The 3 Keys of an Effective Training Nutrition Plan

Despite being in the midst of sports-fuel product and information overload, many athletes fail to meet the three keys of training nutrition. Whether or not they realize it, it's likely affecting their performance.

Before diving into the big three, I recommend first establishing your goals and priorities. Your nutrition plan can follow.

Are you an athlete who wants to optimize performance above all else? Is your main goal to get better, faster and stronger at your sport? Maybe you'd also love to lose a few pounds, but when you're on your bike, run or climb, you mostly want to improve. I'll call this goal group performance athletes.

More: Nutrition Performance Tips for Endurance Athletes

Is weight loss your main goal? Are you running simply because you want to lose weight? Are you less concerned about getting better at cycling and more concerned about your body size and weight loss? I'll refer to this goal group as weight-loss athletes.

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Lastly, are you a competitive athlete? Not only do you want to get better and prioritize your performance, but you also want to win. You push yourself to the limit in your races, and many of your training session mimic this intensity. This group will be named competitive athletes.

Do you fit within any of these three? Of course there's a lot of gray area, and you can form your own title that combines them. Remember: This isn't your overall life goal. It's simply your training goal. It drives your nutrition plan, and it's important to fuel yourself to meet your goal.

More: Why Every Athlete Needs a Nutrition Training Plan

Here's how each group can use the three keys of training nutrition.

Key #1: Fluids

Fluids are paramount, as both chronic and acute dehydration directly affect performance. Even a tiny amount of weight loss from sweat (1 to 2 percent of body weight) can increase your sense of effort, cause nausea, decrease appetite and reduce performance. The vast majority of athletes are at least slightly dehydrated day to day and within training. What's an athlete to do?

More: 4 Hydration Tips for Runners

Anytime you're training for more than 60 minutes, I recommend hydrating during training, from at least the 30-minute mark onward. If you're training for 60 minutes or less, you can likely get by with no hydration as long as you're well-hydrated going into training. Or, you can take along water.

More: 6 Ultrarunning Hydration Gear Options

In high heat or humidity, you must hydrate while training—no matter the duration. But, what about over-hydration? I'll cover this below in the electrolyte section. Over-hydration is really too little electrolytes compared to the amount of fluid intake. It's not the fluid that's the problem, but the lack of electrolytes.

Within each goal group, there's subtle difference in my fluid recommendations.

Weight Loss

Performance

Competitive

Fluid Needs:
18-24 oz. fluid per hour (runners may carry slightly less, but aim for at least 75% of these amounts)

Fluid Needs:
Follow the weight-loss guidelines.

Fluid Needs:
Follow the weight-loss guidelines.

Drink choices:
Electrolyte tabs in water.

Drink choices:
< 90 minutes:
Electrolyte tabs in water.

90 minutes or >:
Full Nutrition drinks with 10-15 grams carbs per 8 oz.

Drink choices:
< 90 minutes:
Follow the performance guidelines.

90 minutes or >:
Follow the performance guidelines.

Comments:
Although you may not want sugar and carbs, the electrolytes and fluids are still important.

Comments:
If you choose to use a low-carb or diluted drink, make up for the carbs in other fuel sources.

Comments:
If you're training or competing for 5+ hours, aim for more carbs per hour.

Quick Tip: Want to know exactly how much fluid you need during training? Weigh yourself immediately before and after training, in the buff or in only underwear, if possible. If not, have on the same clothes both times. Calculate every pound lost as 16 fluid ounces. Then, add in any fluid you consumed during training. This is the amount of fluid you lost during that specific exercise session. Plan to hydrate proactively for the next one.

More: Hydration Guide for Endurance Athletes

Key #2: Carbohydrates

Simply put, you will perform better when you add efficient carbohydrates to any training longer than 60 minutes. Many athletes can push through without negative affects until 90 minutes. My rule of thumb: Add carbs if training at high intensity for 60+ minutes or at any intensity for 90+ minutes.

Your body needs fuel during training from some source. If you want to improve performance and train with any sort of high intensity, it usually works best to provide that fuel source in the form of efficient carbs. If you're goals are more weight loss driven, you can reduce your carbs and oxidize or burn more fat.

More: Sports Nutrition Tips to Help You Lose Weight and Perform Better

But beware, omitting fuel and oxidizing fat doesn't necessarily mean fat loss in the long term as you may not train as well or may overeat later in the day because you're under-nourished. It simply means you'll oxidize more during that workout.

Weight Loss

Performance

Competitive

Carbohydrate Needs:
< 90 minutes:
No carbs necessary. Performance may suffer slightly.

90 minutes or >:
20-40 grams of carbs per hour

3+ hours training:
Follow the guidelines for performance.

Carbohydrate Needs:
60 minutes or <, low or moderate intensity:
No carbs necessary
 
60 minutes at high intensity or 90+ minutes at any intensity:
60+ grams of carbs per hour
 
5+ hours training:
90 grams of carbs per hour

Carbohydrate Needs:
60 minutes or <, low or moderate intensity:
No carbs necessary
 
60 minutes at high intensity or 90+ minutes at any intensity:
60-90 grams of carbs per hour
 
5+ hours training:
90 grams of carbs per hour

Carbohydrate Choices:
Whole-food-type energy bars, banana or small pieces of baked sweet potato.

Carbohydrate Choices:
18-24 oz. full nutrition sports drinks plus one carb option—gels, chews, bars with 25-30 grams of carbs—per hour. 

5+ hours training:
If aiming for 90 grams of carbs per hour, have two carb options per hour. Eat a whole, solid food every 3 hours.

Carbohydrate Choices:
Follow the performance guidelines. If you're aiming for 90 grams per hour, 2 carbs options are usually needed.

5+ hours training:
Use a concentrate drink or 2 carb options per hour. If pace/aide allows, have a whole, solid food option every 3 hours.

Comments:
Although overall performance may suffer slightly at these carb levels, minimizing carbs will best promote fat loss.

Comments:
Vary your carb sources (glucose and dextrose plus fructose). The body can absorb 60 grams of glucose and 30 grams of fructose per hour.

Comments:
See the comments listed for the performance group.

More: Balance Carbohydrates for Better Performance

Quick Tip: The goal is not to try to consume every calorie of output. It's generally a bad idea to try to consume every calorie you burn while training, even at a competitive racing level. Why? The limiting factor is digestion. Your body is under physical stress while training, and does not want or need to deal with huge amounts of food and drink (many athletes burn upwards of 1,000 calories per hour at high intensity).

In many ways, less is more, and you'll avoid many stomach and low energy issues by consuming enough, but not too much, in small amounts every hour of training.

More: The Diet Detective: Know Your Calories

Key #3: Electrolytes

These are the tiny, often-forgotten, deal-breaker nutrients of training nutrition. Don't get enough, and you'll risk dehydration, over-hydration and/or the big bonk. It's a balancing act, but not too difficult to accomplish.

Electrolytes—and especially sodium—are needed during training to improve carbohydrate absorption, water/fluid absorption, and to maintain the delicate balance of plasma fluids and particles in your blood. Potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium, can also play a factor, but don't seem to be as acutely necessary as sodium.

More: Electrolytes and When to Replace Them

Weight Loss

Performance

Competitive

Electrolyte Needs:
For any moderate-to-high intensity training in high heat or humidity, aim for 400-700 mg sodium per hour.

If training for >2 hours, ensure you're getting 100-300 mg potassium. If training >3 hours, take 80 mg calcium, and 40 mg magnesium per hour.

Electrolyte Needs:
For any moderate to high intensity training in high heat or humidity, and all training >90 minutes, aim for 400-700 mg sodium per hour.

Follow the weight-loss guidelines for potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Electrolyte Needs:
Follow the weight-loss and performance guidelines.

Electrolyte Choices:
Low-calorie, electrolyte tabs/products can be used.

Add a small amount of table salt (1/12 tsp = 200 mg sodium) to your drink.

Take calcium and magnesium supplements before and after training in amounts that equal or exceed what's needed per hour.

Electrolyte Choices:
Any sports drink with 100+ mg sodium and 30+ mg potassium per 8 oz.

Then, follow the calcium, magnesium and salt guidelines listed for the weight-loss group.

Consider the electrolytes in your carb options when determining if you need to add more.

Electrolyte Choices:
Follow the guidelines listed for the performance group.

Comments:
If training at low intensity or not sweating much, cut electrolytes in half.

Comments:
If you feel like you're a big sweater, aim for the higher end of the ranges.

Comments:
See the comments listed for the performance group.

Quick Tip: It's not too much water, but too little sodium or other electrolytes that causes over-hydration. Generally, over-hydration occurs when the ratio of fluid in the plasma is no longer balanced with the amount of sodium in the plasma. The electrolytes are diluted. By only drinking water when training, especially when sweating a lot due to intensity, heat and humidity, you're at high risk for diluted electrolytes if you're only drinking water.

More: 7 Drinks That Boost Performance

What's more, your body may choose to dehydrate further and cause an increase in urine output in an effort to reduce bodily fluid and re-establish fluid to electrolyte balance. Either way, it's not a good situation.

Remember: fluids, carbs and electrolytes. The types and amounts depend on your goals, and training intensity and duration. Of course, you can go beyond these three keys and look at amino acids, whole proteins, functional nutrients and more to optimize your plan. Sometimes these really help, and other times they cause more problems than they're worth.

Above all else, the three keys of training nutrition are the best place to start. They're the foundation, and they'll make a big difference in your performance.

More: The Role of Nutrition in Athletic Performance