Competition Nutrition - Eating carbohydrates
Distance runner
"Even when I load up before my event, I will need more carbohydrate fuel to race well. Therefore I need to consume a sports drink during my race. Extra carbohydrate will keep my muscles working and keep me feeling good. Running out of fuel in endurance events interferes with work output, and my ability to think clearly."
Try eating carbohydrate during your event
You may have experienced the feeling of ‘running out of legs’ or ‘running low on fuel’ during your competition. This is typical in prolonged events that require athletes to exercise at high intensities for many hours. You might know the feeling as ‘hitting the wall’ or ‘bonking’. You can also run out of fuel in shorter events or games that are part of a busy competition schedule such as road trips and tournaments.
When workouts or events are close together it can be hard to fully refuel in between. You can provide extra fuel by consuming carbohydrate during the event. This strategy has been shown to benefit performance in events lasting longer than 90 minutes, but recent research has shown that enhancements might also occur in events of as little as one hour duration. You should experiment to see if carbohydrate intake works for your sport and for you.
Some athletes eat food during their event to provide extra carbohydrate fuel. Fruit, sports bars and confectionery items are popular choices. However, one disadvantage of solid foods is that they may cause stomach discomfort, particularly during high intensity exercise.
Sports drinks provide an alternative and more practical way to refuel during exercise. The special formula of fluid, carbohydrate and electrolytes has been developed to taste good to exercising people, promoting an increase in total fluid intake as its first advantage. The formula also provides efficient delivery of carbohydrate while rehydrating the athlete.
Some people think that sports drinks are only useful to elite athletes. Since they are more expensive than plain water, it is important to consider if they provide value for money. The answer concerns nutritional needs rather than sporting talent. If you are involved in a sport in which you are sweating and depleting fuel stores, then a sports drink provides a simple answer to meet your special needs. Good use of a sports drink will improve your endurance and performance. This represents value, whether the outcome is a gold medal, a personal best, or simply your enjoyment of an exercise session. Nevertheless, if expense is a problem, then a diluted cordial mix can provide a cheaper option.