Fo a bit of planning and some careful food choices, Optiimal can make sure you're giving your body everything it needs to excel in your next endurance event. Ambassador Programme. Broccoli, asparagus and brussels sprouts are excellent vegetables to incorporate into your meals.

Optimal nutrition for endurance training -

This is why endurance events are much slower in speed compared to anaerobic activities. The rate at which ATP is produced is known as aerobic power. The higher the production of ATP, the higher aerobic power is, equaling higher working power of the athlete.

Most endurance athletes train to increase their aerobic power to become better at their sport or hobby. For endurance athletes, prime importance must be placed on matching energy in vs.

energy out. For some endurance athletes this can equate to a daily increase of times the calories of their non-exercising counterparts.

To work out the energy requirement for these athletes we do this in exactly the same manner as before. Catherine is a 35 year old decathlon runner, who will swim, run and cycle a total of miles per week.

Her weight is stable at pounds and her primary goal is to increase athletic ability and performance. We can do this using the below calculation:. We know Catherine is exercising hard days per week in order for her to complete that sort of mileage.

However it should be noted that this is just a starting point. What might need further adjusting is the caloric intake based on activity levels on a daily basis. For example, if Catherine was training each day, and for 2 days of the week her mileage was double that compared to the other days, then calories should be increased on those hard training days.

For example, on rest or recovery days, or days of lower volume of training, calories could be set to the calculated kcals. But for those 2 days of very hard and long endurance training you may be better using the high activity level multiplier, such as 1.

What you also must understand is that if you are working with a competitive athlete completing multiple or staged events, their activity level could range from increasing from 1. This can result in high food intake for endurance athletes, which is why so many fall short on such an important nutritional factor.

This is when the benefit of a set nutrition plan can prove advantageous. Want to learn the proven nutrition coaching strategies of elite trainers? Get access the exact nutrition coaching methodologies with this workshop! In an ideal world the athlete would continuously replace calories lost throughout exercise, so no energy balance was disrupted.

There are a number of factors that make this difficult to do. The number of calories expended varies from sport to sport, person to person, making the calculation of spent calories very difficult to calculate. There are also restrictions on the athlete such as movement, mental focus and general feasibility during the training or competition too, making nutrient consumption difficult.

By focusing on these factors and not overall caloric consumption we can achieve greater performance. If we focus too much on nutrient consumption during exercise, it can lead to digestive system issues, as blood flow is being targeted to the working muscles, not the digestive system.

Many endurance athletes complain of not wanting to eat following intense endurance training or competition, and this is another common mistake they make.

It is recommended that athletes consume calories from protein and carbohydrates immediately post exercise. This is to encourage rapid post exercise recovery of muscle glycogen and provide vital amino acids for repair and growth. A larger meal hours post training should follow, supplying more calories, macros, micros and fluids.

With endurance training, this means higher glycogen requirements too, meaning more carbohydrates. Long duration and repetitive activity as seen in endurance exercise places high-energy demands on the individual. To further aggravate this, carbohydrate stores are limited in the body.

This means the time to exhaustion during endurance exercise, is directly related to stored glycogen levels in the muscles. When liver and muscle glycogen stores are depleted from endurance training, the athlete experiences increasing perception of fatigue.

If we use Catherine as our example again, her daily intake could be: pounds ÷ 2. In our example, Catherine, her total daily calories was kcals. Carbohydrate loading is a traditional approach used by many athletes to energise their systems and fully maximize muscle glycogen before the event.

This is to ensure peak performance. This protocol is used around days prior an event. As previously mentioned, that is a lot carbohydrates, so specific recommendations should be suggested.

To reduce any weight gain or sluggishness from increased carb intake, calories should remain the same. Protein should stay high for muscle repair and retention. To reduce any digestive system issues the use of nutrient dense foods is advisable, including juices, gels and fluids to support the carb load.

Remember this information is for starting purposes only- get to know your client and what they respond best to as an individual and tweak as required.

Research shows that carbohydrate intake in the hours and minutes leading up to activities lasting over 2 hours, can have positive results on increased performance. This works by increasing blood sugar levels, sparing muscle and liver glycogen stores more effectively.

This is a common factor missed by athletes, particularly those who exercise early in the morning. Studies have shown that an intake of carbohydrates prior to training can be from anywhere between hours, and the greater the amount consumed, the more time should be left.

As previously mentioned, in order to maintain blood glucose for oxidation and continued energy production, carbohydrates should be consumed throughout endurance exercise. Many athletes do well with 1g carbohydrates per minute of activity, while some can do well with 2g per minute.

This article provides a platform for the ingredients recommended for optimal energy levels and peak performance during endurance training and racing. Put simply, carbohydrates are sugars and starches that fuel our bodies much like gasoline fuels a race car.

Each gram of carbohydrate contains ~4 calories worth of fuel. Just like a race car stores its fuel in a tank, the human body stores carbohydrates as glycogen in both our muscles and liver. These glycogen reserves are relied upon to stabilize blood sugars and allow for optimal muscle function.

A single-day or hour carbo-loading protocol may be effective for shorter races, especially if the athlete is training through the race meaning no reduction in training volume is being implemented pre-race.

Sample easy-to-digest carbohydrate options include pretzels, plain bagels, bananas, white pasta, white rice, potato, rice-based cereals, sports drinks, and energy bars.

Race Morning: Aim for grams of easy-to-digest low fiber carbohydrate in the hours leading up to race start. Be sure to allow 1 hour digestion time for every calories consume. A sample pre-race meal to be consumed in the 2- 3 hours leading up to race start would be a plain bagel topped with a smear of peanut butter and honey plus ounces of sports drink.

For example, an lb runner should aim for ~ grams of carbohydrate each hour of training or racing. To maximize carbohydrate uptake into the muscles and extend endurance, choose products whose ingredient lists include multiple types of carbohydrate.

Common carbohydrate sources used in sports foods include maltodextrin, glucose or dextrose, sucrose, and fructose. Common products used on race day include sports drinks, energy gels, energy bars, and energy chews.

Post-Race: Aim for grams of carbohydrate, preferably in liquid form to promote rehydration as well as carbohydrate repletion, as soon as possible upon finishing a hard workout or race effort.

During digestion, protein is broken down into at least individual chemical building blocks known as amino acids that form a little pool within our liver and are used to build muscle, skin, hair, nails, eyes, hormones, enzymes, antibodies, and nerve chemicals.

Some research has found that inclusion of small amounts of protein during prolonged activity can help enhance performance by sparing muscle glycogen as well as aiding fluid uptake.

This will set you up to be fueled and hydrated before your workout even begins. You just may have them in slightly smaller amount compared to your main meals. If you feel low energy despite snacking between meals, consider amping up your intake with mini-meals. When this is the case, you can choose salted dried fruit, sports drinks , sports gels, blocks, or honey.

The vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in produce work together to enhance recovery. The more different colors you consume, the better. So, aim to eat the rainbow! While all nutrients are important, two that I like to emphasize to protect your body are vitamin C and omega Vitamin C is an important immune nutrient and helps protect against oxidative stress.

Studies show that increased intake of Vitamin C may help prevent upper respiratory tract infections post-marathon or ultramarathon. You can increase your intake of C by consuming more citrus fruits, peppers, kiwi and greens as well as broccoli and even potatoes! Omega-3s have been shown to reduce inflammation thereby supporting recovery.

Aiding in proper inflammatory responses may help to improve muscle recovery while also protecting joints.

Fuelling your body with the trainning energy and endurance O;timal is crucial for Lentils and Red lentil soup your performance as an endurance athlete. It nutritoon important to note that these foods should be seen Optomal valuable additions to, Optimal nutrition for endurance training basics of a well-rounded nutrition plan. This allows your body to perform optimally, recover effectively, and develop muscle tissues after each endurance training session. Nutrient deficiencies are a common cause of premature fatigue, particularly when it comes to a decrease in red blood cell production and oxygen transport. This reduction in red blood cells and oxygen transport can result in decreased oxygen availability and impaired transport of nutrients to the working muscles, ultimately affecting energy production. Iron, copper, vitamin A, B6, B9, and B12 all play a crucial role in the production of red blood cells and oxygen transport.

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