Are You Fit 2 Race? Performance training and wellness

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Food 4 Sport

The main fuel that the body feeds off during exercise and high intensity training comes from carbohydrate. Even when you are training at the higher level of the anaerobic training zone, the rate of energy demand far out weighs the level that can be delivered by fats or proteins, therefore it is essential you understand the role of carbs in delivering your energy requirements as part of a effective sports nutrition plan.
Now every competitor again differs, and the specific energy requirement is obviously dependant on characteristics and intensity of your performance. For this reason it is important to match the requirements of the sport and associated training plus the requirements of the individual athlete to the level of carbohydrate consumption required.
In addition to fuelling your performance, Carbohydrates are essential in aiding recovery as mentioned earlier in this section. If your intake is inadequate, recovery will be poor, and the knock-on effect will echo through all subsequent training sessions until your replenish the void.
Typically, pastas, bananas, and cereals are good sources of carbohydrate, but eating a wide-range of different carbohydrate foods is useful – bread, potatoes, vegetables, fresh fruit, porridge – as they all supply a different range of vitamins and minerals. If an athlete were to eat only one or two types of carbohydrate, they would miss out on certain vitamins and minerals.
Just how much carbohydrate you need depends on your level of training – the more glucose you use the more carbohydrate you need to eat to replenish your stores. General daily carbohydrate targets can be provided in terms of body size and training level. See the table below to work out the amount of carbohydrate – expressed in grams per day for every kilogram you weigh – your training programme requires.

Training level	Carbohydrate g/kg/d
Regular levels of activity (3-5 hours a week)	4-5
Moderate duration / low intensity training (1-2 hours a day)	5-7
Moderate to heavy endurance training (2-4 + hours a day)	7-12
Extreme exercise programme (4-6 + hours a day)	10-12

If you are training frequently then your daily carbohydrate requirements will be high and may infact means meals need to be subsidized by the addition of carbohydrate rich snacks.

Whats GI?

The Key to understanding the best forms of Carbohydrate to use is the understanding of the Glycaemic index of the food. The glycaemic index provides a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. The GI will tell you the rate at which the food is converted to energy and the rate of supply to the body.

High GI foods will release energy quickly and are typified by sweets, chocolate, honey, alcohol. The disadvantage of these is that they often dump energy into your system quickly and cause a spike in your blood sugar levels, this gives you a rush followed by a lull. This effect will often mean you often are left craving for more and more of these foods. High glycaemic index foods should only be ised when a short term rapid energy source is required or after training for a rapid replenishment of carbohydrate stores.

Low GI foods are typified by a much more gradual and progressive release of sugars to the body. They are beneficial as they help maintain blood sugar levels and therefore help maintain energy levels and vitality and will leave you feeling full and satisfied for a much greater period. The control of blood sugar is also an important factor in the prevention of late onset diabetes and helps regulate the blood sugars of diabetes patients.

The table below will help you understand better which foods fit into which category of the glycaemic index.

High GI (glucose)	Medium GI sucrose)	Low GI (fructose)
Sweets (jelly babies, beans)	Bread	Chocolate
Potatoes (baked)	Muesli	Pasta
Sports Drinks	Banana	Cakes
Honey	Potato Crisps	Pastries
Wheat Based Cereal	Brown Rice	Baked Beans
Melon (water, galia)	Cereal Bar	Milk

So what do I do for my Training???

It is important to make sure you have the right amount of energy in your for the demand that you are about to make. Whether this is in training or in competition, you need to get a good useable source of carbohydrate ready to drive you through your performance.
Having eaten a normal meal, with a good source of low GI carbohydrate it is important to leave 2-3 hours before starting your training. It is proven to be beneficial if right before your session you take on some high GI carbohydrate source. This will give the initial kick start of energy to your training by helping to maintain your glucose levels.
If your session is set to be intense and to last in excess of 60 mins it is important to then replenish your stores during your workout. This ensures your energy requirement is met throughout your training without and lulls or bouts of fatigue. It is also essential in maintaining your energy stores that allow recovery to be optimal at the end of your workout. By far the best way to do this is the utilization fo a sports energy drink. Good quality sports drinks not only help fuel your training, but also help maintain your electrolyte balance and your hydration status.
At the end of your workout comes the most important part..replenishing your stores! As mentioned earlier, failure to replace what you have used will have a direct impact on the next training session, with levels of performance notably reduced. Recommended guidelines are for approx 1gram of carbohydrate per kilo of bodyweight being taken on board within the first 60-90 minutes post workout. This can be done with the utilization of med to high GI snacks or again with a good quality sports drink.