Real Food Refueling During Exercise
Published: 01/10/2021
Carbohydrate is the only fuel that can sustain moderate to high level effort that is required in most sports and athletic endeavors. Carbohydrate is stored in the in skeletal muscle and liver in a form called glycogen. Glycogen can become depleted during continuous exercise lasting at least one hour and during intense intermittent exercise such as brisk hiking on challenging terrain, intense tennis matches or stop and go running.
Diets high in carbohydrate are important for athletes because they maintain glycogen levels in the liver and muscles. Athletes should try to ingest 6 to 10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and 12 grams per kilogram during periods of very intense training. During periods of low intensity training that can be decreased to 3 to 5 grams per kilogram.
Carbohydrate ingestion during exercise can reduce muscle glycogen breakdown. During a long hike, snowshoeing, or intense bike ride, replenishing energy stores is key. Some athletes rely only on sports energy gels that contain quick-digesting sugars to provide a burst of energy and top off glycogen stores as they fatigue during longer efforts.
However, some endurance athletes do not want to consume a gel, a sugary sports drink or a bar packed with synthetic ingredients and prefer real food refueling. Real foods can be just as effective as sports nutrition products. Although sports nutrition products can be a good choice, not to mention convenient, whole foods are a good choice because of the wide variety of nutrients in them, including antioxidants. Antioxidants in food can help reduce oxidative stress, promote recovery and improve performance.
If you do feel that you perform better with a sports beverage, here are some I like:
Recommended sports beverages:
Gatorade Endurance, carbs
Fluid Performance Natural, carbs
Gatorade Thirst Quencher, carbs
GU Hydration Drink, carbs
Hammer HEED, carbs
Accelerade, carbs and whey protein
Powerbar Recovery, carbs and whey protein
Fluids should always be consumed along with solid foods during training to aid in absorption of the carbohydrate. Read more on hydration.
Keep in mind that the real foods will take longer to absorb than a gel, and that the fiber content might be too much during races for those with sensitive stomachs. Some athletes have increased difficulty in digesting and absorbing food at high intensity. It might also take a bit of chewing. So, with all refueling regimens, practice and see what works best.
And utilize these guidelines along with optimal pre-exercise and post-exercise nutrition strategies.
The majority of athletes will perform better when they fuel properly according to these guidelines during workouts lasting longer than 75 minutes.
1:15 to 3 hours: 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour.
3+ hours: 30 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour
Use the table below to calculate how much you might need. The serving size of provides 25-35g of carbohydrate, which is the equivalent of most gels.
Type of food | Serving size for 25-30g of carbs |
Banana | 7 oz. (31 g) |
Raisins | 2.5 oz box (35g) |
Medjool Dates | 1.5 dates (35g) |
Small pitted dates | 5 dates (40g) |
Dried apricots | 5-6 apricots (30-35g) |
Dried pineapple | 1.5 rings (30g) |
Dried Mango, cut into bite size pieces | 40 grams (34g) |
Honey | 1 Tbsp (28g) |
Fig Bars | 3 (33g) |
Yoplait Original Yogurt Strawberry 2 gm fat | 6 oz. (27g) |
Boiled Potato | 2½ inch diameter, 136 grams (28g) |
Baked Sweet Potato | 1 cup (30g) |
Homemade Energy Balls |
Maria Faires, RD is a mountaineering fitness and nutrition expert.
Sources
- What Should I Eat before Exercise? Pre-Exercise Nutrition and the Response to Endurance Exercise: Current Prospective and Future Directions
- Metabolic and Performance Effects of Raisins versus Sports Gel as Pre-Exercise Feedings in Cyclists
- Carbohydrate ingestion during prolonged exercise: effects on metabolism and performance
- Performance Effects of Carbohydrate Ingestion between Bouts of Intense Aerobic Interval Exercise
- Exercise and oxidative stress: potential effects of antioxidant dietary strategies in sport
Categories: Fitness Food Hiking and Mountaineering
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