I’m often asked “What should I do for food?” This usually refers to caloric and fluid intake during exercise. The general focus is what one should use while working out. It is also important, even more so for workouts less than 1 to 2 hours, to consider nutritional requirements for both before and after your workouts.
The following are guidelines recommended by ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). This a place that I find a value to start when evaluating your specific nutrition needs for exercise.
Use the guidelines as a place to start. Keep a journal of what happens during your workouts and evaluate what changes you can make to improve your performance. It is often helpful to have a coach or experienced athlete help with an objective opinion once you have collected some information over a period of time. A month of monitoring this will give you a good picture of what is working.
Intake Guidelines
Before
Time: 3 to 4 hrs
Hydration: Drink 400 to 600 ml (24 oz bottle)
Substrate: Eat small meal consisting of ~200 g of carbohydrates (800– 1000 kcal)
During
Hydration: Drink 600 to 1200 ml (about 16 to 24 oz) each hour
This should be broken down to ~250 ml (4-8 oz) every 15 min
Substrate: Use 4 – 8% carbohydrate solution of energy drink
Eat 0.7 g carbohydrate/kg body weight per hour during exercise lasting longer than 2 hrs.
Again consume this at 15 min intervals during the workout.
Formula: ____lb / 2.2 kg/lb x 0.7 = _____ g of CHO
After
Time: Within 30 min of completing workout
Repeat every 2 hrs for 4 to 6 hrs
Hydration: Drink 24 oz bottle
Substrate: Eat something containing a mixture of all 3 substrates, not just carbohydrate.
About 1.5 g of CHO / kg of body weight is a good guide as to the amount.
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