Finding the best diet for endurance is often a trial-and-error process. As always, keep your scope of practice in mind as a personal trainer—make sure you're cleared to talk about nutrition with clients. Now, let's dig into the details of dietary needs for endurance.

Macronutrients are the basic components of the food we eat. These are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Eating macros in proper ratios fuel your endurance. Healthy adult eating includes ratios of:.

Adjust these ratios based on the goal of the physical activity. For example, an endurance athlete would increase their carb percentage to improve muscle glycogen stores.

A strength athlete would consume a higher protein intake. This would better support building more muscle mass. Carbs come in different forms. Two to know are simple and complex carbs. Simple carbs , also known as simple sugars, have one to two sugar molecules.

These include glucose, dextrose, or fructose. Simple carbs break down quickly in the body. Foods with simple sugars include fruits, milk, vegetables, table sugar, candy, and soft drinks. They supply energy but lack fiber, vitamins, and other key nutrients. Complex carbs have three or more sugar molecules.

You'll find these in foods like beans, whole grains, whole-wheat pasta, potatoes, corn, and legumes. So, which kind of carbohydrate should you consume? Most carbs should come from complex sources and naturally occurring sugars. Processed carbs and refined sugars should be limited or avoided.

How many carbs should endurance athletes eat? There will be some differences based on the type and duration of training. This helps support the high volume of glucose needed for that level of physical activity. Each carb has 4 calories per gram. Endurance athletes should eat 8 to 10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram kg of body weight per day.

This will depend on the duration of their endurance event. For endurance training lasting 4 to 5 hours, endurance athletes should consume 10 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, an endurance runner who weighs 70 kg and competes in an endurance event lasting 4 hours or more should consume a minimum of grams of carbohydrate daily.

In comparison, a power athlete would consume fewer carbs around 4 to 5 grams per kilogram of body weight. A power athlete's focus would be more so to increase protein intake. Many people focus only on carbs for endurance exercise. However, protein intake for endurance athletes is equally important.

The purpose of protein is to build and replenish lean muscle tissue. Protein also acts as a source of energy in times of caloric deficits. Animal-based protein, as the name implies, is protein that comes from animals.

This type of protein is considered a complete protein. It is complete because it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Animal-based protein sources include:. Plant-based protein is protein that comes from plants. Plant-based protein is considered an incomplete protein.

This isn't to say it is bad, it just doesn't have all essential amino acids. Plant-based protein sources include:. Protein has 4 calories per gram. How much protein do you need to eat? Protein intake for a normal healthy adult is around 0.

Endurance athletes should eat protein at 1. Athletes taking part in longer endurance events need more protein than those running shorter distances.

For example, endurance athletes weighing 70 kg would need to consume 98 grams of protein daily to support their endurance exercise.

Athletes who take part in strength or power sports will consume up to 2. Endurance athletes on a plant-based diet will have an increased protein requirement.

This is due to a plant-based diet consisting of incomplete proteins. Broccoli, asparagus and brussels sprouts are excellent vegetables to incorporate into your meals.

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula and Swiss chard are also great sources of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables provide essential nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that support overall health and athletic performance and are cheaper than taking a multivitamin supplement.

Next, focus on consuming lean proteins such as chicken, fish, and legumes to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. Adequate protein intake is essential for muscle growth and recovery.

Healthy fats , such as those found in avocado, nuts, and olive oil, are also crucial for endurance athletes. These fats provide long-lasting energy and help reduce inflammation in the body. Finally, it's crucial to stay hydrated. Aim to consume at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day and replace lost electrolytes during exercise with sports drinks or electrolyte tablets.

For access to all of our training plans, subscribe to our Optimize Training Platform. See What Your Ride Data Says Instantly 💥. FASCAT FORUM Instagram Youtube Spotify Facebook Strava LinkedIn Twitter App-Page. Training Tip Tuesday Receive Tips every Tuesday. Like Watts in your inbox. Enter Email address.

The Endurance Athlete Diet Frank Overton March 15, Copyright © FasCat Coaching - all rights reserved. Previous Post 9 Training Techniques to Help You Ride Faster. Next Post Inside the coach-athlete relationship: A live coaching call. Reviews Customer Images Related Plans.

You can see the three plates here. On the easy training plate, vegetables and fruits take up half the plate. Grains and fats are good options, along with subtler tweaks. For example, the easy training plate includes only fresh fruit; the moderate and hard plates add stewed and dried fruits.

In practice, that means cutting way back on fiber for a few days. Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in Britain tested this approach in a study published earlier this year.

They had 19 volunteers cut back from their typical 30 grams of daily fiber to less than 10 for four straight days, while maintaining the same overall calorie content and macronutrient distribution in each meal. The result: average weight loss of 1. There are other reasons you might be interested in a pre-race low-residue diet.

She noted four relevant and evidence-backed ergogenic aids for track athletes: beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, creatine, and caffeine. Only the last one has been shown to reliably work for long-distance events. She also noted some key parameters to monitor on an ongoing basis: vitamin D, vitamin B12—and iron.

Yes, this message surprised me—but read on to see what she meant. One of the big trends in sports nutrition over the past decade has been the idea that, instead of just eating the same things every day, you should adjust your intake to match your expenditures.

Olympic Committee that offers visual guidance for how you might eat during periods of light, moderate, and heavy training.

You can see the three plates here. On the easy training plate, vegetables and fruits take up half the plate. Grains and fats are good options, along with subtler tweaks.

For example, the easy training plate includes only fresh fruit; the moderate and hard plates add stewed and dried fruits. In practice, that means cutting way back on fiber for a few days. Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in Britain tested this approach in a study published earlier this year.

They had 19 volunteers cut back from their typical 30 grams of daily fiber to less than 10 for four straight days, while maintaining the same overall calorie content and macronutrient distribution in each meal. The result: average weight loss of 1. There are other reasons you might be interested in a pre-race low-residue diet.

Your diet can determine how long you can go without fatigue. Some foods help with endurance, while others may be detrimental.

An endurance athlete would likely consume less than a bodybuilder competing in the Olympics, striving for specific muscle growth and physique. However, compared to the average leisure athlete, endurance athletes unquestionably require more protein.

This is because the body experiences more inflammation and tissue damage from all that training. In addition, endurance athletes often train for longer periods of time and more intensely than the ordinary athlete, necessitating a higher protein intake for immune system health, tissue repair, and general recovery.

Additionally, consuming more protein will increase satiety and help prevent overeating of carbohydrates, which can easily occur if there is insufficient protein intake.

Carbohydrates are sugars and starches that power our bodies, similar to how gasoline fuels a race car. Carbohydrates provide about four calories of energy per gram. The human body stores carbs as glycogen in our muscles and liver.

This stored glycogen is necessary for us to maintain blood sugar stability and enable optimum muscular performance.

The intake of carbs is crucial during long running attempts as they prevent depletion and the ensuing dizziness due to severe muscle exhaustion. This little glycogen can provide one with the energy required to run for about two hours at a moderate intensity.

Inadequate hydration during a long run can significantly affect health and performance because water is the medium for all metabolic activity. In addition, it aids in lubricating our muscles and joints and regulates our core body temperature.

Therefore, athletes must determine their sweat rate and the resulting hydration requirements. You'll most likely need to consume more electrolytes sodium, potassium, and magnesium than you usually would during prolonged endurance training and events.

Iron, copper, vitamin A, B6, B9, and B12 all play a crucial role in the production of red blood cells and oxygen transport. Therefore, it is important to regularly include these nutrients in the diets of endurance athletes to support optimal performance.

There are three foods that can serve as excellent supplements for endurance athletes, promoting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to maximize performance:. Iron comes in two forms: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron, found in meat, is better absorbed by the body compared to non-heme iron from plant-based sources.

Therefore, consuming meat enhances the availability of haemoglobin production, the protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen around the body. Among various red meats, liver stands out as significantly richer in micronutrients that contribute to the production of red blood cells and haemoglobin See table below.

Including one to two servings of liver per week is an effective way to supply your body with these essential nutrients and promote energy metabolism. Dark leafy green vegetables, such as kale, are excellent sources of non-heme iron and other nutrients crucial for red blood cell production.

While heme iron-rich foods are more readily absorbed by the body, individuals who do not consume meat or fish, such as vegetarians, must include alternative food sources in sufficient amounts to meet their endurance sports nutrition needs.

Kale is an excellent option that should be regularly incorporated into your weekly meals. It is rich in vitamins A and B6, copper, and can provide a protein boost with just 50kcal per g.

Additionally, kale is a great source of vitamin C, which enhances the absorption of non-heme iron. Beetroot has gained popularity as a food that enhances performance. Nitrates present in foods like beetroot have been strongly linked to improved endurance performance, particularly in the form of juice or highly concentrated shots.

This is because beetroots are naturally rich in nitrates, which are converted into the signalling molecule nitric oxide. Nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator, allowing for a more efficient delivery of oxygen to the working muscles. Apart from its role in enhancing blood flow, beetroot contains other nutrients that support healthy blood cell production.

It is also a great source of vitamin B9, copper, and various other nutrients. Notably, both the root and leaves of beetroot offer similar nutritional properties to kale, including iron, vitamins A, and C.

In addition to these specific foods, there are a few essential supplements that endurance athletes should consider:. A lack of iron in your diet can result in reduced red blood cell count, and iron deficiency anaemia, potentially causing, fatigue, lack of energy, and poor athletic performance.

Red meat is a rich source of heme iron, which is more easily absorbed, while plant-based sources like beans, nuts, dried fruits, spinach, and broccoli contain non-heme iron. However, indiscriminate use can lead to risks like toxicity and adverse effects. Individualised testing is necessary to assess iron status and determine the need for supplementation.

A well-balanced diet with iron-rich foods is generally recommended. Before taking any iron supplements, it is recommended to consult with your doctor. This vitamin boosts the immune system, protects against infections, and enhances iron absorption. However, excessive intake through supplementation can have limited benefits and potential risks.