Prior to creating your plan, it’s beneficial to comprehend how nutrition can both power our muscles and prevent fatigue during prolonged periods of exercise. These foods can be broadly divided into three groups: protein, lipids, and carbohydrates.
Glucose
The primary nutrients that power moderate-to high-intensity exercise are carbohydrates. The body gets the glucose it needs from these nutrients to function continuously. Eating them helps endurance athletes avoid “bonking,” a condition in which their blood sugar falls too low, making it impossible for them to continue.
However, studies show that the majority of endurance athletes who are not exceptional do not ingest enough carbs to fuel their rigorous training regimen.
Lipids
Additionally, fats can supply energy, primarily during prolonged, low-intensity exercise. Because of this, this macronutrient is crucial for enhancing training regimens that prioritise endurance over speed.
From a health perspective, monounsaturated fats are the best fats because they lower the risk of heart attack and stroke by raising the body’s HDL, or “good” cholesterol. Including omega-3 fatty acids improves nervous system and brain function and lowers inflammation.
Complete Protein
The main functions of proteins are in muscle maintenance and repair. Even though these foods aren’t typically thought of as fuel for endurance training, research indicates that they are required in somewhat higher amounts.
Protein can be thought of as giving your muscles the strength they require to continue pushing themselves. Additionally, after a demanding training session or competitive event, proteins aid in muscle recovery.
When To Consume What Kind Of Food
Prior to discussing the greatest sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrates for endurance athletes, it’s critical to understand when to ingest each of these nutrients for the maximum possible fuel and energy. This can be divided into recommendations for refuelling during an endurance training session or event, as well as advice for before and after training.
Prior To Training
To ensure that the body has enough fuel to begin endurance training or activities, eat three to four hours beforehand. Often called “loading,” complex carbohydrates—carbs that take longer for the body to digest—are the ideal dietary choices for this pre-training meal.
In The Midst Of The Endurance Event Or Training
During high-intensity exercise, glycogen stores are depleted rather quickly—within 90 minutes to two hours. Fatigue sets in if the athlete is not sufficiently refuelled, forcing them to slow down or risk “hitting the wall.”
For this reason, it’s critical to keep consuming carbohydrates during extended training sessions or endurance competitions. Simple carbohydrates, or carbohydrates that the body can process fast, work best for this purpose.
Following Training
The body needs to replenish its energy reserves following the endurance training session or event. Increased carbohydrates can help with this, but protein is also crucial at this stage since it gives your muscles the building blocks they need to heal properly. The carbs in many of the greatest post-workout foods help you replenish your energy reserves.
Healthy Foods For Sturdiness
There are foods in each macronutrient category (fat, protein, and carbohydrates) that have a higher nutritional content and are therefore better options for refuelling and supplying the body. Here are some things to think about. These energy chews, gels, and bars—which contain a variety of carbohydrate sources—are suggested by dieticians as a means of promoting prolonged energy.
Glucose
Pre-training eating calls for the consumption of complex carbohydrates, therefore some healthier options that fit this description are:
1.] Couscous
2.] Legumes and beans
3.] Grains of brown rice
4.] Quinoa
5.] Yams
6.] Whole wheat bread
7.] Pasta made with whole wheat
Athletes benefit from fuelling their bodies with easily digested or “fast” carbohydrates during training sessions in order to sustain high-intensity exercise for extended periods of time. Among the healthy mid-exercise fuelling choices that won’t make you feel heavy are:
1.] Milk chocolate.
2.] Carbohydrate-containing energy bar
3.] Fresh fruit, like a banana or apple
4.] Juice from fruits
5.] A couple of tablespoons of honey
6.] Yoghurt without lactose and skim with fruit
7.] Sports beverage with extra carbs
Complete Protein
Protein is an excellent post-workout meal source since it promotes bodily healing. Better-for-you protein food alternatives consist of:
1.] Cottage cheese
2.] Eggs
3.] Greek yoghurt
4.] Hummus
5.] Lean poultry or meat
6.] Seeds and nuts
Sickness
This is a challenging group of macronutrients because over 70% of endurance athletes eat more fat than their bodies require.Six
Baranauskas M, Tubelis L, Stukas R, and others. The dietary practices of elite endurance athletes. doi:10.1016/j.medici.2015.11.004 Medicina. 2015;51(6): 351-362
The body does, however, require some fat in order to function properly. Among the healthier fats are:
1.] Avocados
2.] Dark chocolate
3.] Eggs
4.] Fatty fish
5.] Nut butter and nuts
6.] Olives
7.] Olive oil
How Much Food Is Needed
For endurance athletes, knowing how much to eat is just as crucial as knowing what to eat and when. This guarantees that you get the proper number of nutrients without ingesting excessive calories and possibly gaining weight.
For endurance athletes, the suggested intake amounts are:
-} Pre-training: 1-4 grammes of carbs per kilogramme within four hours of the training or event, and 6-12 grammes per kilogramme of body weight within the 24 hours leading up to the training or event.
-} When training or competing, consume 60 grammes of carbohydrates per hour if the activity lasts longer than 60 minutes, and 60–70 grammes if the activity lasts longer than 2.5 hours (you can consume up to 90 grammes if you can handle it, but it is not advised to consume this much in hotter climates).
-} Post-training: 0.3 grammes of protein per kilogramme of body weight and 1-1.2 grammes of carbs per kilogramme of body weight in the first three to five hours following training or the event
It is recommended that endurance athletes ingest 20% to 35% of their total calories from fat sources, although there are no recommendations for the consumption of fat prior to, during, or following a training session or event.
Hydration Before An Endurance Workout
Water should be consumed before, during, and after exercise if you engage in vigorous exercise for longer than three or four hours at a time.
Don’t let your thirst guide you when it’s time to hydrate while working out. You’re already dehydrated when you experience thirst. Drinking little amounts frequently is preferable to taking a big swallow at once.
Make it a practice to weigh yourself before and after extended training sessions to ascertain your personal needs for hydration and to gain insight into how you may be affected by varying weather and training environments. Additionally, you’ll begin to gauge how much water you need consume for your typical training sessions.
Observing the colour and volume of your urine is another easy method to assess your level of hydration after a workout. If you have a lot of light-colored, diluted urine, you are probably well hydrated. You may need to drink more water if you have a little amount of very concentrated, dark urine, which could indicate dehydration.
You can maintain awareness of your hydration requirements while exercising by using the following advice:
-} 7-8 ounces of fluid should be consumed 15–30 minutes prior to exercise.
-} 4–8 ounces should be consumed every 15–20 minutes while exercising.
After Exercise
To replenish your fluids after working out, consume roughly 24 ounces of water for each kilogramme (2.2 pounds) you shed.
Electrolytes And Sodium
You will probably need to take in more electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium) during long endurance training sessions and events than you would from diet alone. This promotes mental and physical performance at its best.
During the workout or competition, consuming a sports drink that contains electrolytes is a simple and quick solution. This can lessen the chance of hyponatremia, which is a condition in which low sodium levels result in water intoxication.Electrolytes are also included in some varieties of protein bars.
A Remark From Verywell
Every athlete will have different requirements and preferences when it comes to fueling and refuelling. You’ll identify the strategy that works best for you by trying out many ways.
Before, during, and after your workouts, experiment with different snacks and food combinations. You will be able to identify your ideal refuelling strategy over time if you experiment with when and how much you eat.
