Early intake of amino acids within one hour post-event from good quality protein foods helps to promote protein rebuilding and initiates the recovery phase when muscle breakdown decreases and muscle repair increases, which lasts for about 24 hours.

Inadequate protein intake hinders the recovery process resulting in prolonged muscle soreness DOMS for days , fatigue, delayed ability to return to training, and increased injury risk. AIS recommends refuelling with real food rather than protein powders and other sports supplements.

Insufficient dietary sodium causes muscle cramps, inability to properly hydrate and restore electrolyte balance post-event and it also leads to increased risk of hyponatremia.

Iron is a key factor in aerobic capacity and iron deficiency, even without anaemia, can impair endurance performance. Iron is lost not only through sweat but also via gastrointestinal bleeding and due to haemolysis red blood cell damage caused by impact of each foot strike when running.

Furthermore, the ability to absorb iron is reduced after endurance event as a result of hormonal regulation. The best way to replace iron in this case is through animal foods as the animal haem iron is better absorbed than non-haem iron at the best of times.

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Picking up? Select store. Need it fast? Eating macros in proper ratios fuel your endurance. Healthy adult eating includes ratios of:. Adjust these ratios based on the goal of the physical activity. For example, an endurance athlete would increase their carb percentage to improve muscle glycogen stores.

A strength athlete would consume a higher protein intake. This would better support building more muscle mass. Carbs come in different forms.

Two to know are simple and complex carbs. Simple carbs , also known as simple sugars, have one to two sugar molecules. These include glucose, dextrose, or fructose. Simple carbs break down quickly in the body.

Foods with simple sugars include fruits, milk, vegetables, table sugar, candy, and soft drinks. They supply energy but lack fiber, vitamins, and other key nutrients. Complex carbs have three or more sugar molecules. You'll find these in foods like beans, whole grains, whole-wheat pasta, potatoes, corn, and legumes.

So, which kind of carbohydrate should you consume? Most carbs should come from complex sources and naturally occurring sugars. Processed carbs and refined sugars should be limited or avoided. How many carbs should endurance athletes eat? There will be some differences based on the type and duration of training.

This helps support the high volume of glucose needed for that level of physical activity. Each carb has 4 calories per gram. Endurance athletes should eat 8 to 10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram kg of body weight per day.

This will depend on the duration of their endurance event. For endurance training lasting 4 to 5 hours, endurance athletes should consume 10 grams per kilogram of body weight.

For example, an endurance runner who weighs 70 kg and competes in an endurance event lasting 4 hours or more should consume a minimum of grams of carbohydrate daily.

In comparison, a power athlete would consume fewer carbs around 4 to 5 grams per kilogram of body weight. A power athlete's focus would be more so to increase protein intake. Many people focus only on carbs for endurance exercise. However, protein intake for endurance athletes is equally important.

The purpose of protein is to build and replenish lean muscle tissue. Protein also acts as a source of energy in times of caloric deficits. Animal-based protein, as the name implies, is protein that comes from animals.

This type of protein is considered a complete protein. It is complete because it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Animal-based protein sources include:. Plant-based protein is protein that comes from plants. Plant-based protein is considered an incomplete protein. This isn't to say it is bad, it just doesn't have all essential amino acids.

Plant-based protein sources include:. Protein has 4 calories per gram. How much protein do you need to eat? Protein intake for a normal healthy adult is around 0.

Endurance athletes should eat protein at 1. Athletes taking part in longer endurance events need more protein than those running shorter distances. For example, endurance athletes weighing 70 kg would need to consume 98 grams of protein daily to support their endurance exercise.

Athletes who take part in strength or power sports will consume up to 2. Endurance athletes on a plant-based diet will have an increased protein requirement.

This is due to a plant-based diet consisting of incomplete proteins. Endurance athletes need healthy fats in their diet. Supply two fatty acids the body can't manufacture linoleic acid and linolenic acid.

There are many types of fat, some good and some not. The most significant types are triglycerides, fatty acids, phospholipids, and cholesterol. Of these, triglycerides are most commonly found in food. Carbohydrates provide a clear performance benefit for endurance athletes.

However, sometimes these can result in gastrointestinal problems. By practising race day nutrition strategies we can reduce the risk of of gastrointestinal problems, enhance the ability of our gut to absorb these key nutrients and enhance endurance exercise performance.

Home Nutrition For Endurance Athletes. Nutrition for Endurance Articles Nutrition is a key component of success in endurance sports.

Nutrition For Endurance Articles Endurance Nutrition Basics Endurance sport is physically challenging, placing unique stresses on our body, and increasing our nutritional requirements for key nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Carbohydrate Carbo Loading Carbo loading, is a process where endurance athletes deliberately increase carbohydrate intake, in the build up to key endurance races.

Carbs During Exercise Consuming energy gels, during endurance events, is now common practice. Carbs After Exercise Consuming carbs after exercise, is a sure fire way to replenish valuable stores of muscle glycogen and speed recovery.

Muscle glycogen represents the major source of carbohydrate storage in the body, followed by the liver and then blood glucose. Although muscle glycogen is the predominant fuel source for training, blood glucose is also an important source of fuel as muscle glycogen stores decrease.

Although the primary fuel sources utilized during exercise are carbohydrates and fats, the consumption of dietary protein at the conclusion of your workout can optimize your fitness and body composition by simulating muscle protein synthesis.

Although there is an advantage to immediate post-workout refueling, your recovery window is actually open for 24 hours. What you eat post-workout should contribute to your daily carbohydrate, protein, and caloric needs, assisting in appetite control, while keeping your energy levels high throughout the day.

In other words, no need to count your macros in your post-workout meal to get your recovery nutrition just right. Whenever possible, choose real food over bars and powders. Your main priority is to eat a healthy, well-balanced meal or snack after your workout is complete.

Start consuming carbohydrates and protein immediately post-workout. Your recovery nutrition should be viewed as additional calories on top of your daily energy intake needs to support your active lifestyle.

After an intense workout, look for a three-to-one ratio of carbs to protein, or closer to a two-to-one ratio if your goal is weight loss, says Hill. You can calculate your target amount of protein in grams by dividing your bodyweight in kilograms in half.

Then, multiple that figure by two or three to get your carbohydrate value in grams, Hill explains. For example, with the three-to-one ratio, someone who weighs pounds 68 kilograms would have a target protein goal of 30 to 35 grams and a target carbohydrate goal of 90 to grams.

Keep in mind this guidance applies only to intense workouts—the type that leave you sweaty, tired, and potentially sore the next day. Last tip: Pay attention to timing. Women should aim to eat their protein amount within 30 minutes of a workout. Women can eat their carbs alongside the protein, or eat the carbs separately up to two hours after the workout.

Need some inspiration for your next post workout meal? We tapped two-time Olympic mountain biker Davison and four other elite athletes to learn what they typically feast on after a tough training session.

Pro snowboarder and Olympic silver medalist Julia Marino usually gravitates towards a smoothie with a mixture of frozen fruit, coconut milk, yogurt, and protein powder.

Her concoction often features a mix of frozen fruits and veggies like banana, pineapple, blueberries and spinach , along with cinnamon, chia seeds, almond milk, almond butter, and sometimes whey protein.

Hill, the nutritionist, endorses these types of smoothies as a great way to get antioxidants, hydration, and protein following a workout. During cold months, Davison frequently refuels with a fruit smoothie, similar to the ones described above.

But after a long ride on hot days, she favors a DIY slushie: She blends a scoop of unflavored protein powder with lemonade and frozen, locally-picked strawberries. Adidas-sponsored athlete Chris Nikic , who in October became the first person with Down syndrome to finish the Ironman World Championship, is a Chipotle devotee.

It provides protein, lots of carbs—including both easy-to-digest simple carbs from the white rice and satiating fiber-rich carbs from the brown rice—as well as antioxidants from the veggies. When it comes to post exercise fueling, Dylan Bowman is a creature of habit.

For years now, the professional trail runner has consumed the same recovery meal pretty much every day. This meal hits the big components, says Hill: protein with the eggs, healthy fat with the avocado, and carbohydrates with the toast. If you need more calories depending on the intensity of your workout, Hill recommends either increasing the portion sizes or pairing the meal alongside something else, like oatmeal with berries and honey.

something she can chew, not just sip she whips up eggs fried over medium with toast, or concocts egg tacos with cheddar cheese, salsa, scrambled eggs, and corn tortillas. The salsa adds antioxidants.