Fuel for Effort, Not Speed: Why Slower Endurance Athletes Still Need Carbs

Want to get in touch? Send Claire a message!

In episode 114 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, Sports Dietitian Stevie Smith, MS RD CSSD joins me for the first in a two-part series on how various factors impact how you should fuel during endurance activities.

In Part 1, we discuss how exercise intensity affects fueling needs. More specifically, we tackle a question that we often hear from mid and especially back-of-the-pack athletes:

“Do I really need to eat that many carbs during exercise if I’m not very fast?”

Here’s what we cover to answer this question:

• Why higher intensity exercise, even at a slower pace, demands more carbs
• How to adjust fueling based on YOUR effort level, not just pace or duration
• The risks of underfueling, including fatigue, poor performance, increased injury risk, and mental burnout
• High carb fueling and who may (and may not) benefit
• Practical guidelines for pre-, during-, and post-workout fueling and for a variety of sports (e.g. road running, trail/ultra, triathlon)
• How to adjust your fueling strategy when unexpected challenges occur and throw you off pace

It doesn't matter if you're chasing a PR or just trying to finish strong. Whether you're an elite or back-of-the-pack athlete, your body needs fuel that matches your effort.

🎧 Tune in to learn more!

Links & Resources:

• Stevie's website
• Join my monthly membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for just $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching
• Support the podcast with my affiliate codes: EATFORENDURANCE20 for Skratch Labs
• Join my Patreon community 
• Get in touch at [e-mail]

Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@eatforendurance).