What athletes eat and drink before and during competition can affect their performance, while their postcompetition meal has a greater impact on their recovery. If the time period between events is less than 24 hours, their recovery nutrition also influences performance in the next event or game. This chapter focuses on pre-, during-, and postcompetition nutrition while also providing guidelines for athletes who want to lose or gain weight. Additionally, discussions on weight are incomplete unless they include information on disordered eating and eating disorders. It is imperative that strength and conditioning professionals recognize signs and symptoms of eating disorders and take an active role in the treatment team.
Precompetition meals help provide fluid to maintain adequate hydration and carbohydrates to maximize blood glucose and stored glycogen levels while keeping hunger at bay. Glycogen is the main form of energy used during high-intensity exercise; once these stores become depleted, the athlete will experience muscular fatigue.
Athletes should consider the timing, meal composition, sport type, and their own preferences when planning precompetition nutrition. To minimize the potential for stomach upset, meals closer to the event should be smaller, with simpler foods. Precompetition meals and beverages should be familiar, low in fat to enhance digestion, and moderate in protein, which promotes longer-lasting satiety.
Athletes can choose between high- or low-glycemic carbohydrates before competition since research does not indicate one is more beneficial than the other. Though consuming carbohydrates that increase blood glucose rapidly (e.g., glucose) leads to a spike and subsequent drop in blood sugar, levels generally stabilize within 20 minutes, and this drop does not negatively affect performance.
Precompetition meals are especially important for aerobic endurance athletes who engage in long-duration activity, particularly in the morning after an overnight fast. Upon waking, blood sugar levels and liver glycogen stores are low, decreasing available carbohydrates for exercise. A precompetition meal can help restore these glycogen stores and improve exercise time to exhaustion.
A study examined whether a precompetition carbohydrate meal combined with a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink before and during exercise improved aerobic endurance capacity. The results indicated that a high-carbohydrate meal before exercise enhanced endurance running capacity by 9% compared to a placebo drink.
However, some endurance athletes who are not chronically adapted to a low-carbohydrate diet start exercise with depleted glycogen stores, leading to the breakdown of muscle protein for energy. A high-carbohydrate diet before exercise can mitigate muscle protein breakdown while providing energy for the immune and nervous systems.
To reduce the likelihood of gastrointestinal discomfort during competition, athletes should:
Carbohydrate loading helps increase muscle and liver glycogen stores to delay fatigue during long-duration aerobic exercise. Various methods exist, but all involve high carbohydrate intake leading up to an event. Studies show that carbohydrate loading increases glycogen stores by up to 20% in men but may be less effective in women due to differences in total carbohydrate intake.
Carbohydrate loading is most beneficial for endurance athletes such as marathon runners, cyclists, and cross-country skiers who risk glycogen depletion. A high-carbohydrate diet for several days before competition, combined with a tapering of exercise, can maximize stored glycogen.
Guidelines on carbohydrate intake based on timing before competition:
Athletes should keep a record of their food intake and performance responses to optimize their precompetition nutrition strategy.
Proper nutrition during competition is essential for aerobic endurance events lasting more than 45 minutes, intermittent sports, and multiple-event competitions. Fluids and carbohydrates can directly affect performance, while providing amino acids may help minimize muscle damage.
Hydration during competition is necessary to prevent overheating, dehydration, and heat illness. Athletes should hydrate several hours before exercise to allow time for fluid absorption and urine output. During exercise, they should consume enough fluids to prevent weight loss exceeding 2% of body weight.
The optimal sports drink should contain:
Sports drinks with more than 8% carbohydrate may delay gastric emptying and cause stomach discomfort. Fluid intake guidelines also differ based on the athlete’s age and weight:
Aerobic endurance athletes should consume 30-90 g of multiple carbohydrate types (e.g., sucrose, fructose, glucose) per hour during prolonged exercise.
Tennis players and other intermittent-sport athletes should aim for 200-400 ml of fluid per changeover while consuming carbohydrates to sustain performance.
Consuming carbohydrates during prolonged aerobic endurance exercise can enhance performance, reduce immune suppression, and delay fatigue. Though sports drinks provide carbohydrates, they cannot keep up with the athlete’s carbohydrate utilization during high-intensity exercise unless excess fluid is consumed.
Studies suggest that:
Team sports like soccer, tennis, basketball, and football involve repeated bouts of high-intensity activity. Fatigue in these sports results from glycogen depletion and dehydration. The provision of both fluids and carbohydrates is essential for maintaining performance.
Studies have shown:
Fructose, found naturally in fruit and sports drinks, is sometimes associated with stomach upset during exercise. Some athletes experience bloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort due to slow intestinal absorption. Combining fructose with glucose or maltodextrin may improve absorption and reduce symptoms.
Athletes should develop individualized hydration strategies based on their specific training conditions. General guidelines include:
Carbohydrates are a crucial energy source during resistance training and are particularly important for strength and power sports. Research indicates that athletes performing weightlifting and strength-based exercises utilize significant amounts of muscle glycogen. Since most studies have examined only a few sets of exercises, athletes competing in strength and power sports or positions reliant on muscle power (e.g., hammer throwers, offensive linemen in American football) may experience substantial glycogen depletion.
Athletes with already low carbohydrate stores will further deplete muscle glycogen, which can impair performance. Strength and power athletes can maintain their glycogen stores by supplementing with carbohydrates before and during competition. Additionally, carbohydrate intake post-exercise can enhance recovery and replenish muscle glycogen stores.
Postcompetition meals help athletes rehydrate, replenish glycogen stores, and repair muscle tissue. The timing of postcompetition nutrition is important for preparing the body for the next bout of activity. Each athlete’s postcompetition needs vary depending on their sport, intensity, duration of play, and personal characteristics such as weight and age.
After competition, athletes should:
Though athletes often believe they need to consume carbohydrates immediately post-exercise, research indicates that immediate intake is not always necessary. Some studies suggest that glycogen replenishment can continue for up to 24 hours, provided that sufficient carbohydrate intake occurs. However, in cases of strenuous endurance events that result in muscle damage (e.g., marathons), glycogen resynthesis may be delayed if the athlete has experienced muscle cell damage.
In a study examining glycogen resynthesis, high-glycemic meals were given to athletes over a 24-hour period. One group received carbohydrate-rich meals immediately post-exercise, while another group delayed intake for 2 hours. The results indicated that delaying carbohydrate consumption slightly reduced glycogen resynthesis rates but did not completely impair recovery.
Athletes should aim to consume:
Protein consumption after exercise supports muscle repair and adaptation. Research shows that combining protein with carbohydrates post-exercise increases glycogen storage when carbohydrate intake is suboptimal. Additionally, protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which is essential for recovery and growth.
Key protein recommendations:
Athletes in high-intensity intermittent sports (e.g., basketball, hockey, soccer) may have limited recovery time between games. In tournaments, athletes often play multiple matches in one day, requiring immediate recovery strategies.
Recovery in high-intensity intermittent sports should focus on:
Strength and power athletes require both carbohydrates and protein post-exercise for optimal recovery. A single resistance training session can significantly reduce glycogen stores, impairing force production and increasing muscle weakness.
Recommendations for strength and power recovery:
Concurrent training (combining endurance and strength training) can impact muscle adaptations. Strength training alone leads to greater strength gains, while concurrent training improves endurance performance but may limit strength development.
Guidelines for concurrent training:
In addition to post-workout nutrition, athletes should focus on protein distribution throughout the day. Resistance training increases muscle sensitivity to amino acids for up to 48 hours, making regular protein intake essential.
Daily protein recommendations:
Protein recommendations for various sports:
Aerobic endurance athletes must ensure adequate intake of carbohydrates (8-10 g/kg body weight) and protein (1.0-1.6 g/kg body weight), particularly for events lasting 90 minutes or longer.
Key recommendations:
Strength and power athletes should supplement with carbohydrates before and during training to maintain energy and reduce muscle breakdown.
Recommendations:
Sign up for free to take 15 quiz questions on this topic