Over the past 5 years of working with hundreds of thousands of athletes the most common questions I get are:
"How do I fuel for my training/race"
"When should I drink and eat"
"How much should I be eating"
I have been working on a common framework for each major sport. I'm going to share with you the Feed Fueling Formula that we have developed. This is our most tightly held secret, but it is time everyone has access to it.
These formulas are based on the best available research in the market, weekly conversations we have with our world-class experts to understand what is working best with their athletes, my years of experience running a Tour de France team, and our Head Coach Brandon's experience working with Olympic Gold medalists. Plus our most important source of data, your feedback!
I hope The Feed Fueling Formula makes it easier to plan your fueling strategy. The one rule that most athletes don't follow is consistency. If you follow the Feed Fueling Formula in training every day your body will adapt in a good way and become more and more efficient in converting fuel to athletic performance. Simply put, train your body to respond to nutrition like you train your strength or aerobic capabilities by following the fueling formula every day.
The first factor: How long is your workout?
The most important variable is how long a workout you are doing, I'm going to break it down into just 3 categories:
Short: Under 45 minutes
Medium: 45 minutes to 2 hours
Long: 2+ hours
The second factor: How long ago was your last meal before your workout?
If you are waking up and going straight to a workout, it has been more than 3 hours since your last meal and your strategy needs to be different than if you eat breakfast then go workout. The same goes for workouts in the afternoon or evening before dinner.
I just ate: Then a pre-workout drink is all you need.
It has been more than 3 hours since my last meal: You need a small amount of fuel before you begin.
The third factor: Is my goal weight loss or maximum performance?
For years we have looked at the "intensity" of your workout as part of the fueling strategy, but we have found that regardless of the intensity you are better to always fuel in a consistent way. The one factor that matters is whether your goal is weight loss or maximum performance.
I want to lose weight: We want to match carbs to the effort so you have a slight calorie deficit for weight loss.
I want maximum performance: Higher end of the range of carbs/calories per hour as the research shows the more carbs the better, assuming your gut has been trained and can tolerate this increased amount.
The Feed Fueling Formula.
I've tried really hard to make it simple enough for everyone to understand. Just focus on the workout length you are doing and it should be simple and straightforward to follow. If not, and you have questions, just text me at +1 (720) 679-8581 and I or one of our Feed Coaches will get right back to you.
1) Short Workouts (under 45 minutes)
You don't need much for these workouts beyond hydration.
⬆️ Before your Workout:
If you haven't eaten in the prior 3 hours, I will often recommend a Maurten Caffeinated Gel 15 minutes prior to these workouts for maximum performance as many athletes are going really hard when they do short 45 minute workouts.
➡️ During your workout:
All you really need is hydration and I recommend low-calorie options like SOS, Nuun Instant, LiquidIV, or LMNT for hydration.
⬇️ After your workout:
Drink an additional 24oz to 32oz of the same low-calorie hydration recommended above, especially if your workout was indoors or in hot weather.