Nutrition Part 2 by Cushla Holdaway: Simple but important training nutrition reminders for every endurance athlete
Nutrition is one of the most powerful tools you have as an endurance athlete to support your performance, recovery and overall well-being. It’s not just about what you eat, but also when you eat.
Strategic fuelling around training can enhance your performance and adaptation to training stimuli. Aim for an easy-to-digest carbohydrate-rich snack 30 – 60-mins prior, or a meal 2 – 4h prior. Example: banana, toast with peanut butter, or oats with fruit.
During training, particularly when sessions are >90-minutes, carbs become crucial. Aim for 30 – 90g+ carbs per hour. The wide range depends on session intensity, length, and individual gut tolerance. Again, focus on easy-to-digest carbs such as sports drinks, gels, energy chews, and lollies. This keeps energy levels stable and allows you to go harder for longer whilst minimising the risk of gastrointestinal upset.
Post-training recovery nutrition can be overlooked, but is critical. Aim to eat as soon as you can after a session, especially if you have more than one session in a day or a high training volume. Rapid recovery best prepares you for future training and supports immunity. Aim to eat something within 30 – 60-minutes (the sooner the better) of finishing a session focussing on the 3 R’s of recovery, that is, refuel with carbs, repair with protein, and rehydrate with fluids. Example: smoothie with yoghurt, milk, mixed fruits, nut butter and chia seeds.
Carbs are king. They’re your body’s preferred fuel source during long or intense sessions and key to consistent performance. Training with low glycogen (your body’s storage tank of carbs) can increase fatigue, reduce power output and make sessions feel unnecessarily hard. Carbs are also important for immune function and are linked to better overall recovery and adaptation.
Iron is critical for various roles within the body. Low iron status can lead to fatigue, breathlessness and impair performance. Risk factors include female athletes in reproductive years, low energy availability, vegetarian or vegan diets, distance runners, and teenagers. Regular monitoring of iron status is important for endurance athletes particularly those in higher risk groups or with a history of deficiency.
Vitamin D is key for bone health, muscle function and immunity. This is a timely reminder coming into winter that many of us would benefit from supplementation. To learn more about Vitamin D, read more here.
Consistently under fuelling can inhibit your training progress significantly. Inadequate fuel increases injury risk, affects hormones, impairs recovery and often leads to burnout and illness. Many athletes under fuel because their appetite lags or they are simply unaware of how much and when they need to be fuelling.
Endurance training places high demands on the body and meeting these demands with smart and well timed nutrition can make all the difference. Fuel consistently, respect recovery, and don’t fear carbs as your performance depends on it.
Further reading:
· Vitamin D deficiency https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMra070553
· Training the gut https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-017-0690-6
· IOC consensus statement on REDs https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37752011/
· Nutrition and athletic performance https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(15)01802-X/abstract
· Sports nutrition and hydration guides for female athletes https://performancepartner.gatorade.com/resources/resource/sports-nutrition-hydration-female-athletes?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ao-gpp_25&utm_content=feb-resource-energy_availability&linkId=1279698
· Gatorade sports science institute https://www.gssiweb.org/en/research/All
Cushla Holdaway (left) is an Accredited Sports Dietitian based in Mid-Canterbury, specialising in nutrition for endurance athletes from beginners to elites. With a BSc in Human Nutrition and a Master of Dietetics (dist), she offers personalised consultations across New Zealand, both in-person and online.
Cushla is also the dietitian for the New Zealand Defence Force (Burnham), runs online education courses, and hosts a podcast ‘Nourish Your Potential.’
Passionate about running and evidence-based nutrition, she helps athletes optimise performance and health through practical, realistic, and individualised advice.