Carbohydrates play a crucial role in providing energy for our bodies, particularly during training and competition.
Carbohydrates are used at a higher rate during high intensity training sessions so daily intakes should be amended according to the intensity and duration of the daily training & competition sessions. Sufficient carbohydrate intake is necessary to prevent the feeling of tiredness during and after training.
They are the primary fuel source for muscles and brain function, making them essential for optimal performance.
Did you know we store Carbohydrates in our bodies?
Carbohydrates are converted into glycogen, which is stored in muscles and the liver, serving as a readily available energy source during any physical activities such as workout sessions in the gym and training sessions. Additionally, consumed carbohydrates are converted into sugars in the bloodstream for immediate energy utilization, helping to sustain energy levels when starting the training sessions.
As the body has a limited glycogen storage, athletes have a specific carbohydrate timing to sustain the energy levels during training.
Carbohydrates are to be consumed throughout the day at mealtimes and the surrounding training & competition sessions. Meal timings for training days include:
Pre-training Meals/Snacks: consumed before training
During training beverages and snacks: consumed during training
Post-training/ recovery Meals/ Snacks: consumed after training
When your goal is to fuel well for training or competition, you need to further break down the meal timings into the number of hours before and after the training/competition sessions/ events and select the right type of carbohydrates based on the meal timing. As each athlete's daily schedule is quite packed with training and other activities, scheduling when to eat based around training is needed to make sure athletes are able to replenish the glycogen stores effectively.
Not all Carbohydrate-rich foods can be consumed at every meal timing
Your body may not be capable to digest and absorb all carbohydrate-rich foods with the given time before training/ competition. Carefully selecting carbohydrate-rich foods is an important step to helping you optimize sports performance.
To learn more about how to time your own daily mealtimes based on your weekly schedule and how to optimize your consumption of carbohydrates for sports performance, we are planning to conduct weekly group coaching classes to help you with this. RSVP now to let us know your interest:
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