Fueling well can be the make or break between a personal best and a personal worst. Here are some of the common mistakes people make that cost them in performance gains.
1.Not fueling before workouts
Think of our body as a car. If a car doesn’t have fuel it won’t be able to drive. The same applies to our bodies. Our bodies require fuel in order to perform at their best. Before a workout we want to be focusing on carbohydrates because carbohydrates are our bodies primary source of fuel during exercise. They should also be easily digestible and low in fiber to reduce potential gut discomfort during exercise and to make it easy for our body to get hold of that much needed energy quickly.
2. Avoiding carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are our bodies primary source of fuel- especially during exercise. Restricting them can negatively affect performance and overall recovery from training and exercise. Make sure to include them at all meals. Carbohydrates should be a staple part of our diet, especially when it comes to fueling sessions!
3. Not fueling longer sessions
Our bodies have limited amounts of stored carbohydrates. This means that after about 60-90 minutes, we need to start fueling our workouts to give our body the fuel it needs to perform. Small, frequent feeds are our friend and make it easy to give our body that intra-session fueling.
4. Forgetting about post-session recovery
Our bodies adapt to the training we have done during our recovery. This means that if we don’t recover well, we are also not getting stronger or faster. To optimise training load adaptation, we want to make sure to have a post-session recovery meal or snack. A general rule of thumb is to aim for a meal or snack with a carb to protein ratio of 3:2.
5. Trying new things on race day
Trying new things on race day has been the downfall of many. Whether it be a new nutrition product or new shoes or kit. Don’t try anything new on race day. You want to make sure that by the time race day comes along you have tried and tested everything you are using and that it works well for you.