Fueling For Masters Cross Country Runners

At Saturday, our principal objective is to augment athletic prowess through the strategic use of sports nutrition. This article aims to elucidate the salient aspects of intra-workout nourishment, with an exclusive focus on masters cross country runners. Our emphasis lies in the pivotal role of carbohydrates, caffeine, and whey protein in enhancing athletic performance.

Carbohydrates: The Running Fuel

Incorporating carbohydrates, specifically sugars, into your diet during training is vitally important. These nutrients help sustain liver and muscle glycogen stores, providing a constant source of energy. This available energy amplifies the training stimulus, leading to marked performance enhancement.

The quality and quantity of carbohydrate consumption are both crucial. An optimum mix of glucose and fructose is often suggested as they get absorbed through 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 promotes dual absorption, which in turn increases the carbohydrate uptake rates per hour and significantly reduces the likelihood of gastrointestinal (GI) distress.

For endurance pursuits such as cross country running, it is recommended to consume 30g to 150g of carbohydrates per hour depending on the intensity of the training, its duration, and individual digestive comfort. For shorter activities, a lower hourly intake is usually sufficient, particularly if a carbohydrate-rich meal is eaten post training.

If you start your training first thing, adding some extra carbohydrates to your shake about 20 minutes before the session can be advantageous. This approach boosts blood glucose levels, leading to efficient training and preventing a drop in blood sugar. Although Gatorade is an acceptable option, even regular table sugar can fulfill this requirement.

Harnessing the Power of Caffeine

Caffeine can significantly improve performance during training sessions that last from 30 to 120 minutes. The suggested intake is 3-9mg per kg of body weight. To maintain optimum blood caffeine concentrations, it is advised to take smaller, regular doses of about 0.5-1mg/kg each hour during the training or a cross country run.

Diet and Gastric Emptying

It is essential to regulate dietary fiber and fat intake during training as these nutrients slow down digestion and can potentially cause GI issues. Furthermore, the concentration of carbohydrate significantly affects gastric emptying rates. Optimal rates are usually associated with carbohydrate concentrations of 10-14%. For activities lasting longer than 5 hours, solutions containing 6-10% carbohydrates are recommended. Also, whey intake should be kept minimal. While protein is allowed, it is better to opt for BCAAs or whey protein isolate or hydrolysate to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort due to decreased blood flow during high-intensity exercise.

Conclusion

In summary, developing an efficient intra-workout fueling strategy is key to achieving optimal performance and significant training gains. Emphasizing adequate carbohydrate intake, specifically a combination of glucose-fructose, is central to this strategy. The addition of caffeine can also considerably elevate performance levels. Finally, it's vital to remember that due to individual physiological variances, nutritional considerations should be personalized to ensure maximum performance and recovery benefits.