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Pre-Training Fueling
By Organic Performance
July 2008
When it comes to properly fueling ones body for training and racing, timing is everything. In fact, it’s an adage one could, in some ways, live their life by. Trying to combine a busy work life, with family, social interests, and the workload of training for endurance events can be challenging enough. Then add in the specificity of sports nutrition along with the structure of timing that nutrient intake and the whole thing can look very foreboding. But, the exact structure and specificity is what you should use to rely on to help simplifies the process.
Training and racing has its own set of nutritional requirements that should be looked at individually and then incorporated into your overall food intake. Understanding that the caloric expenditure of your workouts can begin to be supplemented prior to actually beginning will go a long way in preventing injuries, maintaining hydration levels, and providing the body with the fuel source it needs to initiate and sustain a certain intensity level over time. This is done with both nutrients and fluids and actually begins with your post-training replenishment. If your body is to adequately use the fuel provided before a workout than it needs to be in an optimally recovered state first. Otherwise, your body will just use your pre-training nutrients to help repair and replenish itself from the last session leaving you and your body in a perpetually depleted state that will, ultimately, end in injury and poor performance.
Most folks have their own pre-race food ritual and provided that is working, its not something to change. However, there are some guidelines that one can follow to help with their pre-training fueling that are fairly ubiquitous. As we know, the endurance diet is based upon 55%-60% Carbs, 20%-25% Fats, and 10%-15% Protein. Fueling, in general, will also follow these guidelines. Most studies suggest the intake be based primarily in complex carbohydrates because they are easy to digest and will provide the body with a sustained form of energy and not the rise and fall that simple sugars give. These complex carbs should, ideally, come from a whole food source leaving any pre-packaged fueling products for time spent during exercise. Keep in mind though that a well thought plan and commitment could completely exclude any and all processed fueling products.
Protein and fats, especially unhealthy saturated ones, should be kept at a minimum for pre-training consumption. Although protein is an important component to your fuel it should be viewed as an aid to your carbohydrates because it will help carry carbs into the muscles and itself is a minor source of energy. It becomes more important during your post-training fueling for its ability to help in repair and recovery of muscles. During training studies have shown that a ratio of 4:1 carbs:protein to be optimal. Fats are an important part of an athlete’s diet provided one makes the proper choices. Avoiding saturated fats, those that are solid at room temperature (with the exception of coconut), is crucial as is consuming those fats that are deemed ‘essential’ because our bodies do not produce them. These fats help with inflammation, joint functioning, heart disease, high cholesterol as well as maintaining an overall healthy diet. These fats also work in tandem with carbohydrates in that they help the body ‘burn’ or use them for energy. Consuming saturated fats will slow down the digestive system and will disrupt the bodies ability to properly process nutrients needed for exercise and life.
So, how does all of this get executed as a successful plan that will support your athletic endeavors? First, one needs to determine their overall caloric requirement based upon their age, weight and activity level. This can be done using any of the online calculators via the internet. Once this is done it is important to have an understanding as to what your caloric requirements, intensity and duration are going to be for your exercise session (Fueling while racing and training is next month). Using and maintaining this information within a training log will really help you dial in what your needs will be. Ideally, the pre-training meal should happen three to fours hours prior to its beginning and consist of 300-500 calories depending on your body type. A good guideline is to consume .5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight. This will give your body time to digest the bulk of this without creating gastrointestinal distress while exercising.
The 30 minutes prior to beginning your session is when you can begin to consume your fuel. This should be combined with a liquid source, preferably water, and contain electrolytes. In addition, one should also consume a small amount of an easily digestible carbohydrate. All of this can be done with a sports drink that has a 6%-8% solution of carbs as well as a full complex of electrolytes and not just sodium. It is also important to cho0se a product that has no fillers, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, sugar, or any other ingredients that are highly processed and are hard for the body to digest.
Pre-training fueling can be fairly simple if you include it into your daily nutrition plan. Most people know when they are working and when they have time to train. By creating a schedule on paper and including eating times one can easily execute the proper fueling prior to training.
For more information or questions visit: www.organicperformance.com
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