Fueling your body with nutrient-dense foods and eating the right foods at the right times is essential to preparing your body for endurance training. When training for an event, nutrition is frequently overlooked. This happens because the main focus is placed on physical training, nutrition is widely ignored. However, nutrition plays a vital role because, how well your body performs ultimately depends on how well it is nourished.
Here are 5 nutrition tips for endurance athletes:
1. The Role of Healthy Fats in Exercise Recovery
Many athletes are preoccupied with how much carbs and protein to include in their diet; fat is frequently overlooked. However, fats also play an important role in exercise recovery. Fat is an excellent energy source and can help you maintain your ideal weight. If you don’t add enough fat to your diet, you may risk losing too much weight and not maintaining adequate energy levels for your endurance training.
You should consume healthy fats, as always encouraged through the sports blog. Ensure that you get enough essential fatty acids and fat to aid in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins in your diet. Wild-caught salmon, walnuts, flax, and chia seeds are excellent sources of essential fatty acids.
2. Know How to Eat to Fuel Training
Knowing what foods to eat and when to eat them is essential to fuel your body before training properly. Endurance athletes tend to deplete glycogen stores. Glycogen is glucose that the body stores (most notably in the liver and muscles) for later use when it is not needed immediately.
What you eat before training significantly impacts how well you perform and how long you can maintain your energy. Endurance athletes should hydrate properly and eat a carbohydrate-rich meal a few hours before training or an event. These carbohydrates will assist in replenishing glycogen stores and maintaining stable blood sugar levels prior to exercise. Consume 0.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight as a general rule of thumb.
3. Maintain a Healthy Diet
There are best supplements available for endurance athletes to meet their nutritional requirements. But these are not needed if endurance athletes maintain their energy levels and ideal weight by eating a diverse range of whole foods. On the other hand, athletes who restrict their diets or do not eat enough variety may require vitamin and mineral supplements to help their bodies function optimally.
Keep in mind that food should always come first before any supplement because the vitamins and minerals from food sources will be better absorbed and utilized than if you only used supplements.
4. Keep yourself hydrate
Water is as essential as food, and proper hydration is required for optimal athletic performance. It is recommended that you drink at least two cups of fluid before beginning your workout and 120 ml every 15 minutes during your workout. Create a personal hydration plan and set reminders on your phone to keep track of your fluid intake. The best options for staying hydrated during training:
- Smoothies made with low-fat milk or yoghurt and water
- Juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables with no added sugar
5. Enjoy Endurance Training Superfoods
Superfoods can be an excellent addition to any healthy diet. Eating certain foods during training and after an athletic event or on race day can significantly improve exercise performance.
Nuts, flax and chia seeds, avocados, dates, coconut, bananas, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and rolled oats are highly nutrient-dense. They can provide energy and essential vitamins and minerals to the body.
Last thoughts
The bottom line is that nutrition is essential in a big way. Your overall athletic performance will be determined by how well your body is fueled, so prioritize quality and remember to fuel and refuel as needed. Hydration is also essential, so stay hydrated to support better performance and endurance. Follow these 5 nutrition tips to improve your endurance training and feel your best during and after your workout!
Thank you for reading!