Fueling For Adult Cross Country Runners

At Saturday, our mission is to bolster athletic performance by prioritizing sports nutrition. This guide is intended to shed light on the core aspects of intra-workout nutrition, particularly focusing on adult cross country runners. It emphasizes the importance of carbohydrates, caffeine, and whey in maximizing performance.

Carbohydrates: Powering Your Run

Integrating carbohydrates, specifically sugars, into your nutrition regimen during training is crucial. These nutrients assist in maintaining liver and muscle glycogen stores, thus providing a continuous energy supply. Consequently, this readily available energy intensifies the training stimulus, contributing to noticeable performance improvements.

Both the quantity and quality of carbohydrate matter. A combination of glucose and fructose is often recommended as they are absorbed via different pathways - the SGLT-1 transporter for glucose and the GLUT-5 transporter for fructose. A glucose to fructose ratio from 2:1 to 1:1 facilitates dual absorption, thereby boosting the hourly carbohydrate uptake rates and substantially lowering the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) distress.

For endurance activities such as cross country running, the proposed carbohydrate intake ranges from 30g to 150g per hour, depending on the duration of training, intensity, and personal digestive capacity. For shorter duration activities, smaller intake per hour is generally sufficient, especially if a carbohydrate-rich meal is consumed after training.

For those who engage in training first thing, adding some extra carbohydrates to your shake, ideally 20 minutes before the training session, can be beneficial. This strategy raises blood glucose levels, promoting efficient training and avoiding a blood sugar drop. While Gatorade is a feasible option, even regular table sugar can serve the purpose.

Unleashing the Power of Caffeine

Caffeine can significantly enhance performance during training periods that last from 30 to 120 minutes. The recommended intake is between 3-9mg per kg of body weight. To maintain high blood caffeine concentrations, take smaller, regular doses of about 0.5-1mg/kg each hour during training or a cross country run.

Diet and Gastric Emptying

Monitoring dietary fiber and fat intake during training is essential as these slow down digestion and can potentially cause GI issues. Additionally, the carbohydrate concentration considerably impacts gastric emptying rates. Optimal rates are typically linked with carbohydrate concentrations of 10-14%. For activities extending beyond 5 hours, solutions containing 6-10% carbohydrates are suggested. Also, the intake of whey should be limited. While protein is allowed, it's better to opt for BCAAs or whey protein isolate or hydrolysate to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort resulting from decreased blood flow during intense exercise.

In Conclusion

In sum, crafting an effective intra-workout fueling strategy is essential for achieving optimal performance and significant training improvements. A focus on sufficient carbohydrate intake, particularly a blend of glucose-fructose, is central to this strategy. Incorporating caffeine can also notably boost performance levels. Lastly, it's important to remember that due to individual physiological differences, nutritional considerations must be personalized for maximum performance and recovery outcomes.