Fueling For Cross Country Skiers
At Saturday, our foremost goal is to advance athletic excellence through well-planned sports nutrition. This article is intended to highlight the crucial aspects of intra-workout feeding, specifically tailored for cross country skiers. We place importance on the critical roles of carbohydrates, caffeine, and whey protein in boosting athletic performance.
Carbohydrates: The Power Source for Skiing
Incorporating exogenous carbohydrates, especially sugars, into your dietary regimen during training is critically necessary. These nutrients essentially help to spare muscle and liver glycogen stores, thus allowing us to sustain higher power outputs. This eventually leads to a more potent training effect and promotes noticeable training adaptations.
The nature and volume of carbohydrate intake are both pivotal. A balanced mix of glucose and fructose is often recommended as they're absorbed through distinct 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 encourages dual absorption, which subsequently boosts the carbohydrate uptake rates per hour and significantly minimizes the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) distress.
For prolonged endurance pursuits like cross country skiing, the suggested consumption is 30g to 150g of carbohydrates per hour, based on the intensity of the training, its duration, and personal digestive comfort. For shorter activities, a reduced hourly intake is generally adequate, particularly if a carbohydrate-dense meal is consumed after the training session.
If you kick-start your training first thing, adding some extra carbohydrates to your shake approximately 20 minutes prior to the session can prove beneficial. This strategy enhances blood glucose levels, fostering effective training and preventing a decline in blood sugar levels. While Gatorade is an acceptable option, even everyday table sugar can cater to this requirement.
Capitalizing on the Benefits of Caffeine
Caffeine can significantly boost performance during training sessions that last between 30 to 120 minutes. The advised intake is 3-9mg per kg of body weight. To keep optimal blood caffeine concentrations, it's recommended to take smaller, frequent doses of about 0.5-1mg/kg each hour during the training or a cross country skiing event.
Diet and Gastric Emptying
Regulating dietary fiber and fat intake during training is critical as these nutrients can slow digestion and possibly induce GI issues. Additionally, the concentration of carbohydrate significantly influences gastric emptying rates. Optimal rates are typically linked with carbohydrate concentrations of 10-14%. For activities lasting beyond 5 hours, solutions containing 6-10% carbohydrates are suggested. Additionally, whey intake should be kept to a minimum. While protein is permitted, it's preferable to opt for BCAAs or whey protein isolate or hydrolysate to lessen the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort due to decreased blood flow during high-intensity exercise.
Conclusion
In closing, devising an efficient intra-workout fueling plan is paramount to achieving optimal performance and considerable training progress. Placing emphasis on proper carbohydrate intake, specifically a blend of glucose-fructose, is central to this approach. The introduction of caffeine can also considerably heighten performance levels. Lastly, it's crucial to remember that due to individual physiological variations, nutritional strategies should be personalized to ensure maximum performance and recovery benefits.
