In an expansion of its “Fuel Like Ronaldo” campaign, Herbalife is highlighting the importance of the 15-minute halftime break as one of the most important fueling windows in a competition. The campaign, headlined by global sports icon and soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, has worked to translate sports nutrition science into practical guidance that everyday athletes can use to prepare, perform, recover and repeat.
With this new element of the campaign, Herbalife hopes to spotlight how athletes can capitalize on the 15-minute window of halftime as they refuel and prepare for the second half of their playing time.
“Most fans see halftime as a break. We see it as the most important fueling window of the match,” said Dr. Krissy Ladner, Herbalife Director of Sports Performance and Nutrition Education. “Fifteen minutes of focused refueling can be the difference between holding pace through the second half and watching it slip away.”
Herbalife points out that athletes can lose between one to three liters of sweat per hour when training and that this fluid loss can impair performance and slow agility and reaction times. But water alone, Herbalife insists, is not enough. Well-formulated sports drinks deliver sugar to fuel the muscles and brain, sodium to hold fluid in the body and replace electrolyte losses, and an appetizing flavor that leads athletes to drink even as they become weary.
Herbalife states that its “Fuel Like Ronaldo” framework breaks halftime fueling into three priorities:
- Carbohydrates: 30 to 60 grams of easy-to-digest simple carbs, typically a sports drink plus a banana, a carbohydrate gel or a small handful of energy chews, to top up muscle glycogen for high-intensity work and refuel the brain and nervous system.
- Electrolytes: sodium is the priority, since it holds fluid in the body and keeps athletes from falling behind on hydration.
- Fluid volume: 12 to 24 fluid ounces during the halftime window, supported by a steady rate of 4 to 8 fluid ounces every 15 minutes across the full match to minimize body weight change and help cool core temperature.
This refueling habit is important and applicable for athletes at every level, from weekend cyclists to marathon runners, Herbalife says, and the simplest habit is to drink consistently rather than wait for thirst to set in.
