Lettuce Talk Nutrition

Nutrition plays a crucial role in performance and overall health. For endurance athletes, the right balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are essential for optimizing training, preventing injury, and enhancing recovery. Search for “nutrition recommendations” online though, and you’re going to find a wide range of guidelines, many of which are not focused on the unique needs of athletes. But have no fear, for this blog post is here (in partnership with FuelFood.io!) to provide you with the guidance needed to dial in your own nutrition plan.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a primary fuel source for endurance athletes. To maintain glycogen stores and fuel training sessions, recommendations suggest athletes consume 3-12 g per kg of body weight per day (or 1.4-5.5 g per lb of body weight per day)(1). This is a very large range and reflects the differences observed with training and racing – recovery days require the lower levels of carbohydrate while long race days require the higher levels.

During exercise, consuming carbohydrate can prevent the dreaded bonk, but intakes should vary depending on the duration (1). In general, there is no need to eat carbohydrate during exercise that lasts an hour or less. For training or racing durations up to 2.5hrs, consuming 30-60g/hr is beneficial. As duration extends beyond 2.5hrs, consuming up to 90g/hr is recommended. A great visualization for these fueling recommendations can be found HERE.

To complicate things a little, there are different types of carbohydrate, and these different types can have a significant impact on performance. Fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate, which is beneficial for overall health as it keeps the gastrointestinal (GI) tract healthy, lowers cholesterol, and feeds beneficial gut bacteria (2). While fiber should be included in your diet, high fiber foods should be avoided just prior to exercise as they can cause GI distress. Instead, when looking for fast fuel (e.g., immediately before, during, or after exercise), focus on consuming simple carbohydrates because they are quicker and easier to digest.

Protein

Proteins play a critical role in muscle repair and recovery. In addition, protein helps you feel full/satiated after a meal (3), which is beneficial in keeping you from getting hangry during the day. Recommendations suggest athletes consume 1.2-2.0 g per kg of body weight per day (or 0.5-0.9 g per lb of body weight per day) (1,4). Again, the recommendations vary with higher intakes suggested for higher intensity training/racing or when working to lose weight.

In general, protein ingestion during endurance exercise is not considered an ergogenic aid (5). Rather, the focus is on consuming protein post-exercise to enhance the recovery process. Post-exercise, recommendations suggest consuming 0.25-0.30g per kg of body weight (or 0.11-0.14g per lb of body weight) (1,6), although this is a broad recommendation and less protein is typically needed following easier workouts. Of note, consuming protein along with carbohydrate after exercise can enhance the replenishment of muscle glycogen stores (1,6).  

Fat

While fat has traditionally gotten a bad rap, it is another great fuel source that is also essential because it’s needed in cell membranes and helps you absorb fat soluble nutrients (like vitamin D). Unlike carbohydrate and protein, there are not gram recommendations for fat. Instead, recommendations suggest athletes aim to meet the carbohydrate and protein targets and then let fat make up the rest of the caloric intake needed to maintain body weight (4). That being said, fat should not be less than 20% of daily calories since lower levels of fat intake are associated with health consequences (1,4,6).

Vitamins and Minerals

There are no athlete-specific recommendations for vitamins or minerals as athletes typically do not have unique needs compared to the general population (7). However, there are some micronutrients that athletes should ensure they are getting in adequate amounts as they are particularly related to performance, health, and injury prevention. These include calcium (1,000-1,300 mg/d), vitamin D (15-20 μg/d), iron (8-18 mg/d), and folate (300-400 μg/d). The National Institutes of Health has more detailed tables with recommended intakes for these and other vitamins and minerals.

Of note, there is a belief that athletes need greater amounts of antioxidants in their diet due to the greater production of oxidants during exercise. However, research actually suggests chronic intake of antioxidant supplements can hurt performance (8,9). This is because the body needs to experience some damage to signal that it needs to build back stronger. That doesn't mean you should avoid antioxidants all together though, because they are still crucial for general health. Instead, skip the antioxidant supplements and aim for a balanced diet that naturally includes foods with antioxidants (1).

Caveats About Guidelines

It is important to recognize that the above recommendations are general guidelines and individual needs will vary. In particular, most of the research that forms the basis for athlete carbohydrate recommendations was conducted on men and may not reflect the optimal nutrition strategy for women (10). New research is being conducted and new recommendations may follow.

Additionally, the guidelines may be something that you need to work up to. For example, jumping up from eating nothing during exercise to eating 90g of carbohydrate per hour can cause GI distress. There is evidence though that it is possible to train your GI tract to handle higher levels of carbohydrate (11), so slowly working up to the higher levels is recommended.

FuelFood

To help you meet your nutritional needs, we’re happy to announce a partnership with FuelFood.io – the brainchild of Catalyst athlete Logan and coach Jim. FuelFood is an app that syncs with your training plan to create meal plans that meet the above nutrition recommendations for athletes. Nutrition targets and meals are all customizable so if needed, you can adjust things to fit your unique nutritional needs and still get meals you’ll love. To top it off, you can even have groceries delivered when you’re too busy or tired to get to the store. So, if you struggle with getting the right nutrition, or you’re just looking for some new delicious and healthy recipes, be sure to check out this great nutrition planning tool HERE!

To Conclude

When it comes to improving fitness, many athletes focus primarily on training while ignoring another key determinant – nutrition. The nutritional needs of athletes can be unique but utilizing the above recommendations and/or using FuelFood.io can help you dial in an effective nutrition plan. To find what works best for you, test out different nutrition strategies and foods. However, when testing things out, be sure it’s during training so that you don’t ruin a race day. And remember, the best way to ensure you are getting the nutrition you need is by having a nutrition plan, just like having a training plan ensures you get the most out of training. Thanks for reading!