Top Endurance

For training sessions during the competitive cycle, proper fueling allows athletes to achieve optimal effectiveness in the workout and ensures adequate nutrient intake for the recovery process. The nutrient intake before a training session is designed to ensure that the athlete begins the session properly hydrated and with normal levels of muscle glycogen. During the session, the goal is to maintain fluid, electrolyte, and blood glucose levels. Nutrients consumed after the training session allow the athlete to replace fluid, electrolyte, and muscle glycogen stores. Postworkout nutrients also aid the body in recovery from the stress of the training session.





In this cycle, athletes need to prevent or minimize gastrointestinal (GI) distress during training and racing. In the previous discussion on fueling for training during the preparatory cycle, some recommendations were provided for avoiding GI distress, including not consuming high-fiber or high-protein foods and not drinking too much water. These recommendations also apply in the competitive phase. Athletes should rely on their experience during training sessions in the previous cycles to learn how their gut responds to various types and quantities of foods and sport nutrition products. These experiences should be carried over into this training cycle with the intent of topping off fluid, electrolyte, and carbohydrate stores before training.

Newer research has shown that consuming a large amount (144 grams) of carbohydrate per hour during exercise increases the body’s ability to oxidize (use) this fuel for energy, thus allowing the body to have a greater fuel supply. However, because of the very large carbohydrate intake needed to see these types of oxidation rates, some athletes may find that ingesting this much carbohydrate is simply not realistic. The fact that all of this research was conducted on cyclists should also be taken into consideration. Cyclists may be able to ingest a higher level of nutrition during exercise compared to other forms of exercise that require the use of larger amounts of muscle mass and that are weight bearing activities.

Based on current research, the recommendation for athletes in the competition cycle is to consume from 30 to 90 total grams of carbohydrate per hour during training sessions and competitions. Smaller athletes, especially females, should choose the lower quantities. Larger athletes may be able to consume amounts on the higher end, but they should do so in a race only after trying it with success during training sessions that simulate race intensity. As noted previously, the way that the body digests food at higher intensities can be very different from the way it does at lower intensities.

After a glycogen-depleting workout, athletes should follow the same nutrition guidelines described for the preparatory cycle. They should put special emphasis on consistency. Athletes need to treat their postworkout nutrition regimen as a part of their training session; they must be sure not to forget or delay this regimen.