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

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 [email protected]

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

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