Be very mindful that hyponatremia is a real risk if you significantly overdrink. This article is a useful resource to look at to understand the topic in more detail. Image Credit: Jake Baggaley ©. Whilst having a flexible drinking plan and understanding your own requirements is a big part of the process, it's clear that the very best athletes become highly attuned to their own needs and manage intake very dynamically in longer endurance events.

This inevitably leads to the best outcomes when you become skilled at it and there's no real substitute for building up a large database of experience to get to this point. This article describes in detail how pro IRONMAN athlete Allan Hovda has been measuring his own data and is starting to reap the benefits.

For shorter activities under about minutes in duration , it's highly unlikely that even the heaviest, saltiest sweaters need to worry about sodium replacement too much in the context of a single session anyway.

When you get to durations of hours at a high intensity and in conditions that drive high sweat rates, sodium replacement can start to be important, especially for those with heavy losses. So, this is the kind of range to start experimenting in.

When stepping up to the really long stuff hours plus the differences in sodium loss really starts to tell and there's potentially quite a large divergence between people who still require very little exogenous sodium input to those whose intake levels need to be very high indeed.

That's based on me having both a high sweat rate 1. Image Credit: dryrobe ©. No decent exploration of hydration and nutrition intake for endurance athletes should gloss over the impact that pacing has on the equation.

It gets confusing because going too hard especially in the heat can lead to dramatically reduced blood flow to the gut this is reduced significantly during exercise of any level, but especially if you push too hard and can mean that you're unable to absorb calories and fluids at rates that you could normally tolerate.

The result is a bloated, uncomfortable stomach and it can become unclear whether this is the cause of a slow down or the other way around. To that end, it's always worth employing a conservative pacing strategy i. Image Credit: Phil Hill ©. Whilst this is not a particularly difficult process per se, it's one that requires trial, error and iteration to work out the ranges of each element that work for you at various durations, intensities and in environmental conditions.

There's a strong interplay between these 3 key factors that adds a potential layer of complexity to the process — if you get 1 or 2 of them way out of whack it can affect the absorption of the others. If you knuckle down and learn how to pull the levers effectively for yourself, it's a very straightforward way to start to make a positive impact on your performance.

Andy Blow is a Sports Scientist with a BSc Honours degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Bath. An expert in hydration, he has co-authored a number of scientific studies and books. He was once the Team Sports Scientist for the Benetton and Renault Formula 1 teams and remains an adviser to the Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone.

Andy has finished in the top 10 of IRONMAN and IRONMAN Subscribe Get performance advice emails. Get advice. Knowledge Hub. How to get your fueling and hydration strategy right for endurance performance By Andy Blow.

Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals This quote from American entrepreneur Jim Rohn was aimed at business people but struck a chord with me when thinking about fuelling for endurance athletes. So, what does that mean in practice?

Take the Quick Carb Calculator. Book a 1-to-1 video consultation. Andy Blow Founder and Sports Scientist. Was this article useful? Share this article Facebook. PF 30 Gel. PF 90 Gel. PF 30 Chew. With that said, try not to overthink it - just make sure not to skimp on the carbs and you will be in a good place!

Make sure you are getting enough protein through a variety of sources. What are examples of good protein sources? Lean meats, tofu, nuts, combining foods that have essential amino acids like beans and rice - this is a great way to get carbs too!

Remember: Athletes should get about 1. Do not avoid healthy fats. What are examples of healthy sources of fat? Avocado, nuts and seeds, olive oil. Snacks will keep you satiated throughout the day, and will help you have the energy you need for an afternoon practice.

Find a snack that works well for you, as this can be highly dependent on how you tolerate food prior to a bout of exercise. Eat some carbs and protein within an hour of your running or exercise. This will help you replenish your glycogen stores and help you recover more effectively.

What are some more examples of a post run snack? Banana and nut butter, Apple and trail mix, Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, Turkey sandwich on a whole grain bread with leafy greens. Limit sugary drinks, like juice and soda.

Err on the side of natural foods versus processed foods. Stay hydrated! Pre-race Guidelines. Find out what foods you can tolerate before a run during practice. Everyone is different, so it can take some experimenting on what foods work well for you. Focus more on carbohydrate intake over fat and protein on race, and limit high fiber foods.

Eat a carbohydrate e. Be sure to include some protein and some veggies too. And don't forget to hydrate! See above. Pre-race ideas:. Toast, banana and nut butter and water!

Bagel, nut butter, apple slices and water! Sandwich with chicken or turkey , fruit and water! Eggs, toast, orange slices and water! Further exploration:. What is ATP?

Human Metabolism and Nutrition, Part 1. Human Metabolism and Nutrition, Part 2. The Functions of Carbohydrates. Protein Metabolism During Exercise. Performance Nutrition for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald. Contact Coach Danielle if you want to borrow this book! Run Fast. Eat Slow.

Cook Fast. Sample recipe from this book series: Cool Beans. No Meat Athlete. Sampel recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto. The Happy Pear. Chia Seed Pudding. Curious about any of these books? Contact Coach Danielle and she can send you her favorite recipes from each! and continue to do so , and have fun.

And, starting now gives you a heads start after high school. You can impress all your friends with dishes when they are just learning how to boil water. top of page. Nutrition Endurance activities require continuous muscle contraction, which means the body requires constant production of ATP when running.

There are three macronutrients essential to running and recovery: Carbohydrate Fats Protein During exercise the body will use forms of carbohydrate, fats and protein.

Carbohydrate Carbohydrate intake is critical in ATP synthesis, cell repair and other functions within the body. During exercise: Drink 4 - 6 oz every 20 minutes or so, especially while on a long run or during vigorous exercise. After exercise: You will lose water during exercise and it's hard to predict how much, so try to drink 16 - 24oz when you get home from a running practice.

Additional hydration tips: Eating watery foods like fruits and veggies help with hydration too. Here are some strategies to help you replace electrolytes lost after exercise: Eating a variety of foods after you exercise, like a glass of milk calcium , a banana potassium and dried fruit magnesium or a salad filled with a variety of leafy greens, beans, veggies and fruits.

Pre-race Guidelines Find out what foods you can tolerate before a run during practice. See above Pre-race ideas: Toast, banana and nut butter and water! Human Metabolism and Nutrition, Part 1 Human Metabolism and Nutrition, Part 2 The Functions of Carbohydrates Protein Metabolism During Exercise NutritionFacts.

However, there are some ways to keep yourself replenished throughout a workout. First, Davis warns against overdoing it by pre-loading with salt before exercise, since many Americans eat too much salt anyway. In fact, 90 percent of Americans have too much sodium , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Higgins—who runs marathons himself and takes SaltStick Caps an hour into his runs, and every 30 minutes after that—says that keeping up that salt intake throughout an intense workout can help your performance. But replenishing after you exercise is important, too.

Salt is important for intense workouts or endurance athletes, but if you aren't drinking enough water in the first place, the salt won't be able to do its job. Higgins recommends drinking 16 ounces of water before your workout and sipping a few ounces every 15 minutes throughout.

The salt can come in handy here, too, essentially by making you thirstier so you drink more water. But be careful about how much salt you take in, as the body will only absorb what it needs, sending the rest to your bowels where, if you have too much, it could turn to diarrhea.

Salt pills or tablets with around milligrams of salt are a safe bet, Higgins says his favorites are milligrams. That's why Higgins especially stresses not to have salt before a typical, moderate workout of 30 minutes or so, as it could lead to stomach troubles.

Davis says it can be like dropping a salt bomb on your gut. The bottom line: Use salty candies or salt tablets for intense, endurance workouts , which is when you really need it. Any more than that and it could be like rubbing salt in the wound. Protein After A Workout Can Minimize Sore Muscles.

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If it's hot, try freezing your drinks overnight so they're still cold by the time you get to drink them. Do your homework and find out what and where fluids will be available during the competition so that you know what you need to take with you.

You may be able to place your own drink bottles out at these stations, or pack a "special needs bag" for yourself to pick up. Always pack at least one extra water bottle in case you lose or drop one and some easy-to-eat food such as honey or vegemite sandwiches, bananas, or a sports gel if you're able to eat.

Start your training session or event in a well hydrated state. Start drinking early and drink regularly throughout your event such as every mins. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that your gut will not absorb fluid as readily as the blood supply will get diverted from the stomach to the exercising muscles.

Keeping a small "bolus" of fluid in the stomach helps with absorption of the fluid. Shirreffs SM, Casa DJ, Carter R. Fluid needs for training and competition in athletics. IAAF Consensus Conference, Nutrition in Athletics. publication pending, J. Sports Sci.

Rehrer NJ. Fluid and electrolyte balance in ultra-endurance sport. Sports Med. Ebert TR, Martin DT, Bullock N, Mujika I, Quod MJ, Farthing LE, Burke LM, Withers RT. Influence of hydration status on thermoregulation and cycling hill climbing.

Sports Exerc. Montain SJ, Cheuvront SN, Sawka MN. Exericse-associated hyponatremia: quantitative analysis for understanding the aetiology. Cox GR, Desbrow B, Montgomery PG, Anderson ME, Bruce CR, Macrides TA, Martin DT, Moquin A, Roberts A, Hawley JA, Burke LM.

Effect of different protocols of caffeine intake on metabolism and endurance performance. Ganio M. Evidence-based approach to lingering hydration questions. HOW MUCH SHOULD I DRINK?

WHAT SHOULD I DRINK? WHAT HAPPENS IF I DRINK TOO MUCH? For more information, refer to the section on Hyponatraemia SIMPLE TIPS FOR HYDRATING WELL DURING ENDURANCE EVENT Manage training sessions effectively by ensuring adequate fluid intake.

Fluid and fuel intake during exercise. More Sports Hydration POWERADE AND THE SCIENCE OF HYDRATION. HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR PERSONAL SWEAT RATE.