Nutrition before, during, and after exercise for the endurance athlete

Abstract

Although it is understood that nutritional supplementation improves performance and enhances training adaptations, it is also vital to grasp how inadequate nutritional practices limit endurance performance. Therefore, in the first section of this chapter, major physiologic factors that result in fatigue during prolonged aerobic exercise are discussed. Adverse consequences of strenuous exercise over time such as muscle damage and immune system suppression are also discussed in this section. In section two, nutritional recommendations in preparation for exercise are presented, whereas nutritional supplementation during exercise is provided in section three. Nutritional strategies for rapid recovery and enhancement of training adaptation are subsequently discussed, whereas the summary section of the chapter consists of practical applications in which nutritional supplementation guidelines are provided to promote endurance performance. © 2008 Humana Press.