Improve Your Performance with Pre-training/Pre-competition Nutrition
Fueling is essential for optimal performance. How you fuel depends on timing.
By Scott Wrigley, MSc, CSCS, CPT, FNS, PN1, USAT Level 1 Coach, USA Cycling Level 3 Coach, US Masters Swimming Level 2 Coach
Nutrition is critical to athletic achievement.
Optimizing your nutrition will allow you to gain the most from your training and help you reach peak performance. In order to perform your best, you need to provide your body with adequate fuel and fluids prior to training or competition. When choosing pre-training/competition foods you should consider two things: composition and timing.
Composition
Carbohydrates are the star of pre-training/competition nutrition. You want to increase blood glucose and top off glycogen stores while minimizing gastrointestinal (GI) issues such as cramping, nausea, and diarrhea.
Carbohydrates and lipids (fats) are both key fuel sources for endurance athletes. The contribution of carbohydrates and fats to exercise depends on multiple factors including the duration and intensity of exercise (which have an inverse relationship), your fitness level, and what you consume prior to training or competition. As a generalization, blood glucose/glycogen is the main source of fuel for moderate to high-intensity exercise (>60% VO2Max) while fat utilization dominates during low to moderate-intensity exercise (<60% VO2Max) (1).
Humans have approximately 4g of circulating blood glucose (1). The amount of glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrates found in the liver and muscle) stored varies depending on factors such as lean body mass, fitness level, and diet. On average approximately 600 grams of glycogen are stored in total with 80 grams in the liver and 500 grams in muscle (1). This equates to roughly 1800 calories. Conversely, humans have 30 to 40 times more stored fat available for energy provision as compared to glycogen (2). Using the example above, that would equate to 54,000 to 72,000 calories or roughly 6,000-8,000 grams of fat.
When we exercise, we deplete liver glycogen and muscle glycogen. Furthermore, liver glycogen is the primary source of blood glucose when we are not in a fed state. As such, liver glycogen is significantly depleted overnight during sleep. Thus, it is imperative that athletes replenish these stores prior to training or competition. Conversely, looking at the comparison of circulating blood glucose, glycogen stores, and fat stores above, you can surmise that neither sleeping nor exercise will come close to depleting fat stores. Humans have enough fat stores in reserve to run for days (2).
Differences in storage and depletion of carbohydrates and fats aside, fat along with protein and fiber slow digestion and absorption (3,4). The closer you are to training or competition, the less of these nutrients should be consumed. These nutrients slowing digestion and absorption can lead to less glucose available in the bloodstream to fuel training, as well as lead to GI issues including cramping, nausea, and diarrhea.
In summary, to perform your best in training and competition, your pre-competition meal should focus on easily digestible carbohydrates to increase blood glucose and top off glycogen stores while minimizing GI issues. Read on to learn more about meal timing.
Timing
The pre-nutrition window is typically broken up into three time points before training or competition:
1 hour or less
2 hours
3-4 hours
The closer you are to training or competition, the smaller and simpler your meal should be. This is to allow for optimal digestion and absorption and to avoid GI issues.
1 Hour or Less Before Training or Competition
One hour or less, the focus of pre-nutrition is on providing easily digestible carbohydrates to fuel your performance. Intake guidelines for 1 hour or less before training or competition:
30-60g of carbohydrates
Examples: Fruit, pretzels, granola, sports drink, toast, crackers
2 Hours Before Training or Competition
Two hours out, the focus is still on carbohydrates to fuel performance. However, athletes can add in more complex foods that provide a little fiber, fat, and protein to increase satiety (feeling full) and slow carbohydrate absorption. Intake guidelines for 2 hours before training or competition:
1-2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight
Examples: Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk, bagel with peanut butter, bagel with jam, oatmeal with low-fat milk, baked potato, fresh fruit
3-4 Hours Before Training or Competition
Three to four hours out, athletes can consume a full meal while still focusing on carbohydrates to fuel performance. As with two hours out, athletes can add in more complex foods that provide a little fiber, fat, and protein to increase satiety (feeling full) and slow carbohydrate absorption.
3-4 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight
.15-.25 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight
Examples: Pasta with chicken and vegetables, turkey sandwich with whole wheat bread and low-fat mayonnaise, chicken and white rice with vegetables, tuna sandwich with whole wheat bread and low-fat mayonnaise.
Fluids
As with proper fueling prior to training or competition, adequate hydration is also key to optimal performance.
Ensuring you are adequately hydrated provides the body with the fluids necessary to deliver oxygen and nutrients to working muscles and remove waste products while simultaneously cooling the body through sweat. A loss of as little as 2% loss of total body weight in training or competition has been shown to impact performance negatively (5,6). As such, to perform your best it is important to go into training or competition adequately hydrated. Fluid guidelines prior to training or competition:
3-4 hours out
16-20oz of water or sports drink, then drink to thirst leading up to competition
15-30 minutes prior
7-12 ounces of fluid
If the training session is longer, or prior to competition, consume a sports drink with 6-8% carbohydrates
The Takeaway
Adequate fuel and fluids are key to optimal performance in both training and competition.
You should develop a multi-level nutrition plan to get the most out of your training and reap those benefits on race day. Design snacks and meals based on the fuel and fluid guidelines above for 1, 2, and 3-4 hours prior to training or competition. Then, test those snacks and meals to identify what does and does not work for you. In doing so, you can ensure you are adequately fueled and hydrated to perform your best while avoiding GI issues such as nausea, cramping, and diarrhea.
References:
1. Murray, Bob, and Christine Rosenbloom. “Fundamentals of glycogen metabolism for coaches and athletes.” Nutrition reviews vol. 76,4 (2018). 243-259. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuy001
2. Lambert, E V et al. “Nutritional strategies for promoting fat utilization and delaying the onset of fatigue during prolonged exercise.” Journal of sports sciences vol. 15,3 (1997). 315-24. doi:10.1080/026404197367326
3. Elham Moghaddam, Janet A. Vogt, Thomas M. S. Wolever, “The Effects of Fat and Protein on Glycemic Responses in Nondiabetic Humans Vary with Waist Circumference, Fasting Plasma Insulin, and Dietary Fiber Intake.” The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 136, Issue 10, (2006). Pages 2506–2511, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.10.2506
4. Lattimer, James M, and Mark D Haub. “Effects of dietary fiber and its components on metabolic health.” Nutrients vol. 2,12 (2010). 1266-89. doi:10.3390/nu2121266
5. Orrù, Stefania et al. “Role of Functional Beverages on Sport Performance and Recovery.” Nutrientsvol. 10,10 1470. 10 (2018). doi:10.3390/nu10101470
6. Coyle, Edward F. “Fluid and fuel intake during exercise.” Journal of sports sciencesvol. 22,1 (2004). 39-55. doi:10.1080/0264041031000140545
7. Miezin, Stephanie. “Nutrition Guide – Fueling for Performance.” True Sport, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) (2022). https://truesport.org/wp-content/uploads/TSNutritionGuide.pdf
8. Wattenberg, C. Periodization and timing of macronutrients. Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA). sportsrd.org. (2018). https://www.sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Periodization-And-Timing-Of-Macronutrients.pdf
9. Haff, Greg and N. Travis Triplett, “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning” Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics (2016). Print.
10. CPSDA. Hydrate Early and Often. Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA). sportsrd.org. (2016). https://www.sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Hydration-Screen-Shot-.png
11. CPSDA. Pre-Workout Nutrition. Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA). sportsrd.org. (2016). https://www.sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Pre-Workout-Nutrition-Screen-Shot-.png