Nutrition and competition
In order not to strain the digestive system unnecessarily, it is recommended that athletes take in food distributed throughout the day. Recommended three main meals and two snacks between meals cannot be adhered to for top athletes. A distribution over 5-7 smaller meals is more sensible.
The digestion should be completed as far as possible during the sporting activity, because the cardiovascular system would lose energy during the sporting activity. The latest time for food intake before competition or should be at 3 hours before exercise. In order to achieve performance during sports, a diet rich in carbohydrates (mainly oligosaccharides) is recommended.
In the case of long-term endurance stress (>1:30 hours), a fluid intake is recommended. The recommended dose is 0.5 to 1 liter per hour. The glucose content should not exceed 5%. In order to regenerate quickly, the loss of the consumed substances must be compensated as quickly as possible.
