NUTRITION TIPS FOR SPORTS USERS: HOW TO PREPARE FOR SPORT

Aptonia wants to help make doing sport easier for everyone. Here are a few of our tips to get ready and make the most of your workout no matter your level or sport.

1/ NUTRITION TIPS FOR SPORTS USERS: FIRST, HYDRATION AND FOOD

Cycling, road and trail running, matches or obstacle courses: to make the most of your next workout, you need to maintain and optimise your strength, from prep to recovery. How? Follow a few quick and simple tips!

Hydration supported by diet is the first thing to consider. This is an important factor for any sports user because it plays a key role in improving performance. Contrary to what you might think, a sports user's diet doesn't change all that much. The quality stays the same, it's just the quantities that change.

Tip: during your three prep days, increase your carb intake.

You need to bring your intake up to match your energy expenditure because sports users burn more calories. For example: Cyclists in the Tour de France can need up to 6,000 kcal a day! Regardless of how much you need to eat, your diet should be balanced. Your intake should be split into four meals per day.

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Snack

- Dinner

The aim is to get to race day in the best physical and mental condition possible for a good performance and optimal post-race recovery. Here are some easy tips:

2/ NUTRITION TIPS FOR BEFORE THE RACE

Eat a proper diet to stay in top form and maximise your performance.

GOALS:

- Hydrate properly

- Optimise energy reserves

- Avoid digestive distress

APTONIA TIPS:

Three days out, increase your energy intake. Supplement with maltodextrin, drinking a 500 ml bottle each day.

Your pre-race meal should be light and easy to digest; ideally, have an energy cake.

Don't forget to hydrate as much as possible.

3/ NUTRITION TIPS FOR DURING THE RACE

What you eat during the race is essential to prevent dips in performance:

GOALS:

- Maintain energy reserves

- Maintain optimal hydration

- Limit mineral losses

APTONIA TIPS:

Drink regularly throughout the race

Refill your energy stores through energy drinks, 2-in-1 gels and bars.

4/ NUTRITION TIPS FOR AFTER THE RACE

Sports users tend to forget about the recovery phase once the race is over. But your body needs to put everything back in order after such a challenging effort.

GOALS:

- Rehydrate

- Replenish minerals

- Refill your energy stores

- Promote muscle recovery

- Promote waste elimination

- Promote good pH balance

APTONIA TIPS:

Keep hydrated.

Get carbs through energy bars.

Get protein through protein bars.

Or, have a recovery drink.

NEED AN ENERGY BOOST?

As soon as you start to feel tired or when the going gets tough, have an energy gel or some nuts.

Regardless of your strategy, don't forget that hydration is key. Dehydration is the worst thing for performance and causes muscle pain and tendinitis. So remember to keep hydrated! There are hydrating drinks that provide essential vitamins and minerals because if you're doing sport for more than an hour, water won't cut it: you'll need an isotonic drink.

Marie Fauchille

Dietician - Nutritionist, fan of multi-sport races and rowing

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