The purpose of this page is to provide some general guidelines about fueling nordic ski training. We know everyone will have different requirements to best fuel their training but there are some general principles that most athletes can benefit from.
The Basics
There are 3 main macronutrients that the body needs to function properly they are; carbohydrates(carbs), lipids(fats), and protein.
Carbs are the primary source of energy for the body during most forms of exercise, especially at higher intensities. It is recommended by the the USDA that 45-65% of total calories consumed should be carbs. When performing high intensity interval training, the day before and the day of the high intensity workout try eating more carbs and less fat and protein to maximally fuel your workout. It is important to mention that your body has a limited storage capacity of carbs. This can become an issue during longer workouts or longer races when you run out of carb stores and your body has to rely on fat for energy. This phenomena is called bonking and usually happens around the 2 hour mark of a workout.
Lipids or fat are often the primary source of energy at rest and in well trained athletes can be the primary source of energy during low intensity exercise. Fat also has other important functions in the body including helping with vitamin absorption and forming the cell membrane of cells which is important in creating muscle contractions. A well balanced diet should include 20-35% of daily calories from fat. When doing a lot of volume training it might be worth trying to eat a higher percentage of daily calories from fat to better fuel training.
Protein while it really isn't a source of energy in your body unless it has to be is very important in DNA and muscle synthesis. This is why protein shakes have become so popular in the last decade. Proper muscle recover requires both carbs and protein and usually in a 3:1 - 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. Protein should consist of 10-25% of daily calories. It is recommended that endurance athletes consume 1.2-2.0 g/Kg of body weight. This means, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get Kg and then multiple the Kgs by 1.2-2.0. For a 154 lb person they would be 70 Kgs which means they should consume between 84 and 140 grams of protein daily. Protein intake according to Dr. Stacy T. Sims is even more important for women because it is harder for women to synthesize muscle because they produce less testosterone than men. If you want to read more about women physiology coach Gerrit recommends her book Roar which he has a copy of if anyone would like to borrow it.
While it is helpful to know the different percentages of macronutrients you should consume it isn't the most practical because its not like the food tells you what it is made out of while you eat it. Some good resources of what meals should look like can be found here https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ . Essentially the website says half your plate at a meal should be fruits and vegetables, one quarter of your plate should be whole grains like rice or oats, and one quarter of your plate should be a protein source like meat, tofu, or beans. One thing athletes should consider with these recommendations though is needing more calories than the average American which will most likely mean increasing intake of whole grains as they are good sources of carbs and healthy fats.
While training it is recommended that athletes consume 30-60 grams of carbs per hour to help maintain blood sugar levels to avoid the notorious bonk. This means eating 120-240 calories per hour of training. A banana would be a good example of something around 120 calories of carbs, while a home made rice cake or oat bar would be a good example of something closer to 240 calories. A good rice cake recipe can be found here https://www.efprocycling.com/team-recipe-on-the-bike-rice-cakes/ . After a training session there is a 45 minute window when your body is hypersensitive to food and is ready to absorb food and start the recovery process. This is where a lot of advertising goes to getting athletes to buy protein shakes. While protein shakes have there place, real food is often a better substitute. Immediately after a training session athletes should strive to consume about 200-300 calories of food that is a good mix of carbs and protein. Usually something along the lines of 40-60 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein. An example of this would be the clif builder bars or a home made peanut butter oat bar.
The key take-aways from this page of the website should be to eat a diet full of plant based sources such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Then fill in the gaps with meat and dairy products. Try to change your macronutrient intake to accommodate what kind of training you are doing, always be thinking ahead to the next workout. Eat and drink an adequate amount while training to avoid the 'bonk'. Finally, eat some food or a shake right after training to maximize recovery.
If you have any questions reach out to Coach Gerrit or a registered dietitian.
References:
Blake, J. S., Munoz, K. D., & Volpe, S. (2019). Nutrition: From science to you. New York, NY: Pearson.
Sims, S. T. (2016). Roar. New York, NY: Rodale.
The Basics
There are 3 main macronutrients that the body needs to function properly they are; carbohydrates(carbs), lipids(fats), and protein.
Carbs are the primary source of energy for the body during most forms of exercise, especially at higher intensities. It is recommended by the the USDA that 45-65% of total calories consumed should be carbs. When performing high intensity interval training, the day before and the day of the high intensity workout try eating more carbs and less fat and protein to maximally fuel your workout. It is important to mention that your body has a limited storage capacity of carbs. This can become an issue during longer workouts or longer races when you run out of carb stores and your body has to rely on fat for energy. This phenomena is called bonking and usually happens around the 2 hour mark of a workout.
Lipids or fat are often the primary source of energy at rest and in well trained athletes can be the primary source of energy during low intensity exercise. Fat also has other important functions in the body including helping with vitamin absorption and forming the cell membrane of cells which is important in creating muscle contractions. A well balanced diet should include 20-35% of daily calories from fat. When doing a lot of volume training it might be worth trying to eat a higher percentage of daily calories from fat to better fuel training.
Protein while it really isn't a source of energy in your body unless it has to be is very important in DNA and muscle synthesis. This is why protein shakes have become so popular in the last decade. Proper muscle recover requires both carbs and protein and usually in a 3:1 - 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. Protein should consist of 10-25% of daily calories. It is recommended that endurance athletes consume 1.2-2.0 g/Kg of body weight. This means, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get Kg and then multiple the Kgs by 1.2-2.0. For a 154 lb person they would be 70 Kgs which means they should consume between 84 and 140 grams of protein daily. Protein intake according to Dr. Stacy T. Sims is even more important for women because it is harder for women to synthesize muscle because they produce less testosterone than men. If you want to read more about women physiology coach Gerrit recommends her book Roar which he has a copy of if anyone would like to borrow it.
While it is helpful to know the different percentages of macronutrients you should consume it isn't the most practical because its not like the food tells you what it is made out of while you eat it. Some good resources of what meals should look like can be found here https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ . Essentially the website says half your plate at a meal should be fruits and vegetables, one quarter of your plate should be whole grains like rice or oats, and one quarter of your plate should be a protein source like meat, tofu, or beans. One thing athletes should consider with these recommendations though is needing more calories than the average American which will most likely mean increasing intake of whole grains as they are good sources of carbs and healthy fats.
While training it is recommended that athletes consume 30-60 grams of carbs per hour to help maintain blood sugar levels to avoid the notorious bonk. This means eating 120-240 calories per hour of training. A banana would be a good example of something around 120 calories of carbs, while a home made rice cake or oat bar would be a good example of something closer to 240 calories. A good rice cake recipe can be found here https://www.efprocycling.com/team-recipe-on-the-bike-rice-cakes/ . After a training session there is a 45 minute window when your body is hypersensitive to food and is ready to absorb food and start the recovery process. This is where a lot of advertising goes to getting athletes to buy protein shakes. While protein shakes have there place, real food is often a better substitute. Immediately after a training session athletes should strive to consume about 200-300 calories of food that is a good mix of carbs and protein. Usually something along the lines of 40-60 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein. An example of this would be the clif builder bars or a home made peanut butter oat bar.
The key take-aways from this page of the website should be to eat a diet full of plant based sources such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Then fill in the gaps with meat and dairy products. Try to change your macronutrient intake to accommodate what kind of training you are doing, always be thinking ahead to the next workout. Eat and drink an adequate amount while training to avoid the 'bonk'. Finally, eat some food or a shake right after training to maximize recovery.
If you have any questions reach out to Coach Gerrit or a registered dietitian.
References:
Blake, J. S., Munoz, K. D., & Volpe, S. (2019). Nutrition: From science to you. New York, NY: Pearson.
Sims, S. T. (2016). Roar. New York, NY: Rodale.
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