The Nutritional Edge

The Nutritional Edge Individualized and personalized nutrition for your health and/or performance goals

Pre-exercise Carbohydrate Fuelling How much carbohydrate (CHO) should be consumed BEFORE exercise?It depends on the dura...
02/20/2025

Pre-exercise Carbohydrate Fuelling

How much carbohydrate (CHO) should be consumed BEFORE exercise?

It depends on the duration and intensity of the exercise.

Assuming a longer and vigorous activity session, the general recommendation is 1-4 g CHO/kg in the 1-4 hours before exercise. For example, aim for 1 g CHO/kg in the 1 hour before start.

What about the other macronutrients?

Reduced intakes of protein, fat, and fibre should occur the closer we get to exercise. These nutrients can cause gastrointestinal distress or digestive upset. Therefore, be mindful of food selection.

The amount, timing, and type (of CHO) all matter. Trial CHO-based foods that are well-tolerated and easily digested.
Again - practice, practice, practice.

Eat well. Be well.

PMID: 26891166, 26920240, 21660383

Do We Need Carbohydrate (CHO) During Exercise?It depends on the duration and intensity of exercise. Short periods of tra...
02/16/2025

Do We Need Carbohydrate (CHO) During Exercise?

It depends on the duration and intensity of exercise. Short periods of training may not require CHO intake. These can be skill-based training or high-quality training of lower volumes or intensity. However, longer and more vigorous sessions/competitions/games may require CHO intake.

Here is a brief summary of when and how much CHO is needed.

Brief exercise:
150 mins (2.5 hours); up to 90 g CHO/hr (maybe more?)

As we can see, CHO intake during exercise depends on the aforementioned factors - duration and intensity. If the exercise is prolonged and “pretty hard”, then yes, likely some CHO is warranted to maintain energy levels and performance.
Common forms are liquids/sports drinks, gels, chews, and other confectionary (within reason).

The best (and safest) way to include CHO is to trial them in advance before competition. This will give you a chance to see how well they are tolerated (if any gastrointestinal symptoms or upset occurs) and if any further adjustments/changes need to be made. So practice, practice, practice.

Eat well. Be well.

PMID: 21660838, 11145214

In the spirit of Halloween 🎃 Pumpkins. Pumpkins have many health benefits, including:Eye health:
They are rich in beta-c...
11/01/2024

In the spirit of Halloween 🎃

Pumpkins.

Pumpkins have many health benefits, including:

Eye health:
They are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an antioxidant that supports eye health. 

Heart health:
Their potassium can help lower blood pressure and fibre can help lower cholesterol. 

Digestive health:
Can help with digestion and weight management because of their fibre.

Immune system:
Vitamins A, C, and E are strong antioxidants that help keep us healthy. Minerals such as zinc, selenium, and iron also support the immune system. 

Bone health:
The potassium content of pumpkin can help improve bone health.

Macular degeneration:
Contains lutein and zeaxanthin which may help reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration (AMD).

Try pumpkin by roasting, grilling, steaming, and baking.

Eat well. Be well.

Happy Halloween 🎃

Address

Woodstock, ON

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 6:45pm
Tuesday 9am - 7:45pm
Wednesday 9am - 7:45pm
Thursday 9am - 7:45pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Nutritional Edge posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category