Four guidelines for fueling your endurance training
By Scott K. Ferguson, Ph.D. | Co-Founder and Head Coach
Ever notice how many types of gels and energy bars are on the shelves at supermarkets these days? There is no shortage of sports nutrition companies vying for your hard-earned dollar, but what's the best way to put these products to work and maximize your performance? As with many things, the answer varies depending on your current training goals and the type of exercise you are performing. It also matters whether you are out for a short training session or you're going on a multi-day backpacking trip. Many recreational athletes wait to eat during longer training sessions only to find themselves in a hole with heavy legs later in the day. This can severely impact your ability to complete the session and may play a negative role in your long term progress towards your goals. Here are four general guidelines to keep in mind when packing and consuming nutrition during your training sessions.
Duration: How long is your training session?
Generally speaking, any sessions over 45 minutes should include some additional calories and hydration, but it's not absolutely necessary. From a practical perspective, if I'm headed out for a one hour run, I'm not likely bringing any food or water with me (assuming I'm coming into the session well-fueled and hydrated). For anything 1-3 hours long, I'm bringing a couple of carbohydrate-dense sports bars and maybe a carbohydrate gel or two and will start by consuming the bars approximately every 40 minutes during the session. The gels offer a quick hit of glucose and, once started, will need to be topped up about every 20-30 minutes after they are first consumed. Because of this, wait to consume energy gels until later in the session or when your stomach can no longer tolerate solid food.
Intensity: How hard will you be pushing during the session?
Higher intensity sessions will rapidly torch through the glycogen stores in your muscles and will need to be replenished with carbohydrates to optimize performance for the next session. Fortunately, most higher intensity sessions are rarely coupled with long durations as this can quickly result in exhaustion and overtraining if performed repeatedly. High-intensity sessions include hill-sprints, cruise-intervals, and stride repeats. If you're going into these sessions well-fueled (e.g., having eaten within the last two hours) and hydrated, leave the nutrition bars and gels at home.
On big days start with real food
For longer lower intensity events like a back-country hunt or Alpine touring ski session, start with solid food that your body is familiar with and can tolerate. Small meals like sandwiches (a PB&J is one of my favorites) and dried fruits and nuts work great if you're not pushed for time or trying to set a new course PR. Skiers love their burritos, and these are great if you are used to eating these during a day on the slopes, but don't overdo it on the spice or size of your burrito. It only takes one time eating too much or the wrong food to teach you a lesson about what you can and can't get away with in the backcountry. If you're not sure what foods you can tolerate, experiment with a conservative approach on training sessions lasting two or more hours where the consequences are minimal. Don't head into the backcountry for your fall elk hunt with a backpack full of those new spicy meatsticks your brother-in-law gave you to try last week...it's not likely to end well.
Transition from real food to bars and finally to gels
Events like ultra-marathons are often referred to as eating competitions with some running. Athletes that can maintain a reasonable pace and keep their bodies fueled throughout the event are the ones who finish on top. You won't be able to hammer things like pizza or other large meals all day. When you find it hard to keep shoveling in the real food, switch to calorie-rich bars or other carbohydrate snacks that are easy to consume. Again, consuming these every 30-45 minutes is key to keeping your muscles fueled and avoiding the bonk. Once you can't take another bar, its time to move to the gels and keep them coming until the end of the event. Gels are like an octane booster and will elevate blood glucose quickly but do not last long. Do not start the day with a gel and then try to switch back to solid food as this might spike your glucose causing a release of insulin and a subsequent crash of your blood sugar. I've seen athletes throwing down a gel before the start of a race. Don't be that guy/gal. Save those until the tail-end of your event.
In summary
For sessions over 1 hour, consume carbohydrates every 30-45 minutes.
Don't worry about consuming bars or gels during high-intensity sessions of shorter duration (typically <45 minutes). However, be sure to fuel post-exercise.
Real food is key for longer days. Test your meals during training to avoid gastrointestinal distress during your main event. Bringing some TP on your weekly long-run may be a good idea during these periods of delicate experimentation.
For long and fast days (like a trail-race), start with real food and then move to the energy bars and gels later on.
Keep in mind that these are just guidelines and there are many caveats to what I've outlined above. Things like carbohydrate cycling and other diet manipulation will alter how you should approach your fueling during and after your training sessions. If you have a specific question about your training, drop us a comment below or reach out to us on our Instagram @summationathletics.
