These are intended as 3 easy-to-print handouts with sports nutrition information for before, during, and after exercise/competition. Please click on the "Download PDF" link at the beginning of each article to access a printable copy. You may wish to print these and use them as handy tools for yourself, or distribute them to teammates or others.
HANDOUT:
Before-Training/-Competition Nutrition and Hydration
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The Basics
If you hydrate and fuel before you train and compete, your body will do a better job of cooling itself, and your muscles will have more energy. That means you can go longer and harder without overheating or running out of fuel. So take a few minutes to eat and drink before workouts and competitions. The payoff will be more energy, better hydration, and improved performance, along with faster recovery and less chance of injury!
Start Hydrated
Dehydration makes exercise much harder and puts your health at risk, so don't carry fluid deficits from one exercise session to the next.
- Make up for any previously incurred fluid deficits by consuming 14–20 oz (400–600 ml) of water or sports drink at least 2–4 hours before your workout.
- Check your hydration status before exercise:
- Drinking fluids at least 2–4 hours before exercise should lead to urine production. If it doesn't, or if the urine produced is dark in color, drink another 8 oz (240 ml) of fluid about 2 hours before exercise. A light-yellow, "lemonade" color is consistent with adequate hydration.
- Keep hydrating as needed prior to training and competing, especially when conditions are hot or humid.
Fill the Gas Tank
If you are short on carbohydrate fuel heading into exercise, fatigue might cause your performance to suffer. Top off your carbohydrate fuel stores before workouts and competitions.
- Eat a carbohydrate-rich meal 2–4 hours before exercise, or a carbohydrate snack 30–60 minutes before.
- Choose familiar carbohydrate, moderate-protein foods and beverages prior to exercise, and avoid slow-to-digest fatty and high-fiber foods. The goal is to be fueled and comfortable.
- For early-morning exercise or when time is running short, choose an easy-to-digest carbohydrate snack.
- Do you get pre-competition jitters? Try a liquid carb source such as a meal-replacement drink or fruit smoothie in place of a meal.
Before-Exercise Foods and Fluids
| 2–4 Hours Before Exercise: Carbohydrate Meal Examples |
| Cold or hot cereal with fruit or fruit juice and low-fat or nonfat milk |
| French toast or pancakes with maple or fruit syrup |
| Toast with jam or honey, and low-fat yogurt |
| Breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs, salsa, low-fat cheese in a flour tortilla) and fruit juice |
| Bagel or English muffin with jelly and/or peanut butter; banana; and fruit juice |
| Pasta or cheese ravioli with low-fat, tomato-based sauce; French bread or low-fat breadsticks; steamed vegetables; low-fat/nonfat milk; pudding; and fruit |
| Grilled chicken sandwich with frozen low-fat yogurt, baked potato with low-fat sour cream or salsa |
| Turkey sub sandwich with tomato, lettuce, and mustard; baked chips; fruit juice; and low-fat frozen yogurt |
| Thick-crust cheese pizza, low-fat gelato, and fruit |
| Baked or grilled lean beef, chicken, turkey, or fish; steamed rice; dinner roll; cooked green beans; low-fat frozen yogurt; and fruit juice |
|
| 30–60 Minutes Before Exercise: Carbohydrate-Rich Snack Examples |
| Fruit smoothie made with mango/banana/berries and low-fat or nonfat milk or yogurt |
| Fruit juice or vegetable juice |
| Small roll or sandwich made with a banana and honey |
| Low-fat or nonfat yogurt or fat-free frozen yogurt, gelato, or sorbet |
| PowerBar® Performance Energy bar |
| PowerBar® Fruit Smoothie Energy bar |
| Ironman PERFORM™ sports drink |
| PowerBar® Energy Gel |
| PowerBar® Energy Blasts gel filled chews |
| PowerBar® Energy Bites |
|
Choose a Fuel Based on Your Time Schedule
Smaller meals or snacks should be consumed the closer you get to your exercise session. Just before exercise (e.g., 10–15 minutes beforehand), water or a sports drink is best. Larger meals can be consumed when more time is available before exercise.
| Time Before Exercise | Recommended Fuel/Hydration | Examples |
| Less than 30 minutes | Mostly liquids | Water/sports drink |
| 30–60 minutes | Snacks and liquids | Energy gel, energy chews, energy bar, fruit, water/sports drink |
| 1–3 hours | Snacks or small meal and liquids | Energy gel, energy chews, energy bar, sandwich, fruit, juice, water/sports drink |
| 3–4 hours | Moderate-sized meal and liquids | Pasta with meat sauce, vegetables, fruit, roll, juice, water/sports drink |
|
Take-Home Tips
- Start exercise hydrated and fueled, by taking the time to eat and drink beforehand.
- Stick with easily digestible and familiar carbohydrate foods before exercise.
- The time to experiment with different foods, different fluids, and timing of intake is during practices and workouts.
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HANDOUT:
During-Training/-Competition Nutrition and Hydration
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The Basics
Drinking fluids while you train and compete can stave off the performance-robbing effects of dehydration. And for extended exercise, refueling with carbohydrates can help you go longer and harder. But you need to know what to eat and drink during exercise, how much to take in, and how frequently. Otherwise, cramping and other intestinal problems can result. Get it right and the payoff is more energy and better hydration, leading to enhanced performance, less chance of injury, and faster recovery!
Hydrate to Replace Sweat Losses
Drink fluids during exercise at a rate that prevents you from either losing more than 2% of your body weight or gaining weight due to excess fluid consumption. This averts dehydration and overhydration, both of which impair performance and can lead to serious health consequences.
- Since fluid needs can vary, calculate your sweat rate for the various conditions in which you exercise, using the Sweat Rate Calculator at PowerBar.com.
- To help meet your hydration needs, drink small amounts of fluid every 15 minutes or so —
start early during exercise.
Know What to Hydrate With
Match your rehydration choice to the exercise you're doing and the weather conditions.
| Duration of Exercise | Weather Conditions | What to Rehydrate With |
| < 60 minutes | Moderate conditions | Water is usually fine |
| Any length | High temperature or humidity | Sports drink |
| ≥ 60 minutes | All conditions | Sports drink |
|
Advantages of a Sports Drink Over Water
In high-temperature/high-humidity conditions, and for exercise lasting an hour or more, the advantages of a sports drink over plain water are many:
- A sports drink provides carbohydrates to help sustain blood glucose level during exercise.
- A flavored beverage leads to greater fluid consumption during exercise.
- Sodium and carbohydrates help the fluid in the beverage to be absorbed more quickly.
- Sodium helps maintain the drive to continue drinking fluids during exercise, which is crucial to meeting fluid needs.
- Sodium also helps with the retention of consumed fluids.
Stay in Your Hydration Zone
Weigh yourself before and after exercise to see whether you've met your fluid needs. Stay within your "hydration zone" — where you can perform at your best — by losing no more than 2% of your body weight due to fluid loss during exercise and by avoiding weight gain from consuming too much fluid.
- If you lose more than 2% of your body weight — 3 lbs (1.4 kg) for a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete — take in a bit more fluids during exercise to avoid dehydration.
- If you gain weight during exercise, you took in too much fluid. Cut back a bit next time.
Know When Refueling Helps?
Whether to take in carbohydrates or not during exercise depends on the length and intensity of exercise:
- For exercise sessions of < 60 minutes, you generally have adequate carbohydrate fuel reserves on board, so you don't need to consume carbs during exercise.
- For moderate- to high-intensity exercise of ≥ 60 minutes, 30–60 grams of carbs per hour is recommended, preferably in smaller amounts consumed frequently.
- For moderate- to high-intensity exercise of > 2 hours, a 2:1 ratio of glucose to fructose promotes a faster delivery of carbohydrate fuel to working muscles than glucose alone and improved performance. PowerBar® C2MAX dual source energy blend features this research-tested 2:1 ratio and is in all PowerBar® products designed to be taken during exercise. C2MAX carbs can be consumed at 45–90 grams per hour during exercise — again, in smaller amounts taken frequently.
Refueling Options
| Type of Activity | What to Use | PowerBar Options for Maximal Performance | How Frequently |
| Moderate- to high-intensity exercise such as running and cycling | Sports drink
Energy gels | Ironman PERFORM™ sports drink
PowerBar® Energy Gel | Multiple sips every 10–15 minutes
Packet every 20–45 minutes* |
| Intermittent moderate- to high-intensity exercise such as team sports | Sports drink
Energy gels
Energy chews
Energy bars
Energy bites | Ironman PERFORM sports drink
PowerBar Energy Gel
PowerBar® Energy Blasts gel filled chews
PowerBar® Performance Energy bar
PowerBar® Fruit Smoothie Energy bar
PowerBar® Energy Bites | Multiple sips every 10–15 minutes
Packet every 20–45 minutes*
1–3 energy chews every 10 minutes*
1 bar every 30–60 minutes*
4 bites every 30–60 minutes* |
| Moderate-intensity exercise such as climbing, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, skating, and skateboarding | Sports drink
Energy bars | Ironman PERFORM sports drink
PowerBar Harvest® Energy bar
PowerBar® Nut Naturals Energy bar
PowerBar® Triple Threat® Energy bar | Multiple sips every 10–15 minutes
1 bar every 60 minutes* |
|
*For exercise lasting over 1 hour
Take-Home Tips
- Calculate your sweat rate to determine your fluid needs — consume fluids early and consistently to adequately replace sweat losses.
- For moderate- to high-intensity exercise of ≥ 60 minutes, and anytime it's hot or humid, a sports drink is a better option than plain water.
- The time to experiment with different fluids, different fuel sources, and timing of intake is during practices and workouts.
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HANDOUT:
After-Training/-Competition Nutrition and Hydration
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The Basics
During recovery you realize the gains from your hard work and prepare for your next session. You’re ready to start the recovery process just as soon as you finish your workout or competition, but you need to provide the nutritional components. These include carbohydrates to restore depleted fuel stores, protein to help repair damaged muscle tissue and develop new muscle tissue, and fluids and sodium to rehydrate. The benefits of a full and rapid recovery are more energy and better hydration leading into your next workout or event. And that means better performances and less chance of injury!
Start Replenishing Depleted Fuel Stores ASAP
Speed the reloading of depleted muscle glycogen fuel stores by consuming a carbohydrate snack or meal as soon as possible after exercise.
- Take in 0.5–0.7 grams of carbohydrates for every 1 lb (about 1.0–1.5 grams per kg) body weight within 30 minutes of finishing exercise. For a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete, that equates to about 75–105 grams of carbs immediately after exercise.
- Repeat at 2-hour intervals for up to 6 hours, or transition to carbohydrate snacks and meals, if you plan on another intense training session within 24 hours. Consume smaller amounts of carbohydrates more frequently if that leaves you feeling more comfortable.
- Total daily carbohydrate intake depends on training level:
| Type of Exercise | Carbohydrate Needs | Example of the Daily Carbohydrate Requirement for a 150-lb (68-kg) Athlete |
| Low intensity | 2.3–3.2 grams per lb
(5–7 grams per kg) | 345–480 grams |
| Moderate to high intensity | 3.2–5.5 grams per lb
(7–12 grams per kg) | 480–825 grams |
| Extremely high intensity | 4.5–5.5 grams per lb
(10–12 grams per kg) | 675–825 grams |
|
Pound Some Protein Too
Muscle tissue repair and building is another important facet of recovery.
- Whether you're an endurance athlete or you strength train, taking in protein after a workout provides the amino acid building blocks needed to repair muscle fibers that get damaged during exercise and to promote the development of new muscle tissue. Although protein requirements vary between individuals, consume 15–25 grams of protein within an hour after exercise to maximize the muscle rebuilding and repair process.
Rehydrate Effectively With Fluids and Sodium
Virtually all weight lost during exercise is fluid, so weigh yourself before and after exercise to gauge your net loss of fluids.
- Replace lost fluids by gradually drinking 16–24 fl oz of a recovery beverage, sports drink, or water for every lb of weight lost. (1000–1500 ml/kg weight lost)
- Consume sodium sources such as crackers and pretzels along with your fluids. Rehydration will be more effective when sodium is included with the fluid and food you consume as you recover.
Post-Exercise Foods and Fluids
A good way to start recovery is to consume a carbohydrate-containing, moderate-protein snack plus fluids and sodium within 15–30 minutes after exercise. No appetite after exercise? Try a recovery beverage.
Within 30 Minutes After Exercise: Snack Examples
Meal Examples
- Bagel or English muffin with jelly and/or peanut butter, banana, and fruit juice
- Pasta or cheese ravioli with low-fat, tomato-based sauce; French bread or low-fat breadsticks; steamed vegetables; low-fat/nonfat milk; pudding; and fruit
- Grilled chicken sandwich, frozen low-fat yogurt, and baked potato with low-fat sour cream or salsa
- Turkey sub sandwich with tomato, lettuce, and mustard; baked chips; fruit juice; and low-fat frozen yogurt
- Thick-crust cheese pizza, low-fat gelato, and fruit
- Baked or grilled lean beef, chicken, turkey or fish; steamed rice; dinner roll; cooked green beans; low-fat frozen yogurt; and fruit juice
Take-Home Tips
- Recovery starts as soon as you finish exercise if you provide the nutritional components: carbohydrates, protein, fluids, and sodium.
- Begin recovery by consuming a snack or meal within 30 minutes after exercise.
If you have no appetite, try a recovery beverage.
- Rapid recovery is a must during periods of heavy training and anytime you have
two or more training sessions within 12 hours.
Topics:
Pre-Workout, Hydration, Recovery, Energy, Protein
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