INtra-training nutrition

During training sessions, glycogen stores at the level of the muscle are depleted. Over a period of time, this glycogen will no longer be able to be replaced by the body without an intake of carbohydrates.

This replacement will allow for the reduction of muscle fatigue during training as well as other useful outcomes such as increased energy and retention of sprint speed. Hydration also plays a key role in performance during training.

Important factors to consider for carbohydrate intake are the amount of carbohydrate, when it is appropriate to refuel during training and the type of carbohydrate to be ingested. Although this intake during training requires somewhat of an individualistic approach, the following are general guidelines to follow:

Amount: Carbohydrate intake during training is recommended to be between 30-60g per hour. During high intensity sessions however, carbohydrate intake can be increased upwards of 90g per hour with special considerations going to the source of carbohydrate being used. It is recommended that players begin by using the lower end of carbohydrate intake to ensure there are no issues with stomach pains and slowly increase with each training session. A well-trained gut has been shown to tolerate up to 120g of carbohydrate if given a mixture of glucose and fructose.

When to have carbohydrates: Carbohydrates during training are considered unnecessary if training sessions are shorter than 1 hour unless the intensity of the session is extremely high. General recommendations as stated before for carbohydrate intake is around 30-60g per hour of training. Importantly, during longer sessions, carbohydrate refuelling should begin almost immediately when the session starts and continually drip-fed throughout the session. This will allow for the limiting of glycogen depletion and avoidance of ‘hitting the wall’.