been passing on his knowledge and advice to islanders this week. Tony Gay works for one of the world's largest such nutrition companies, ESA, and was in Guernsey as part of a training programme launched by the firm to educate its retailers in the subject.

He also took the opportunity to speak to any customers who wanted guidance on health issues and products that can be used which are designed not only with bodybuilders in mind but the general public as well.

'Products can relate to the average individual,' he said.

'Sports nutrition came from the standpoint of body builders and professional athletes but through technology and product development it has now gone through all different types of sport and caters for everybody.

'We now have different formulas designed for different types of people.'

And the public is taking notice, too.

More people are becoming increasingly health conscious and are wanting to improve their lifestyle for their own benefit.

'People are more nutritionally aware these days,' Gay said.

'With the obesity situation we have now, people are starting to look for alternatives of how to lose weight, lose body fat and look and feel better.'

However, Gay warned that there were no such things as short cuts.

Although there are products that aid altering your body composition, there is no miracle way to achieve the desired affect.

An excellent example of how to go about this is the 'Body for Life' programme run by Gay's firm which takes you through it, step by step, from simply setting your goals and then how to achieve them through such things as nutrition balanced meals and exercise advice.

'Supplements by their definition are supposed to go with other things.,' said the expert.

'You can have people say ?if I take this does it mean I can forego exercise?? Of course, the answer is obvious,' he said.

'You want to go and exercise right and have good nutritional meals, otherwise you do not benefit.'