Endurance Sports

This chapter explores daily training needs of endurance sport athletes and outlines various nutrition considerations for endurance competition. Endurance sport encompasses a variety of activities, sometimes in combination across a range of distances and intensities. Endurance athletes commit considerable effort, time and finances to training and racing. Recreational endurance athletes, while not training at the same level, are required to balance lifestyle commitments such as work, study and family in between daily workouts. Dietary surveys of endurance athletes commonly report dietary intakes that fall recommendations for energy, carbohydrate and various vitamins and minerals. Endurance athletes, male and female, are at increased risk of suffering from low energy availability. The amount, timing, type, frequency of intake and form of carbohydrate should be considered when advising endurance athletes in relation to carbohydrate intake during training and racing.