Sports Nutrition or "Real Food" Fueling?

Hydration, carbohydrate availability, and recovery nutrition are foundational to performance and durability across long training sessions, training blocks, and entire seasons. When those foundations are in place, athletes are able to train with greater consistency, recover more completely, adapt more reliably over time, and perform better on race day.

Sports nutrition plays a very specific role in that process. It is not designed to replace real food in an athlete’s regular diet, but to support the moments when real food is not as practical, not timely, or not sufficient to meet physiological demand. This is especially true during endurance training and racing, when the gut is under stress, energy demand is high, and the margin for error is small.

Why sports nutrition matters during endurance training

As training duration, intensity, or environmental stress increases, the body is asked to do several things at once while maintaining a consistent level of work output.

• Maintain hydration status including plasma volume and cardiovascular efficiency

• Deliver sufficient carbohydrate to sustain power output

• Minimize gastrointestinal distress

• Recover quickly enough to repeat the work

Whole foods are essential for overall health and daily energy availability. During exercise and immediately around training, however, they can be slow to digest, bulky, or impractical. Sports nutrition reduces friction by delivering known amounts of fluid, sodium, and carbohydrate in forms that are easier to absorb and easier to tolerate. When well tested and used intentionally, sports nutrition improves training quality and repeatability. That consistency is what ultimately drives adaptation and performance capacity.

Evaluating sports nutrition products

I evaluate sports nutrition through a performance and recovery lens rather than taste or marketing alone. These factors matter most when products are used regularly, not just on race day.

• Key considerations include:

• Ingredient quality and third party certification

• Sodium concentration and electrolyte balance

• Pre exercise, during exercise, and post exercise use strategies

• Gastrointestinal tolerance

• Practicality for daily training and racing

• Flexibility with other carbohydrate sources

• Support for recovery and durability across training blocks

Hydration that supports performance

Adequate fluid and sodium intake support plasma volume, thermoregulation, and cardiovascular efficiency. Chronic underhydration increases heart rate drift and perceived effort, even when fitness is high. Effective hydration products are formulated to address these physiological demands rather than simply quench thirst; they help maintain hydration before, during, and after exhaustive exercise, even in demanding environments.

An important feature is the ability to increase or decrease carbohydrates depending on timing, intensity, and athlete need. That flexibility allows hydration and fueling to be adjusted independently of energy intake.

For optimal absorption and hydration, I typically recommend hypotonic solutions such as Fluid Performance or Skratch Super High Carb products, mixed according to the instructions on the package. For example, 1 scoop of Fluid Performance per 12 ounces of water or 2 scoops in a larger bottle keeps the solution hypotonic, supporting effective fluid absorption without over concentrating the bottle or increasing GI risk. At these carbohydrate amounts (25 grams or 50 grams in a bottle, respectively), this carb-electrolyte drink is able to effectively hydrate while also providing room for additional hourly carb intake through fuel (i.e., gels and chews).

Sodium is often a limiter

Most endurance athletes either underconsume or overconsume sodium, particularly during long indoor sessions, hot conditions, or cold environments where thirst cues are altered.

Sodium intake influences how well fluid is absorbed and retained. Replacing water without enough sodium can dilute plasma sodium levels and reduce hydration efficiency. On the other hand, pushing sodium too high without adequate fluid can also create issues.

Hydration strategies work best when sodium intake reasonably matches sweat losses. For athletes who need additional sodium at certain times, extra electrolyte options can be layered without adding more carbohydrate. This allows hydration to remain precise and adaptable.

The role of pre-hydration

Hydration status at the start of exercise has a meaningful impact on how the entire session feels. For races or longer rides in hot or cold conditions, a higher sodium solution taken in ~2 hours before the session can help pre-hydrate. This strategy is especially useful:

• In the heat, when sweat rates rise quickly

• In the cold, when thirst cues are blunted and cold induced diuresis may occur

• During early-morning sessions when fluid intake is often low

Product layering

One of the most practical advantages of modern sports nutrition is modular fueling. Hydration and carbohydrate delivery do not need to come from the same source. This allows athletes to adjust intake based on intensity, duration, and gut tolerance rather than forcing everything into one concentrated bottle. Having multiple sources for electrolytes also helps dial in sodium concentration to sweat losses which change throughout the year. Also, leveraging caffeinated products and higher vs lower sodium gels as needed can help create a performance-based individualized plan without drastically changing products or brands.

Here is how I often structure hydration and carbohydrate intake during rides:

• Hard sessions: 700 ml of fluids per hour with 500-800 mg sodium per hour and 60-90 g carbohydrate per hour from a combination of drink mix, gels, and chews.

• Easier sessions: 500-700 ml of fluids per hour with 500-800 mg sodium per hour and 40-60 g carbohydrate per hour from a combination of drink mix, electrolyte tablets, bars and chews.

Gastrointestinal tolerance 

Even the best fueling strategy fails if it cannot be tolerated, but adequate practice of combinations to hit carb, fluid, and sodium targets can usually help. Typically, "real food" can cause more issues, especially when trying to ride or race at higher intensities, in warmer environments, and/or when attempting higher carbohydrate intake rates. Products that are overly concentrated can increase the risk of GI distress. Simpler formulations and appropriate concentration are important; they start with intentional product selection, proper mixing, and proper combining with other fueling and hydration sources.

If you are prone to GI issues:

• Stick to the lower end of recommended concentration for hydration mixes

• Match carbohydrate intake to intensity and duration rather than forcing targets

• Start with one product and then add others one at a time, always keeping track of hourly fluid, sodium, and carbohydrate intake.

Takeaway

By prioritizing ingredient quality, third-party testing, intentional formulation, and dosing, as well as allowing for flexible combinations with drinks, gels and chews, well-designed sports nutrition helps close some of the most common gaps in endurance training and performance.

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