So we have made a post that covers your daily nutrition, what you should aim to consume and some tips on following a healthy diet that suits you. However, if you train regularly then you may find that a more detailed guide is needed. Well no fear, you are reading one such guide!
Before we go any further it is important to get the nutrition lingo on lock down and work out how many calories you need each day.
So what is a calorie?
A calorie is a measurement of energy that food contains. They are obtained from carbohydrates, fats, protein and alcohol; per 1g of each they provide, 4kcal, 9kcal, 4kcal and 7kcal respectively.
How many calories do you need?
To answer this you need to work out your basal metabolic rate (BRM). The quick and easy method is:
Women BMR = weight (kg) x 2 x 11
Men BMR = weight (kg) x 2 x 12
This gives you a rough guideline into the amount of calories your body burns at rest over 24h.
Daily calorie needs:
To work out your daily calorie needs you need to times your BMR by Physical Activity Level (PAL) to get daily calorie needs
Inactive/sedentary = x 1.2
Fairly active, exercise 1-2 times a week = 1.3
Moderately active, exercise 2-3 times a week = 1.4
Active, exercise hard more than 3times a week = 1.5
Very active, exercise hard daily = 1.7
Eg. 70kg Inactive Women = 1848kcal, Active = 2618kcal
Glycaemic Index = Ranking of foods from 0-100 based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels in the bloodstream.
Still with us? I know that was exceedingly boring, who wants to do maths for fun?! But it is important to work out your energy requirements and plan your meals/snacks to fuel yourself correctly. This will give you more energy, improve your mood and help you smash your goals – worth it!
How does your diet change for training and competition days?
It takes 24h to refill muscle glycogen stores, so what you eat the day before matters. You should consume 3-7g/kg of carbohydrates to ensure full stores. Therefore the main purpose of a pre-workout or training meal is to stabilise blood sugar levels during the exercise. It serves to stave off hunger and minimise risk of issues such as stitches and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).
1-4 hours before training
It is important to start your training fully hydrated. You can do this by drinking 5-7ml/kg 2-4h before training. If you forget to do this then drink 100-250ml of water if you are training in less than an hour! You want to aim to eat 2-4g of carbohydrate per kilogram 2-4 hours before a training session in the form of a small meal, such as pasta and chicken/ rice and fish. If you are unable to do this you should consume 1g of carbohydrate per kilogram in the hour before you train. This can be done by eating a banana or some toast and honey.
During a Short Session (sub. 60min)
Hydration is important during a short session and you should aim to ‘drink to thirst’. Take small and frequent sips when you feel the need for a drink. You will not need to consume any extra carbohydrates during this duration. Instead stick to water or a low-calorie squash.
During a 1-2h Session
You should still drink to thirst during and expect to consume roughly 400-800ml of water per hour. You should aim to consume 15-30g of carbohydrate every 15-30 minutes, aiming for a total of 30-60g per hour. This can be done by consuming energy/granola bars, gels, dried fruit and honey. Remember that if you decide to drink squash or a sports drink to take into account the calories from it!
During a Long Run (over 2h)
Aim to drink 400-800ml of water per hour according to thirst; taking small sips little and often. You want to consume 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour. Unless you are running for over 3h, in which case this should be increased up to 90g per hour. This can come from sports drinks, bananas, gels, energy/granola bars, dried fruit and honey.
After a Session (lasting over 60min)
Post session you should drink 750ml of water per 0.5kg weight you have lost compared to the start of the run. You should eat a small snack containing both carbohydrate and protein in a 3:1 ratio. This can be done by drinking milk and a flapjack, or a sandwich and yogurt. More information on recovery nutrition coming soon!
We hope that this has been clear and helped you plan and adapt your diet around your training to get the best performance! Let us know your thoughts and share any snacks or tips that you have with others. Keep an eye out for our recovery nutrition post coming soon!
-The Sculpt Team
1 Comment
Running · October 24, 2017 at 8:17 pm
[…] see how your diet should change to match your training and on competition days check our performance nutrition […]
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