Top Endurance

Most athletes welcome the off-season as a time of rest, recovery, and rejuvenation. However, this is also a time when many athletes make nutritional mistakes and gain unnecessary body fat. These mistakes can occur if an athlete does not continue to emphasize controlled intake of high-quality food. During the off-season cycle, the primary nutrition goal should be to control the amount of food eaten. Controlling blood sugar by eating lean protein and fiber-rich food (fruits and vegetables are preferred) is the main objective.

Additionally, most athletes do not follow a specific training plan during this cycle, even though they may think they do. Rather, they participate in unstructured exercise. Because of the unstructured training, products such as energy bars, gels, sports drinks, and powders are typically not necessary. Because of the lower energy requirements, the recommended daily intake of carbohydrate decreases to as low as 3 or 4 grams per kilogram of body weight; the emphasis should be mostly on fruits and vegetables and less on whole grains and healthier starches. Daily protein intake should range from 1.6 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight. Daily fat intake should remain low at 0.8 to 1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight; the emphasis should be on omega-3 fats.


Fueling for Exercise Sessions
During the Transition or Off-Season Cycle



During this cycle, energy expenditure during training will be lower because training intensity and volume are low. The athlete usually doesn’t have specific goals for training improvement. The athlete should focus on being nourished and hydrated before exercise by eating a light, balanced meal or snack. During exercise, the athlete will probably not need more than 8 ounces (~237 ml) of water every 20 to 30 minutes. If needed, small amounts of sodium may be added to the water (500 milligrams of sodium per liter of water) to help the athlete maintain hydration status.

For postexercise nutrition, the athlete should simply focus on replenishing hydration stores by drinking 24 ounces (710 ml) of water (with at least 500 milligrams of sodium per liter of water) immediately after the workout. To enhance postworkout recovery, the athlete can eat a light snack or meal that is low in fat and includes a good source of carbohydrate and some lean protein.