Nutritional needs of endurance athletes

Abstract

Endurance athletes, including but not limited to cyclists, runners, triathletes, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers, have unique and often challenging daily nutritional needs. In fact, the intense and exhaustive endeavors that endurance athletes undertake daily are impossible unless the right foods are eaten in optimal amounts at the correct time. In addition, meeting fluid and fuel needs during exercise-for example, while running a marathon or competing in an Ironman triathlon or multiday adventure race-is another skill the endurance athlete must master. Nagging injuries, frequent upper respiratory illnesses, and slow recovery from training bouts can all signal that an endurance athlete's nutrition program is out of sync with their training program. Common challenges faced by endurance athletes include consuming adequate calories, consuming enough of certain key nutrients such as iron, protein, and calcium, and timing food intake around exercise. Endurance athletes who follow a vegetarian eating style as well as those struggling with disordered eating and body image concerns may find it particularly difficult to meet their nutritional needs. This chapter focuses on this specific group of athletes and their nutritional requirements. © 2008 Humana Press.