Fuel Guides are written for specific sessions — to maximize the adaptations from carefully structured training. Single sessions often represent stepping stones and incremental progress on a longer journey towards a goal. Whether an athlete is training three times each week or several times every day, it’s important to apply an appropriate strategy for the aims of the individual. An isolated session is nothing without planning the long-term training load.
Evidence-based carbohydrate guidelines
Muscle glycogen and blood glucose are the primary sources of energy for contracting muscles. An optimal dietary carbohydrate intake enhances recovery and optimizes glycogen stores for the next session.
Nail the basics
Fuel Guides are written for athletes who already have a basic understanding of nutrition and the role of real food. Maurten products are not a replacement to real food, they are an extension, supported by science to meet the demands of endurance sport — before, during and after. Where possible athletes should stick to normal eating patterns with real food. As with all elements of training, in the long-term, consistency matters. Consider a visit to a sports dietician to check if you have got the basics nailed.
Dare to adjust
Fuel Guides are a starting point, but we are all different. Individual training and nutrition needs are highly nuanced — one size does not fit all. Body composition, sweat rate, climate, type of sport, training status, intensity and tolerance will all vary from one person to the next. And then it’s important to understand an individual’s sensitivity to ingredients such as caffeine as well. A Fuel Guide can be adjusted to suit your needs — to optimize the session — so that it delivers the right outcomes at that moment in the training journey.
Same session, different exertion
Each Fuel Guide represents a training session. The experience of that session will be different depending on the relative fitness and form of the individual. For example, an elite runner (RPE 8-9) could be above anaerobic threshold with a session of 5x5 minutes at 10k pace. For a different runner (RPE 6) — perhaps someone aiming for a 60-minute 10k race — 5x5 minutes would be a moderate, sub-threshold effort.
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