Fueling up

Getting the most out of your body during training and competition requires that you pay attention to what you put into your body while it’s active. The body simply can not operate at its peak unless it is well hydrated and properly fueled. Here are a few basics to get you started

Carbohydrates
In order for your body to perform at it's best, you need to fuel your body properly. And regardless of your sport, carbohydrates are the bodies preferred choice of fuel.  High carbohydrate foods enhance stamina, and prevent fatigue.

To top off muscle fuel stores consume a high carbohydrate meal 2-4 hours before your competition or work out. Follow that up with a high carb snack 1-2 hours before. If you have an early morning start consume the high carb meal the night before and the high carb snack 1-2 hours before.

The intensity and duration of some events, such as triathlons, requires carbohydrate loading to achieve extra stores of muscle fuel. To effectively carbo-load, consume 4.6 grams of carbs per pound (10 grams per kg) of total body weight, two to four days before competing. 

During exercise a carbohydrate intake of 30–60 grams per hour is the standard recommendation, however, according to just-published research, the new state-of-the-art for refueling during exercise is a 2:1 mixture of glucose and fructose.  

Fats
Fat intake is extremely important. A low to moderate intake of fat helps your body obtain peak performance. But, the right kind of fat intake is critical. Avoid saturated fat. Use monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower and safflower oil. Foods that include good fats are avocado, fish and macadamia nuts, peanut butter, and other assorted nuts. 

Protein
Many athletes do not get enough protein. If you are under heavy training, you may need more protein. You should have 2 to 3 three servings a day. Lean meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are good sources. Beans and nuts are great non-animal sources for protein.

Hydration

For pre-exercise hydration consume fluids with meals and snacks, drink 14-20 ounces(400-600 ml) of fluid, 2-3 hours before your event.

Sports medicine guidelines recommend that you tailor your fluid intake during exercise to your sweat rate. Calculate your sweat rate in a variety of temperature and humidity conditions. That way, you’ll have a hydration plan for virtually any situation that you’re likely to encounter.

The Sweat Rate Test

• Weigh yourself nude before working out. Use an accurate scale, preferably one that measures a few decimal places without rounding up or down.
• Complete your workout, making sure to keep track of how much fluid you consume during it.
• Weigh yourself again after the workout, once again nude. Subtract this number from how much you weighed before the workout, giving you the amount that you lost during the workout. Convert the amount of weight loss into ounces. (For example, if you lost 1 pound during the workout, that converts to 16 ounces.)
• Add up any liquid you consumed during the workout. For example, if you lost 2 pounds (32 ounces) but drank 16 ounces, that means you only really lost 1 pound. If you did not drink anything during the workout, skip this step.
• Convert the number of ounces you lost into how many you would have lost in an hour of workout. For example, if you only worked out for 30 minutes and lost 1 pound, multiply that by 2 to calculate how much you would have lost had you worked out for a full hour. This is your sweat rate, and shows how much liquid you are losing during a workout.

A small net loss of fluid is fine, but too large of a loss will hamper your ability to exercise. Avoid gaining weight during exercise, as this is a sign that you’ve consumed too much fluid. Also, try not to lose any more than 2% of your total body weight during exercise (3 lbs for someone weighing 150 lbs, or about 1.4 kg for someone weighing 68 kg). The 5 lbs (2.3 kg) that you lose during a workout is not fat. It’s fluid, it’s due to sweating, and it’s impairing your ability to exercise. Weigh yourself before and after exercise to see if you’ve stayed within your 0%–2% hydration zone, and adjust your fluid intake up or down accordingly. If you consistently fall far short of staying hydrated, gradually increase your fluid intake during exercise.

For exercise of less than an hour’s duration in moderate temperature conditions, plain water is just fine.

For exercise lasting an hour or more, or for any amount of exercise in heat/humidity, a sports drink that contains sodium along with carbs is a much better option than plain water. There are a number of electrolytes, or dissolved minerals, found in sweat, but sodium is the most important one, and it should be replaced during exercise, just like fluids, in order to achieve optimal hydration. A well-designed energy gel taken with water can substitute for a sports drink, but make sure that your gel provides a quantity of sodium comparable to your sports drink. 

At intensity, it is impossible to match your [fluid and calorie] intake to your body's expenditure. The body only has a finite capacity to absorb carbohydrates; thus, you can only take in so much before the body can't absorb any more. The result of over-intake of carbs is what leads to GI distress. By using a power meter and observing the kilojoules you expend, you can get a fairly accurate measure of calories you are burning. This is due to the fact that, while cycling, there is very close to a 1:1 ratio of calories needed to kilojoules expended, according to Neal Henderson, director of sports science at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado.

 Here are a few nutrition tips for racing and long training rides:

• Pack more gels and/or energy bars than you think you'll need. You may drop some or may have a craving for one over the other.
• Try/test different fuel/hydration systems during training. If a system is hard to use or unreliable, you won't use it as frequently as you should.
• Determine how much to carry and how much to get from aid stations. Depending upon what's being served on course, you will want to carry more or less food with you; however, note that most races feature well-stocked aid stations, so don't load yourself down unnecessarily.
• Know what is at the aid stations and where they are located.
• Base nutrition intake on time not on mile markers; set your watch to remind you to drink on schedule. Try to take in eight ounces every 15 minutes and close to one gel or half a bar per hour.
• Mark your bottles accordingly so you know how much you're drinking. For example, measure out eight ounces and then mark 8 oz. increments on your bottles to help keep your nutrition plan on track.
• Drink intermittently when your pace is steady.
• Practice all nutrition and hydration strategies and techniques during training.

Be safe. Train smart!!!