At a glance

 When it comes to endurance training, nutritional support gets tricky. Whether you oversupply or undersupply your body, you'll likely end up with the same result: compromised performance and negative consequences. Simply put, a proper diet is not negligible if you’re aiming for optimal performance. 

 With over 3.5 million participants in endurance events worldwide, scientists have been able to identify the key nutritional recommendations for endurance athletes. In this article, we will look at the link between nutrition and performance for endurance athletes.

IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION IN ENDURANCE TRAINING

CARBOHYDRATES

PROTEINS

fats

Electrolytes

When Should You Eat 

The type of food consumed and when it is eaten is of the highest importance when it comes to nutrition for endurance athletes. In addition, understanding how much to eat is as essential as knowing what and when to eat. Knowing how much to eat guarantees, you get the proper amount of nutrients without ingesting too many calories and putting on weight. Having nutrients accessible when needed is essential for preparing your body for top performance. The timing of meals may be broken down into pre-, during, and post-training recommendations.

PRE-ENDURANCE TRAINING

Eating three to four hours before participating in endurance events helps the body begin a workout with a full-functioning fuel tank. The most effective food sources before exercising are complex carbohydrates, which generally take the body longer to digest fully. 

 If you have an endurance event that will last less than 90 minutes, it has been suggested to "top-off" glycogen reserves to replace muscle and liver glycogen lost the day before. This is commonly done with a carb-rich diet of at least 6 g/kg and as much as 7–12 g/kg in the 24 hours prior to the event. 

 However, for events lasting more than 90 minutes, glycogen super-compensation, or "carbo-loading," is recommended. A single dosage of 1-4 g/kg carbohydrate is advised for a last top-off of liver glycogen reserves in the final 1-4 hours before the event. 

Doses of 1-3mg per kilogram of body weight of caffeine have also been shown to boost performance. Caffeine usually reaches the summit of blood concentration at one hour and remains steady for about 3-4 hours. Therefore, the athlete should probably consume caffeine for around an hour before beginning a training session.

During Endurance Training 

After engaging in high-intensity workouts like CrossFit, the body's limited supply of glycogen quickly runs out, usually within 90 minutes to 2 hours. Fatigue sets in if not replenished. The athlete needs to slow down to avoid getting worn out. For this reason, it's crucial to eat carbs during prolonged training sessions. The best carbs for this are simple carbs that get digested quickly. 

For endurance events lasting 1 to 2.5 h, it is recommended to consume 30–60 g of carbohydrates per hour. If the event is more than 2.5 hours, consume 60–70 g/h. The ISSN recommends 0.25 g/kg protein per hour during endurance exercise (if very intense or eccentric activity) when taken with carbohydrates, as it helps minimize possible muscle damage. Dehydration is also destructive to performance. If more than 2% of your body weight drops, dehydration will negatively impact your training. 

POST-TRAINING SESSION

After endurance training sessions, your body needs to refill the energy used. Carbs can help with this, but proteins are the nutrients we usually focus on. Protein provides your muscles with the nutrients required to recover sufficiently. Studies have shown that high carbohydrate (8–10 g/kg/day, or 1.0–1.2 g/kg/h in the first 3–5 h) refeeding can restore pre-exercise glycogen values within 24 h. However, athletes who can only consume 0.8 g/kg/h of carbohydrates can benefit from adding 0.2–0.4 g/kg/h of protein to their diets to increase glycogen replenishment. 

 Amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, electrolytes, and antioxidants are also significant to your body post-workout. There are lots of supplements that can help boost post-workout recovery and help your next workout session.

Where To Get the Nutrients From 

You can get your nutrients from food and supplements. Some foods have higher nutritional values than others, making them better options for refueling and sustaining the body.

CARBOHYDRATES

Pre-training food involves consuming complex carbs. Healthy meals that fit into this category include: 

 · Beans

 · Brown rice 

 · Quinoa 

 · Sweet potatoes 

 · Whole wheat bread 

 To continue endurance training for long periods, athletes fuel their bodies during the training session with easily digestible carbs. Good options include: 

 · Energy bar 

 · Fresh fruit (apple or banana) 

 · Honey 

 · Sports drinks 

Supplements like our RX3 [Restore, Recover, Revive] contain carbohydrates needed during prolonged training to spare glycogen stores while keeping blood glucose from falling. They also aid in replenishing glycogen levels before the next training day. RX3 contains dextrose and maltodextrin, two forms of carbohydrate.

Pre-training food involves consuming complex carbs. Healthy meals that fit into this category include: 

 · Beans

 · Brown rice 

 · Quinoa 

 · Sweet potatoes 

 · Whole wheat bread 

To continue endurance training for long periods, athletes fuel their bodies during the training session with easily digestible carbs. Good options include: 

 · Energy bar 

 · Fresh fruit (apple or banana) 

 · Honey 

 · Sports drinks 

Supplements like RX3 [Restore, Recover, Revive] contain carbohydrates needed during prolonged training to spare glycogen stores while keeping blood glucose from falling. They also aid in replenishing glycogen levels before the next training day. RX3 contains dextrose and maltodextrin, two forms of carbohydrate.

proteins

 · Eggs 

 · Cottage cheese 

 · Hummus 

 · Lean meat 

 · Nuts and seeds 

Proteins are essential pre, during, and post-workout. That's why several supplements like PRE, Perform, and RX3 are meant to provide you with amino acids, the molecules of proteins, no matter what point you are at during your workout. Per serving, PRE contains 6g of plant-based BCAAs and 2g of L-glutamine. Citrulline malate, betaine, and taurine are also found in this pre-workout. Perform contains 4g of BCAAs and 1g of L-Glutamine per serving. Finally, RX3 consists of an incredible 3g of L-glutamine per serving.

fats

 · Avocado 

 · Nuts 

 · Olive oil

others

 · Food 

 · Sports drink 

 · Pickle juice 

Yes, you read the last item correctly. Pickle juice provides lots of electrolytes in the form of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. That is why it may be used as a natural electrolyte. In addition, it can aid in post-workout rehydration.

Caffeine can improve both physical performances as well as cognitive function. Caffeine is present in several sources, including:

· Coffee   

· Energy drinks

· Black tea 

Our pre-workout supplement contains 100mg of naturally derived caffeine.