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Fuel for performance adaptations



Every morning, no matter the workout volume or intensity, I eat a pre-workout snack of carbohydrates with a little protein/fat. Sometimes it is a rice cake w/ nut butter, syrup and banana slices.
Sometimes it is a banana w/ nut butter.
Sometimes it is a waffle w/ nut butter, banana slices, honey and a scoop of Greek yogurt.
Sometimes it is oatmeal with raisins, berries and chia seeds. I am well educated in the field of sport nutrition and exercise physiology. I am a Board Certified Sport Dietitian with a master of science in Exercise Physiology. I understand the benefits of manipulating the diet and training regime in an effort to metabolize different fuels for energy.  With many different well-researched fueling strategies marketed toward endurance athletes, it's important to understand that the best fueling strategy in the lab or for another athlete may not be the best strategy for you to function and perform well in training and in your life.  When it comes to prescribing an effective fueling and training plan to boost fitness and to change the physiology of the body for performance adaptations, the best dietary and training regime is the one that will work best for you. The best dietary strategy to optimize endurance performance is the one that allows YOU to complete high-quality training sessions to maximize fitness, on a consistent basis, without risking illness, injury or a more complicated health issue. That is why I choose to eat before every workout.
I train better when I eat before a workout. I recover better when I eat before a workout.
I think better when I eat before a workout. I eat better throughout the day when I eat before a workout. I sleep better when I eat before a workout. I can go longer and harder when I eat before a workout. I am happier when I eat before a workout. I feel more energized when I eat before a workout. The moment you let yourself get fixated on one style of fueling or training, you will likely overlook the many different strategies that are effective for maximizing fitness and helping you achieve optimal health. Be honest with yourself. Don't let weeks and months go by, hoping that you need to just "give it more time" for your claimed fueling (or lack thereof) strategy to work for you. If you don't know what will work best for you, reach out to a sport nutrition professional who can help you better adapt to training stress. Whether you are a professional or age group athlete, if you want to achieve favorable performance and body composition results, learn how to train and fuel smarter so you don't have to train any harder than needed.