The Sprightly Spud

Whether needing to power your body through an endurance run, or looking to pound out PBs in your bodybuilding session, intra-workout fuel is, in my opinion, an underused tool. Though it sounds technical, it is a pretty straightforward concept: taking on easily digestible fuel within a workout in order to perform at a higher intensity, for longer.

Not only should nobody be attempting to run for four hours without some kind of sustenance, but taking on energy during any kind of training session could massively boost performance, and make the whole ordeal generally more enjoyable. 

Fasted or fuelled?

Some people like to eat before they train, and some don’t. Some people feel sick if they eat before a session, some feel like they will pass out if they train fasted. Fundamentally, it’s down to personal preference. 

The general rule is that for sessions of up to 60 minutes, the body’s glycogen stores will be adequate to get you through your workout, particularly if it’s of lower intensity. Despite this fact, though you might be able to survive fasted training, you may not be able to thrive. Of course, whether you choose to eat before a workout can be dependent on the size and proximity of your last meal, and your training and performance goals. 

For females, fasted workouts can be extremely harsh the hormones, potentially leading to a host of problems like low-energy availability, missing periods, persistent injuries and performance stagnation. What’s more, consistent fasted training can lead to elevated cortisol levels, placing the body in a “catabolic” state, meaning it begins to break down muscle tissues for energy – stunting athletic performance.

Essentially, its a slippery slope.

Another group for whom it may be counterproductive to engage in fasted training, is the hardcore bulkers. Weight gain, whether in muscle or fat tissues, requires more calories to be consumed than are expended, therefore those aiming to keep input above output are likely to find it helpful to expand their eating window, with an early breakfast before the gym. Fasted training could make it very difficult to take in enough calories, particularly if you find yourself with little appetite after a workout. This said, if you really can’t stomach a meal beforehand, then keeping intake high is possible with good planning and food choices throughout the rest of the day. 

For anyone (regardless of sex) training for longer than an hour, or aiming to lift heavy, performance will probably be inhibited if you don’t eat beforehand – the body thrives off fast digesting carbs when it comes to smashing PBs in the gym.

Of course, time is a huge factor when it comes to pre-workout pickings. For those of us forced to train in the unholy hours of the morning, it may be logistically impossible to consume and digest a balanced meal before a session. Additionally, the idea of egg on toast at 4.30 am may be, quite frankly, vomit-worthy. In cases like this, a simple, carb stacked snack like a banana, or a piece of toast with jam, is your best friend. It would, in fact, be fairly pointless to force down a large bowl or fibrous protein oatmeal, with toppings high in fats, in short proximity to training. These nutrients can take two to four hours to digest, resulting in a sluggish and heavy session. 

Individuals striving for weight-loss sometimes find it helpful to avoid eating before a workout. Though the evidence surrounding whether this promotes greater fat burn is mixed, if it helps dieters to bring calorie output above their intake, then it could speed up their journey. Conversely, when it comes to performance goals, food really is fuel, and for demonstrating maximal output, at least a little bit of input is probably wise. 

If you do choose to train on an empty stomach, or on something pretty minimal, post-workout nutrition becomes even more vital…

Post training 

Irregardless of whether you’ve eaten beforehand, eating post-workout is vital to recovery, performance, and reaping the benefits of the work you’ve put in. When your leaving the gym, or strolling home from your run, your top priority should be planning a meal dense in protein and carbohydrates, to repair muscle tissues, and replenish your glycogen stores. The latter of these aims becomes even more essential after a fasted session, as the body will have depleted the glycogen stores in your muscles to fuel your workout, and these need restocking. 

The experts advise taking on a solid meal within two hours of finishing training, if you can. In this period, the body is primed to absorb the nutrients, carbohydrates, and protein from your food

Ideal refuels may include an cheesy egg scramble with veggies and toast, or even a super smoothie with oats, seeds, protein powder, and fruit – a great choice if your pushed for time.

Often, the stress placed on the digestive system by high impact activities like running can sometimes limit appetite. If this is an issue, think simple. A glass of orange juice and a string cheese offers a quick top-up of carbs and protein. Many runners swear by chocolate milk for the same reason. Snacks like these can tide you over until your stomach settles, and you can manage something bigger. 

When do you need an Intra-Workout?

It may seem that the only people who need to fuel up during a training session are elite endurance athletes, training and competing in races like Iron Man triathlons and ultramarathons. 

This is not the case. 

For a selection of different reasons, ‘intra-workout fuelling’ isn’t limited to the stereotypical image of a Tour de France cyclist slurping on a gel, and there are a variety of demographics who may want to consider packing a snack in their gym bag…

1. You’re training for more than an hour

Personally, regardless of what I have eaten beforehand, after 60 minutes of moderate to high intensity training, I begin to feel hungry.  Not only does no one want to have their athletic potential limited by a grumbling tummy, but it is very possible your muscular glycogen stores will be running low. This is even more probable if you could only manage a light meal pre-workout. 

Low glycogen stores will mean the body starts to focus on conserving energy, rather than producing maximal output, hence you begin to feel fatigued, and performance declines. In addition to compromised physical performance, focus is likely to decline as mental fatigue sets in. Aside from leaving you distracted (and perhaps fixated on your next meal), this increases the likelihood of injury, and the enjoyability of your training. 

It is not just the likes of long-distance runners who train at intensity for this length of time, as there are many gym rats who are no stranger to a two-hour leg day. Feeling energised throughout the entirety of this muscle building marathon is a surefire strategy to hit higher volumes, weights and intensities. The result? More gains. 

2. You want to get a powerlifting PB

Though often only exerting effort for seconds at a time, the majority of powerlifters will sip on a carbohydrate drink, or even work their way through a packet of sweets throughout their workout. Both of these options provide rapidly digestible, simple carbs, that keep energy levels up between sets. What’s more, they aid recovery between each lift, allowing for each rep to be as heavy and well-executed as the one before it. 

Similarly, though the extreme intensity of CrossFit means ‘AMRAPs’, ‘WODs’ and ‘EMOMs’ are often only minutes long, its common for those at the top of the sport to stack multiple workouts on top of each other, and supplement them with olympic lifting sessions and skill work, to build their training sessions. In order to facilitate this level of expenditure, high level athletes will often use intra-workouts to sustain their efforts, particularly pros like Toomey or Cringle, who can spend hours each day in the gym. Not only do metcons and heavy weightlifting require extraordinary amounts of energy, but CrossFit’s high level neurological and gymnastics elements (ie ‘double under’ and ‘toes to bar’), mean mental focus is vital. 

The brain needs carbs too. 

3. You’re an endurance warrior

Any triathlete would tell you that one of the hardest parts of the sport to master is fuelling. With professionals commonly racking up 35 hours of training each week, and taking on upwards of 5000 calories per day, intra-workout fuel is a necessity. 

Regardless of whether your surname is ‘Brownlee’, endurance training sessions can be hours long, and may involve multiple disciplines (such as a 90 minute bike ride, followed by a 30 minute ‘run off the bike’), to emulate race day. 90 to 120 minutes will deplete glycogen stores to levels that will significantly compromise performance, and leave you feeling drained. Consequently, its recommended to consume around 30-60g of carbs per hour, depending on the session’s intensity and duration. 

Additionally, last night’s pasta is not enough to power your marathon. The guidelines suggest aiming for 30-60g of carbs per hour for the first three hours of running, then 60-90g per hour after that.

4. You’re bonking 

A well – coined term in the endurance realm, ‘bonking’ refers to the unpleasant feeling of fatigue one gets when glycogen stores are depleted in a session. The body recognises having reached its physiological limit, and signals to the muscles to slow down – hence the heavy legs and lack of motivation. Also called ‘hitting the wall’, any athlete who’s experienced this will know its pretty grim, and makes it extremely difficult to continue training. 

The dizziness, confusion, lack of coordination and light – headedness of the dreaded ‘bonk’, are most frequently seen in long duration training sessions, and endurance sports, however there is no reason why it couldn’t occur in an intense gym workout too. 

Though taking on carbohydrates, fluids, and salts as soon as possible can help, the damage done by hitting glycogen rock bottom will probably be hard to bounce back from, particularly in a race. Therefore, its wise to preempt an intense effort, and pack plenty of your go-to intra – workout nutrition source. 

Most importantly, if you suspect a bonk its essential that you don’t continue pushing yourself without fuel. In severe cases, this can lead to hyperglycaemic seizures or a coma.

Powders, gels, or just crackers?

The market for intra-workout nutrition is vast. When choosing the right fuel for you, their will likely be a process of trial and error, and the ‘optimal’ carb source will vary between individuals. 

1. Gels

Perhaps the most well-known form of intra – workout nutrition, gels provide a compact form of rapidly slurp-able sugar, ideal for endurance cyclists, runners and triathletes. Small, light, and easy to slip into a hydration vest or pocket, gels are make it easy to carry fuel without slowing down performance. 

The majority of brands are made up of combinations of glucose and fructose, though there are a huge variety of options on the market in terms of flavours, additional ingredients, and carbohydrate concentration. For example, high end brand ‘Maurten’ offer both 25g and 40g sachets, both with and without caffeine. This allows athletes to tailor their carb intake to their energy output. 

Many gels contain caffeine thanks to its ability to lower perception of effort, and potentially increase speed of carbohydrate absorption. High level athletes will use combination of the two, in order to give themselves a boost at certain points during a race or training session. Its important to note, however that if you’re sensitive to caffeine, you may find this type of product spikes your heart rate – not always ideal for staying calm in a heavy session. 

Additionally, gels are notorious for triggering gastric discomfort, particularly when running. This is generally because they are highly concentrated, and are often not consumed with enough water for the body to digest them effectively. Furthermore, some brands may contain sweeteners and additives which irritate some athletes’ stomachs, worsening the issue. Many people also dislike the gooey texture and artificial flavour of gels, avoiding them for these reasons too. 

To avoid an upset stomach, try looking for minimal ingredients, and ensuring you are adequately hydrated to process the product. Gels are a versatile source of fuel, but each individual will have varying tolerances for them, and its vital not to test out a new item for the first time during a race. 

Energy chews have similar risks and benefits, with some athletes simply preferring their texture to a gel. 

2. Carb Powders

Often favoured by body builders for their convenience, dissolvable carbohydrate powders like Maltodextrin or Cyclic-Dextrin, offer around 25g of carb per 100 calorie serving. For many gym rats, they can be easily whizzed up into an intra-workout beverage alongside the likes of creatine, and BCAAs, keeping energy levels high during a hard session, without the heavy feeling of a full stomach.

Many sports nutrition companies offer carbohydrate powders as part of a more complex ‘hydration’ blend with electrolytes and vitamins. These can be an extremely helpful method of replenishing essential salts lost through sweat. 

3. Real food

Shockingly, there are plenty of standard cupboard staples which are perfectly acceptable forms of intra-workout fuel. If one looks at the ingredients list for Fruitella, for example, (other sweets are available), the top ingredient is glucose syrup; exactly the same as a High5 energy gel. 

Crackers, malt loaf, granola bars, baby food pouches or dried fruit can provide great quick carb hits, with some marathon runners even swearing by bags of mashed potato as an intra-workout fuel source. Anything low in fats and protein and easy to transport can work.

Not only are natural options often more enjoyable that their laboratory formulated counterparts, but our stomachs are much more accustomed to digesting them, resulting in less gastro discomfort. Companies like OTE and Maurten also retail solid foods, specifically designed to pack in maximum carbs, with minimal fibre, to ensure athletes can achieve optimal performance in a race. These are ideal for professionals who diligently monitor everything they ingest, and would inevitable work for us ‘gen-pop’ sportspeople too. Despite this, if you find cheaper options work well, there is unlikely to be much need to splash out the extra cash on these fancy flapjacks. 

In summary, what suits one athlete could be detrimental to the performance of another, therefore it is vital to endure the trial and error involved in finding the right fuel for you and your sporting endeavours.

Training your body… and your bowels

The more carbohydrate you can tolerate during a race or training session, the more energy your body will have, and the better you will be able to perform. Consequently, it may be necessary to train your stomach in conjunction with your heart and lungs, particularly in the build up to an endurance event which will require fuelling on the go. 

Like your physical training program, gut-training involves systematically building up your tolerance. Its just another form of progressive overload, and its vital to start building in plenty of time before a race. 

If you are prone to digestive upset while training, a good place to start is by implementing very small amounts of foods into your sessions, and gradually building up the volume of carbs you can take on. Try various different forms of fuel (gels, dried fruit, carbohydrate drinks etc), and keep notes of any symptoms, and changes in your performance that occur after their consumption. 

In time, you should find that your body becomes accustomed to intra-workout nutrition, but if it remains an ongoing problem, then it may be worth consulting a sports nutritionist. 

In Conclusion

Intra-workout snacks are not an alternative to balanced and plentiful pre and post training meals. However, the long and short of it is that food is fuel, and if you feel the need to take on nutrition during a workout, then it is nothing to be ashamed of. Whether anticipating an oncoming ‘bonk’, or simply suffering from a growling belly, no one should be made to feel a lesser athlete for needing more carbohydrate. Time after time I have received odd looks for quietly tucking into a flapjack in the gym, but in reality, I have no desire to put my body in a state of low energy availability, and I do not want my training to be limited by a rumbling tum. 

What’s more, if you despise energy gels, but are quite partial to a Haribo gummy, then there is no issue in choosing the latter product – do not feel guilty for choosing fuel that you actually enjoy. 

You do not have to be an elite athlete to justify intra-workout nutrition, do not be afraid to bring a snack to the gym.