Fuel for the work required
Training changes a lot over a year: base building, heavy blocks, tapering, competition, travel, time off and sometimes injury. Eating the same way every day ignores all of that. Periodized nutrition simply means adjusting what and how much you eat to match the work you are doing.
The biggest lever is carbohydrate, which should rise and fall with training volume and intensity. Protein needs stay fairly steady and are best spread across the day. Overall energy intake needs to keep up with training, including during an injury, when healing has its own energy cost.
How much to eat, by training day
Carbohydrate should rise and fall with your training; protein stays fairly steady. Enter your weight and pick today’s training.
Today’s training
Starting points from the sports nutrition position statements. Your dietitian adjusts them to your sport, goals and how you respond.
Carbohydrate today, about
350–490 g
- Carbohydrate per meal or snack, if 5 a day
- 70–100 g
- Protein today
- 85–140 g
| Training day | Carbohydrate | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Rest, light or skill work | 3 to 5 g per kg | Regular meals with moderate portions of starch |
| About 1 hour, moderate | 5 to 7 g per kg | Starch at every meal, plus a carbohydrate snack |
| 1 to 3 hours, moderate to hard | 6 to 10 g per kg | Generous starches, plus fuel during and after training |
| 4 hours or more, hard | 8 to 12 g per kg | Carbohydrate at every eating occasion, including during training |
What changes through your season
Each phase of the year asks something different of your nutrition.
- Off-season
Recover and rebuild
Lower volume. A good time for body composition goals, new cooking habits and correcting any deficiencies.
- Energy to match lighter training
- Build cooking habits
- Iron or vitamin D, if tested low
- Pre-season
Fuel the build
Training volume rises, and carbohydrate and total energy should rise with it.
- More carbohydrate on heavy days
- Practise race-day fueling
- Regular recovery snacks
- In-season
Eat to the schedule
Match intake to the week’s training and games, day by day.
- Higher-carb days before key sessions
- Recovery between games
- Steady protein
- Competition week
Taper and top up
Training drops but needs do not vanish. For events over about 90 minutes, load carbohydrate in the last 36 to 48 hours.
- Keep meals familiar
- Carbohydrate loading if needed
- Hydrate steadily
- Travel and tournaments
Plan ahead
Long days, restaurant food and back-to-back games are where plans fall apart.
- Pack snacks
- Check food options at the venue
- Bottle and electrolytes
- Food safety abroad
- Injury or time off
Do not slash intake
Healing needs energy and protein. Adjust to lighter training, without dieting.
- Protein at every meal
- Calcium and vitamin D
- Check in with your dietitian
Principles that hold all season
Protein through the day
About 1.2 to 2.0 g per kg per day, in 4 or more meals and snacks of roughly 0.3 g per kg, covers most athletes, whatever the phase.
Time meals around sessions
A meal 2 to 4 hours before hard sessions and a recovery meal or snack after. On double days, the gap between sessions decides what you eat in between.
Rest days count
Usually a little less carbohydrate, not dramatically less. Keep regular meals with protein: much of your recovery and adaptation happens on rest days.
Training low, with care
Some endurance athletes deliberately do selected easy sessions with low carbohydrate availability. It is an advanced strategy, not a daily habit, and it raises the risk of under-fuelling if poorly planned.
WORKING WITH YOUR DIETITIAN
How we work on it together
Map your season
We go through your training phases, key events, travel and the weeks you already know will be busy.
Adjust by phase
You get practical eating patterns for light, moderate and heavy days, plus a plan for competition weeks and travel.
Revisit as things change
Follow-ups line up with your training blocks, so the plan keeps pace with your season, including injury or time off.
Common questions
How many carbs do athletes need per day?
It depends on training load: roughly 3 to 5 g per kg of body weight on light days, 5 to 7 g on moderate days, 6 to 10 g on heavy days and up to 8 to 12 g for very high volumes. The calculator above turns that into grams for you.
What should I eat in the off-season?
Match energy to lighter training without dieting hard. It is the best time to work on body composition goals, cooking skills and any deficiencies, so you start the next season well fuelled.
What changes during a taper or race week?
Training drops, so you need a little less energy, but not much less. Keep meals familiar, and for events over about 90 minutes, increase carbohydrate in the last 36 to 48 hours.
How do I eat well when travelling to compete?
Plan ahead: pack familiar snacks, check food options at the venue and hotel, keep a bottle with you, and be careful with food safety abroad. Stick to the timing that works at home.
Should I eat the same amount on rest days?
Usually a little less carbohydrate, but not dramatically less. Rest days are when much of your recovery and adaptation happens.
Is fasted training a good idea?
Occasional easy fasted sessions may suit some endurance athletes, but not hard or long sessions, and they are not needed for results. It is worth discussing before you try it.
How do I eat well during a tournament weekend?
Plan meals around game times, bring familiar snacks, keep drinking steadily, and focus on carbohydrate and fluids between games. A dietitian can help you build a simple tournament plan.
Based on current sports nutrition guidelines
- Thomas, Erdman & Burke (2016). Nutrition and Athletic Performance. ACSM, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics & Dietitians of Canada joint position statement.
- Impey et al. (2018). Fuel for the work required: a theoretical framework for carbohydrate periodization and the glycogen threshold hypothesis. Sports Medicine.
- Kerksick et al. (2017). ISSN position stand: nutrient timing.
- Jäger et al. (2017). ISSN position stand: protein and exercise.
This page is general information, not individual advice. Your needs depend on your sport, health and goals.
Get a plan built for your sport.
Start with a free initial consultation, in person in Ottawa or Gatineau, or online anywhere in Ontario and Quebec.